Their story is sadly familiar to many American families today. When Chavez was 10 years. the family fell behind In mortgage payments and lost their 160acre farm. They took to the roads and became migrant farmers. Cesar Chavez knew the deplorable conditions that existed for migrant farmers first hand. A man of vision and commitment. Chavez was not discouraged by his experience. but encouraged to fight for the rights of migrant farmers who were overworked. underpaid. and unempowered. In the early 1960s Chavez started the National Farm Workers Association. which became the United Farm Workers of America. Under Chavez leadership. the union spearheaded a nonviolent campaign to improve conditions for migrant farmworkers. In 1965. the young union struck table grape growers in the San Joaquin Valley. Chavez called for a national boycott of table grapes to call Americas attention to the plight of farmworkers who produced the food on their tables.