When Cesars efforts began. farmworkers in California averaged less than $1.50 per hour. They had no benefits and were powerless to complain about abuses and unfair labor practices. A silent generation of Americans considered the farmworkers a hopeless cause--the poorest of the poor. But under Cesars leadership. the farmworkers began to rise from their knees. They won significant pay increases and. for the first time. migrant workers were eligible for medical insurance. unemployment insurance. pensions. and had a mechanism for challenging employer abuses. The legacy of Cesar Chavez was being born. and it will never die. He held a special place in the life and respect and affection of the Kennedy family.