When trying to describe today's Californians, a common term that would probably appear most often is diverse. California is truly a melting pot of different cultures that span the world, from Chinese and Asian immigrants trying to reach the "Mountain of Gold" to the Chicano community who have been absorbed into American culture after the Mexican government ceded control of what is today. the western United States. A common link between the past and present in California is the hard-working immigrant worker who endures harsh working conditions and gets dirty to earn a living. Weber remembers many "money-hungry entrepreneurs and capitalists who were happy to exploit the labor of Chinese immigrants" (Weber, p. 77) and how, at first, they were accepted as a strong labor force on which could be relied upon to accomplish tasks that whites, like the Irish, were unwilling to do, and at a much lower cost. In reality, many Chinese were unhappy with the working conditions they were doing in the late 19th century and, as Weber mentions, went on strike and managed to improve their working conditions, although without increasing wages. One of the motivations for improving the workforce was a mindset that spread among immigrant workers from the late 19th century through those in the late 20th century, championed by labor leaders such as Cesar Chavez and Larry Itliong. Like Chinese workers during the 19th century "gold rush," Californians came together as a united force to challenge the equal labor law and usher in a new era that struggled for a fair chance at achieving the American dream. Cesar Chavez is probably the most emblematic figure of the labor movement in California. He was a Mexican-American labor activist... middle of paper ...... during the honeymoon period of the "Gold Rush", he fought for equality of rights that they believed and rightly deserved. This pride in self and country can be found in the stories of Cesar Chavez and Larry Itliong and their crusades in California. Without these two union leaders, would anyone have been brave enough to step up to the plate and bring their respective races out of the shadows and into America's spotlight? African Americans had Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X as champions of equality. Mexicans and Filipinos had Cesar Chavez and Larry Itliong, respectively, to tackle tough issues and fight for their rights. If it had been anyone else, perhaps $0.20 more would have been all that Californians strived for, instead of ushering in a new era that would shape these two cultures in America for years to come..