I think any history is appropriate for high school aged students. I see no need to censor anything or keep them from knowing what happened. They are old enough to learn the truth about history and Cesar Chavez is no exception. There is nothing to hide about Cesar Chavez and his work
Students lack a knowledge of the economic history of this country. The Great Depression was just some event that happened a century ago. The income tax has always existed. Tax brackets were always pretty much the same. Students need to be taught the true history of this country. They need to be taught that the Depression wasn't a one time event and that it can easily happen again. They need to be taught that the income tax didn't exist for a majority of this country's existence and was never intended to exist by the founding fathers. They need to be taught that not too long ago, taxes were designed to force people to reinvest and grow their business to actually create jobs and not just grow their bank accounts in the Cayman Islands. Cesar Chavez is every bit as important to the history of the US as these events. His fight for equality for workers still impacts long wage workers to this day. Without his efforts, wage and working conditions would be far more hostile for the worker than they are today.
The story of any figure of historical importance is appropriate for inclusion in a high school curriculum. The two reasons to exclude the story of Cesar Chavez can be addressed in the lesson plan. To talk about the history of organized labor is not the same thing as endorsing their positions (nor is it necessary to try and debunk their beliefs). You can hardly teach about WWII without talking about Stalin, but that does not make you a communist. The other complicated part of the Chavez story is his opposition to relaxed immigration laws, as he feared that they would undermine the negotiating position of existing workers. This part of the story is an excellent opportunity to discuss the pros and cons of immigration for low skill workers and entirely reasonable for a high school audience.
I think it would be appropriate and beneficial for our high school students to learn the story of Cesar Chavez. Students should be aware of what it was like for American farm workers in the early 1900's. I think teenagers should get a glimpse of how these workers were forced to live, without any amenities, without any rights, almost the equivalent of slave labor.
I do not believe that Cesar Chavez is an appropriate subject for high school. I think that the guy was a controversial figure who wasn't exactly the most admirable person. I think that a lot of parents would have issue with their kids learning about Cesar Chavez in high school.