Ten+Key+Elements


 * 1. Goals** – Identify the goals of the movement. Identify what historical and/or present day circumstances demanded action.

The farm labor movement movement was inspired by the poor working conditions imposed on farmworkers. In addition to very low wages and no health benefits, conditions in the field for the mostly immigrant farmworkers were very poor. Workers were not provided bathrooms. Large numbers of workers shared a single cup for drinking water. Workers were routinely sprayed with toxic pesticides. Agricultural workers were not provided the benefits of the National Labor Relations Act or any other state or federal protections. Children worked with their parents in the fields. This longstanding exploitation and oppression inspired the struggled to obtain dignity and justice for famworkers.

**2. Leaders** – Select a leader. Provide basic information about his or her life and why he or she became involved with the movement.

César Chávez nació en Yuma, Arizona en 1927. En el año 1938 cuando César tenía diez años sus padres perdieron su granja y se convirtieron en trabajadores migratorios. Trabajaban recogiendo las cosechas en Arizona y California. Debido a la necesidad de mudarse con tanta frecuencia, Cásar asistió a más de treinta y seis escuelas. Dejó de asistir a la escuela en septimo grado para trabajar de completo tiempo en los campos.

En el año 1946 Chávez cumplió 19 años y entró en la Marina de los Estados Unidos. En 1952 Chavez comenzó a trabajar para un grupo llamado la Organización de Servicios a la Comunidad (la CSO). La meta principal de esa organización fue apoyar a la gente en inscribrse para votar.

En 1962 se decidó a ayudar a los campesinos. Fundó un sindicato llamado “National Farm Workers’ Association NFWA” - la Asociación Nacional de Campesinos. Por sus propias experiencias Chávez entendía bien la opresión de los campesinos.

3. **Actions** - Identify individual and/or group actions that were taken.

In 1965 when a farmworkers' union called the American Farm Workers Association - which consisted mostly of Philipino farmworkers - went on strike, the NFWA decided to join them in the strike. The strike was the first in a series of actions that also included a boycott against Shenley Liquor, a 25-day protest march from Delano, California to Sacrameno (California's capital), a boycott of California grapes, and an invididual hunger strike by Chávez. Inspired by the writings of Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr., Chávez advocated peaceful forms of protest. When farmworkers became frustrated by the heavy-handed tactics of the opposition, some wished to resort to violence. Chávez fasted for 25 days to encourage members of the movement to embrace only peaceful forms of protest.

4. **Allies** – Describe how people were recruited to support the movement. Describe the sacrifices that were made by supporters of the movement (e.g. loss of life, loss of property, loss of employment, physical harm, etc.).

Allies of this movement included national organized labor (that is, existing unions), supporters of other civil rights movements, members of the clergy, students, and professors. Although only limited attention to the movement was provided during the early days of the strike, the march from Delano to Sacramento and the boycotts eventually captured the attention of more Americans. Volunteers from all over the nation traveled to cities to support the boycott by picketing outside of stores and distributing information about the plight of the farm workers to food shoppers, many of whom only learned of it as a result of the direct action of the boycotters.

A United States Senate sub-committee formed to intervene on behalf of the farmworkers. This sub-committee was led by liberal Massachusetts Senator Robert F. Kennedy, who supported the movement in various ways before his assassination in June of 1968.

The allies of this movement made great sacrifices. As a result of extended periods with no income, most strikers lost any personal property such as homes and cars. Strikers were subjected to the strong-arm tactics of the growers and local police, which included verbal and physical harrassment. Many other allies left their jobs behind to promote the movement.

5. **Opponents/Oppressors** – Identify the opponents of the movement and explain why they resisted the changes sought by the movement?

The principal opponents of the farmworkers' movement were the growers - owners of large produce growing operations. Simply put, they opposed any changes to operations that would increase their costs. Throughout most of the 20th century the growers exploited the availability of low-wage workers including Chinese immigrants, poor white people, African Americans, and Japanese immigrants. By the late 1940's most of the low-wage farmworkers were Mexican. Growers fought back hard, knowing that any increased costs would result in a reduction in profits. They ordered their supervisors to harass the strikers. They brought in loudspeakers to drown out the voices of the strikers. They used trucks to spray dust on the picketers. They threatened the picketers with guns and sometimes fired their guns. The local police in Delano, CA, did not protect the strikers and acted in favor of the interests of the growers. Other opponents of the movement included President Nixon and California Governor Ronald Reagan.

6. **Outcomes** – Describe the outcomes of the movement. Were they positive or negative? Describe how others in society responded to the movement.

It took five years for the striking farm workers to obtain some of what they were demanding. Shenley liquors recognized the National Farm Workers' Association during the march from Delano to Sacramento. Later some large supermarket chains across the country stopped stocking California grapes. Little by little smaller growers capitulated to the farm workers and began shipping out grapes stamped wit the union label. The economic losses to the larger growers eventually forced them to meet the demands of the strikers. In 1970 a number of large growers agreed to the following: wage increases, toilet facilities in the fields, rest periods, pesticide controls, a medical plan, and the right of workers to enroll in a union.

**7. Inspirational Words** – Identify a speech or written material of leader or other supporter of the movement. Read it out loud in your voicethread and explain why you found this particular item powerful.

“Once social change begins, it cannot be reversed. You cannot uneducate the person who has learned to read. You cannot humiliate the person who feels pride. You cannot oppress the people who are not afraid anymore. We have seen the future, and the future is ours.”

This quote defines the power of transformation. When people become educated, empowered, or enlightened, they will never settle for less than full participation in society.

**8. Connection to the Present –** Explain how the movement has impacted today’s society **OR** find a current event that relates to the movement.

La Unión de Campesinos (United Farm Workers) existe hasta la fecha. Sigue protegiendo los derechos de campesinos. Sus campañas claves son la reforma inmigratoria, regulaciones de insolación en California (debido a la frecuencia de muertos en los campos por el calor fuerte), y la defensa de los derechos de trabajadores huéspedes.

Recientemente la unión dedicó recursos a avanzar “The Dream Act,” un proyecto de ley que les daría opciones para consequir estatus legal a muchos inmigrantes jovenes en los Estados Unidos sin documentación. La esperanza de la aprobación de este proyecto de ley murió el 18 de diciembre en el Senado. Es improbable que se vaya a considerer de nuevo en el futuro cercano.

@http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7087479n&tag=related;photovideo

**9. Common Elements** – Compare and contrast elements of your protest movement with elements of protest movements being studied by your classmates. //Point out at least one similarity and at least one difference.//

I chose to compare the Farmworkers' Movement with the African American Civil Rights Movement. Similarities include the following: the embrace of non-violent actions such as marches and boycotts and clearly identifiable leaders (Cesar Chavez the leader of the Farmworkers and Martin Luther King, Jr. the leader of the African American Civil Rights Movement). A major difference of these two movements were the goals of the movements and the target audiences for their messages. The Farmworkers' Movement sought to improve working conditions for farm workers by leveraging power in negotiations with growers by forming labor unions. The African American Civil Rights Movement sought to establish federal legislation that would outlaw all discrimination based based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin in areas such as housing, employment, public accommodations, and voting rights.

**10. Artwork –** Consult with the student artist who created a work related to your movement. Explain the meaning of the artwork in your voicethread.

The poster seen here reads, "Boycott Grapes: Support the United Farm Workers Union." It was created by artist Xavier Viramontes (born Richmond, CA 1947).

"My idea for the poster was to remind people that the Mexican farmworkers who work so hard in the fields come from a rich cultural background and ought to be treated fairly and with respect. I decided to use a dark brown Aztec/god like figure as the main focal point. The squeezing of the grapes symbolizes the blood and sweat of the farmworkers."

The Boycott Grapes poster is now part of the permanent collection of the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C. and the National Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico.