Cesar Chavez on march from Mexican border to Sacramento with United Farm Workers. One man is carrying a flag. Title reads 'Chicano! The Struggle in the Fields".



Chicano! The Struggle in the Fields: Documentary about the Farm Workers Movement

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Introduction

Watch this documentary, ‘Chicano! Episode 2: The Struggle in the Fields, which examines the importance of César Chávez and his efforts to organise farm workers in the central valley of California, United States. It delineates the various components of Chávez’s strategy for farm worker self determination – strikes, boycotts, pilgrimages, fasts – and emphasises his commitment to nonviolence.

This episode is part of a series of films from Galan Incorporated. This four part series chronicles the struggle for equality and social justice of the Mexican American community in the United States from 1965 to 1975.

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Chicano! Struggle in the Fields

Quotes from the documentary –

There were so many people that before the Farm Workers boycott began they hadn’t stopped to think about where the things that they ate came from and who was involved in getting the food on their table.

Little by little the boycott strategies took hold across the country as Mayors and religious leaders came to support the farmworkers cause… soon Americans from all walks of life supported the boycott… and the boycott spread to Europe. In England, Sweden and France dockworkers refused to unload California grapes.

I think Cesar’s commitment to nonviolence did alot of things. First, the general support of the American people was dependant on it, the boycott was dependant on it but more importantly that fast and that commitment, I think it as the glue that made the union a union.

…we didn’t own the radio, we didn’t own the movies, we owned nothing at all…the only way that we could in many respects get the word out, be visible, was to create posters and murals, paintings, banners, whatever … in that way we were able to disseminate information … not only the positive things but the negative things – I mean who we are, our indigenous roots, and our connection to the land, our love of family, home and community.

…the dynamic of union grapes reinforced the power of the boycott because stores didn’t want farm workers picketing in front of their front door. They didn’t want any hassle so they bought the union grapes so the price of union grapes went up, there was a premium on union grapes and the price of non-union grapes went to hell…and all of a sudden these growers who hated our guts fell in love with us and we couldn’t sign contracts fast enough with them.

I think the greatest achievement is on the change it made on people – teaching them how they could fight, how they can stand up for their rights and win.

Credit

Feature photo – Cesar Chavez (center) on march from Mexican border to Sacramento with United Farm Workers members in Redondo Beach, California on 9 July 1975.
Photographer: John Malmin, Los Angeles Times, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Photo has been amended with background removed.

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