Together, in 1962 they launched the union that became known as the United Farm Workers to establish better pay and working conditions. Both Chávez and Huerta were deeply committed to community organizing and fighting social and economic injustice. Chávez had even dropped out of school in the 8th grade in order to work to support his family. They faced violence and discrimination when they sought fair treatment and reasonable living conditions.Ĭesár Chávez (1927-1993) and Dolores Huerta (1930-) were the children of agricultural workers and were familiar with the challenges they faced. The workers and their families lived in poverty and lacked educational opportunities. Agricultural work was low-paid, physically demanding, and dangerous. from 1942 to 1964 in an effort to solve labor shortages caused by World War II. The Bracero Program alone brought 5 million Mexican workers to the U.S. In the 20th century, Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, and Mexican immigrants performed much of the agricultural work in the western United States.
Migrant labor has been essential for the agricultural industry in western states such as California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, or New Mexico. Students will use the work of these artists as a lens through which to consider the importance of the United Farm Workers movement and to discuss the legacy of Dolores Huerta, one of the movement’s central figures.
In this lesson, students will examine the lyrics and context surrounding Nikki Darling’s poem, “A Street Called Dolores Huerta” and Alice Bag’s song of the same name.
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