Mexican American Civil Rights Narrative

Being a Mexican-American migrant farm worker was not easy. We had to work long
hours and were underpaid for all our hard work. I was saddened by the fact that no one seemed to
care that we were being discriminated against for our race, expect for us. The business owners
wanted us to agree with the working conditions they established, but I knew this treatment was
unfair. I was ready for change, I just did not know where to begin.
Like an answer to my prayers, in 1962 Filipino workers from the Agricultural Workers
Organizing Committee joined forces with the National Farm Workers Association, lead by Cesar
Chavez and Dolores Huerta. They would be organizing a strike to get grape farms in, like the one
I worked at, to listen to our demands. It felt good being a part of the strike and standing up for
the rights of all farm workers. To gain more support, we marched to the capitol where Dolores
threatened the governor with a larger strike if things didnt get better. (H) After that we became
the United Farm Workers and started to target larger farms like Digiorgio Fruit Corp. where my
friends were living in poor labor camps. (E) As time passed, the protesters and I wanted to use
violence against our bosses and law enforcement, but Cesar went on a fast to show us that
peaceful protest is better. He caught the attention of Senator Robert Kennedy. (G) Kennedy heard
of our mistreatment and supported our fight for equal rights. (F) Business owners accused us of
using violence, but it wasnt true. Cesar wrote a letter to one describing our peaceful philosophy,
that we dont want to harm them, we just dont want to be treated like slaves. (D) Maybe we
scared owners because we were growing in numbers and able to start movements in different
states. (I) States like Arizona tried to take away our right to organize. We fought back by fasting
and spreading posters telling others to Boycott Grapes. (B) After years of boycotting grapes
and seeing my friends beaten and imprisoned for it, news spread that grape companies were
losing millions of dollars because we werent working for them until they treated us fairly. (C)

Finally in 1975 Governor Brown helped the UFW pass the Agricultural Labor Relations Act.
This gave us the right to form labor unions that could bargain for better wages and working
conditions! In celebration we marched with Cesar and held rallies for workers to teach them
what their rights were.
Since we never gave up fighting for unions, workers rights will be protected for
generations to come. Its important that we had leaders like Cesar, Dolores, and countless others
whose voices reached far and wide. Their contributions will live on through Americas history..
(A) But it is also important to recognize all the farm workers like me who bravely contributed to
this cause, despite the risks of death and imprisonment. There will always be businesses trying to
take advantage of minorities, but as long as people stick together to fight injustice they can create
a brighter future.