Delano Grape Strike
In 1965, Filipino and Mexican American farm workers walked out on a peaceful strike against wine grapes. They have received little pay and worked in poor conditions. They asked Caesar, the leader of the National Farm Workers Association to join their movement. Caesar hesitated at first but decided to join the strike on the account that they all have to work together, and they vowed to never use violence. The strike drew support from many activists, unions and civil right groups. The strike eventually turned into a boycott, including table grapes. The boycott went on for 2 years and many young men grew impatient. When Caesar saw that some people are turning towards violence, he decided to fast. His fast stopped the violence, and he received a letter of admiration from Dr. King. Caesar understood that perseverance was important, and the boycott went on for 5 years. The grape boycott was a success. The grape growings signed their first union contract, giving workers more pay, benefits and protection.
2 comments:
Caesar's fast is very interesting. Do you think Caesar was inspired by MLK's non-violent protests? Also the strikes on wine grapes had a huge impact in the American society because wine was very important in American society. This is another example of how powerful non-violent marches truly are.
Good analysis. I was pretty surprised by how many Americans participated in the boycott, and I think it's pretty amazing that he managed to get so many people for it.
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