The Farmworker Movement Documentation Project, founded in 2003 by LeRoy Chatfield, is a labor of love. The project seeks to compile and publish primary source accounts from the volunteers who worked with Cesar Chavez to build his farmworker movement during the period, 1962-1993.
All primary source accounts have been included, and none, except the discussion and the slide show have been edited for content, length, voice, or tone. The discussion was edited for readability purposes only, and the slide show was limited by the need to choose representative photographs covering the thirty-one year period. The essays have been professionally copyedited and proofread.
Directions: Your assignment is to submit a 400-500 word review of at least two sections (select from Essays, Discussion Archive, and Media) from the Farmworker Movement Documentation Project Website. Write your submission in an essay form with an Introduction of what specific primary sources you are writing about, a body that explains their significance and role, and a conclusion that connects the examples.
Web address: https://libraries.ucsd.edu/farmworkermovement/
I recommend that you take some time to look through the website first before deciding on what to write about.
Each section contains primary source materials that document the history of the Farmworker Movement in the United States between 1962-1993. For example, you may want to read a couple of essays written by farmworker strikers and volunteers. These are first hand accounts by those who helped to build the farmworker movement. After reading a couple, you could write a paper that reflects on the specific experiences as told through the essays and compare/contrast the voices in the essays with the Acuña text and Learning Module materials. Also, you could open the Media area and listen, view and read about the music, Farmworker Theater, speeches and narratives of the movement. After viewing a selection of materials, you could write about what you have learned about the movement through viewing these documents. How do these primary sources provide a different perspective on this era of American history?