As a result of World War II, Mexican and other migrant workers were brought in large numbers to the United States to boost wartime production. Growers attracted immigrant workers by claiming they were providing economic opportunities and a chance to live the American dream. They forced workers into unfair contracts, paid them scarce wages, and provided poor working conditions. The hiring of immigrant workers became known as the Bracero Program. In response to this, activists such as Cesar Chavez began unionizing and taking political action against growers. The general trend during this time period involved advocating for legislative changes as opposed to workplace actions.
The “official” view from the perspective of growers was that farmworkers and immigrant laborers were allowed an opportunity to escape worse conditions in their home country. Today, the viewpoint of Cesar Chavez as the main person to advance workers’ rights is made official through history books and documentaries. This idea of an official history hides other key activists from our view as described in our other blog posts. For example, the 1934 General San Francisco Strike is relatively unknown compared to more emphasized events such as the formation of the United Farm Workers by Chavez. This Strike had a great impact by achieving a contract that ensured fairer conditions for maritime workers.
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