The Lives of Imperial Valley Farm Workers During the Emergence of the UFW

Impact of The UFW

What is the UFW?

The United Farm Workers (or the UFW) is a labor union that arrose in the 1960s with influence of Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta. The UFW was committed to helping improve the working conditions of farm workers all across California. They used many tactics throughout California, like doing marches, union meetings, strikes and boycotting certain fruits and vegetables, and having union representatives that would convince more people to join the union. The UFW made many changes in the agriculture industry forever.

My Family's Involvement in the UFW:

My family joined the UFW in the late 1960s as they wanted better work conditions for themselves. My great-grandpa and great-grandma influenced all of thier children to be invovled in the UFW to help the cause. My great-grandmother in recent years has been recognized for her efforts of helping the UFW and representing Imperial Valley workers. This is something that she is very proud of and something that her children take much pride in. Here are some examples of the ways she has participated in the UFW and ways that she has been recognized:

Delegate pin from UFW convention

Isabel's Legacy in the UFW

Isabel crossed the border to work in the Imperial Valley on June 6, 1966 to help her mother and to begin working for her family, which is a date that she still has never forgotten. Just after a couple years working in the agriculture industry she would stand up for her rights against wealthy farm owners with the help of the UFW. She would attend marches all across California. As the photo in the bottom right is from a march she attended in Delano and the picture of the badge on the left is when she was a delegate representing Imperial Valley farm workers in the 1st constitutional convention for the UFW. She is a strong woman who would often speak at UFW meetings in Imperial Valley and she loved to speak up for others. She inspired all of her family to also join the UFW and go on strike. She fully trusted and was invested in the union as they promised to give her and her family security, which was the most important thing to her. On her 90th birthday she was gifted the UFW flag on the top right, which she proudly has hanging in her home by former president Barrack Obama. In addition, in 2014 the movie Cesar Chavez by Diego Luna was released which included a video of my grandmother in a montage that showed clips from real life marches, which is the picture on the bottom right. She is a person that should be celebrated for her bravery and work representing Imperial Valley farm workers.

Photo of flag that Isabel was gifted

Shot from the movies Cesar Chavez (2014) by Diego Luna and Fight in the Fields (1997) by Rick Tejada-Flores and Ray Telles

Gustavo's Experience supporting the UFW:

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Javier's Experiences in the UFW

Javier is very much still appreciative of all that the UFW has done for him and his family. He still has his UFW ID card, UFW wallet, UFW constitution and flyer that the UFW gave to workers to try to convince them to strike. It was amazing being able to talk to him about his time in the UFW as he had so much passion when talking and he kept so much memorabilia as it had so much significance to him. He reflects on his work as a farm worker as both fondly and extremely difficult. As he was able to be a part of such an important movement and took pride in his resilience in such hard working conditions.

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Original copy of a flyer that was put out by the UFW in Javier's collection of UFW memorabilia, the flyer tried to convince workers that if they went on strike they would get $75 dollars a week. In addition it promised them security and benefits if the union was successful. These flyers really showed the tactics that the UFW used in order to get more people to go on strike by using flyers and newspapers that were both in English and Spanish so everybody could join.

Javier's Collection

remembering JAvier Silva Senior (my great-Granpa)

Javier Silva Sr. is my great-grandpa, I have never met him as he died before I was born, however when doing my research all of my family constantly said how he was a big inspiration onto why my family continued their commitment to the UFW. He was a man who came to this country to work in the hottest and most difficult conditions just to provide for his family. When he saw ills in the industry, he did not hestiate to go on strike and lead the rest of his family. In this picture, my great-grandfather is sitting with a gray shirt, blue pants, work boots and holding his white hat next to the leader of the UFW, Cesar Chavez. I was amazed when my grandpa showed me this picture as I have heard the stories of him, but to actually see him and see that he was passionate about the movement is a whole different type of feeling. My research and my family's story is all due to this man and my great-grandmother, as they are one of the most passionate and resilient people I know. The reason my family was so excited and happy to help in my research is that they wanted to remember their father and make sure that his efforts and sacrifices were remembered.

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