CHICANO 10A Chapter Notes - Chapter Online Article: San Joaquin Valley, Mexican Americans, Agribusiness
15 May 2016
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Spanish speaking women as family members, as workers, and as civic-minded individuals have strived to improve the quality of life at work, home, and neighborhood. As farm hands, cannery workers, miners" wives, mutualista members, club women, civil rights advocates, and politicians, mexican women have taken direct action for themselves and others: mexican american women. Mexican american women have a rich history of union and political activism. As far back as 1903, they took matters in their own hands in a labor dispute. In 1933 alone, 37 major agricultural strikes occurred in california, 24 led by the cannery and agricultural workers industrial union (cawiu) The leadership of this union was identified with the communist party: the san joaquin valley cotton strike. Between 12,000 and 20,000 worked, spanning a 120 mile area, engaged in a bitter dispute over wages. Police officials sided with farmers and discriminated mexican workers.
