Farm worker strikes, grower violence, and Mexican American women's activism, 1975 - 1979

This folder focuses on a series of strikes by Mexican American farm workers against Anglo growers in the Rio Grande Valley from 1975-1979. It examines the tactics and strategies employed by farm workers, including the United Farm Workers (UFW) and the fledgling Texas Farm Workers Union (TFWU), and underscores the frictions between these two unions and their leaders. The folder also highlights the use of violence by growers during these strikes. As the documentation shows, the governor declined to dispatch Texas Rangers to supress the protests, fearful of a repitition of the violence that accompanied the use of Rangers to crush a strike in Starr County in 1966-67 (see the Holly Hewlett Collection); his refusal to send Rangers prompted growers to resort to violence on their initiative. Finally, the folder underscores the role of Mexican American women as the backbone of the farm worker movement, including 'ordinary' women, local strike organizers like Juanita Valdez, and UFW director Rebecca Flores. The folder includes considerable information as well on McAllen mayor and powerful grower Othal Brand.