The Crusades of Cesar Chavez (81 page)

7
   his application
Cesar Chavez Navy record, NARA

8
   honorably discharged
Ibid.

9
   Helen and Cesar
Helen Chavez interview, JEL, Folder 173; Rose, “Women in the United Farm Workers”

10
   they were married
Marriage certificate, Reno County Clerk

11
   $1.50 an hour
Hernandez interview

Chapter 3

Sources: Spanish Mission Band and McDonnell papers; Ross Papers; Pitti, Ph.D. thesis;
So Shall Ye Reap
; author interviews with McDonnell, Gallegos, Anderson, Librado Chavez Jr., and Cox.

1
   147,000 Mexicans
“Spanish Speaking Migrants in the Archdiocese of San Francisco,” and “Report of the Missionary Apostolate, Pastoral Care of Spanish-Speaking People,” AASF, Box A67

2
   “Mitty saw the wisdom”
Duggan autobiography, FMDP

3
   to celebrate mass
Leo Maher to McDonnell, Jan. 6, 1951, AASF, Box A67

4
   unorthodox tactics
Report of Spanish Mission Band, Sep. 7, 1950, AASF, Box A67

5
   paid a call
Ross diary, Ross Papers, Box 31, Folder 8

6
   “Am I needed?”
Ibid.

7
   agreed to return
Ibid. Whether Chavez ducked Ross that first night is unclear. In later years, he told an exaggerated version of the story. Richard and Helen Chavez both recounted that Cesar was skeptical of Ross initially, so it’s possible Cesar’s doubts as well as the late hour contributed to the cancellation of the first scheduled meeting. But the widely reported story about Cesar hiding for several nights from Ross is apocryphal.

8
   dozen family members
Richard Chavez, JEL, Box 5 Folder 176

9
   “Chavez has real push”
Ross diary, Jun. 9, 1958, Ross Papers, Box 31, Folder 8

10
   two important qualities
Ross, JEL, Box 6, Folder 196

11
   Chavez later recalled
Taylor, “Chavez and the Farm Workers,” 81

12
   “time for action”
Address to the Catholic Council for the Spanish Speaking meeting in San Antonio, Texas, Apr. 1958, McDonnell archives, Box 10

Chapter 4

Sources: Chavez and Ross daily activity reports; Ross Papers; Ross interviews with Levy; author interviews with McDonnell and Gallegos.

1
    Cesar dropped her off
Ross, Apr. 4, 1969, JEL, Box 6, Folder 196

2
   “question of power”
Ibid.

3
   “make up my mind”
Chavez, JEL, Box 2, Folder 141

4
   linoleum-floored front room
Gallegos interview

5
   “not good at speeches”
“The Saga of Sal Si Puedes,” 1953; Ross Papers, Box 22, Folder 15

6
    four thousand new voters
Ross to California Federation for Civic Unity, Nov. 17, 1952, CFCU Papers, Box 3, Folder 10, Bancroft Library

7
   “most discouraging”
“GOP Poll Check for Illiteracy Brings Protest,”
San Jose Mercury News
, Nov. 5, 1952

8
   “the potential leaders”
Ross, n.d., IAF UIC, Box 12, Folder 189

9
   “I share your feeling”
Alinsky to Ross, Aug. 5, 1953, IAF UIC, Box 47, Folder 459

10
   “nothing I’d like better”
“Cesar Tries his Wings,” Ross Papers, Box 20, Folder 17

11
   Alinsky hired Chavez
Ross to Chavez, Mar. 2, 1954, OOP1 Box 2, Folder 3

12
   “one of the things he learned”
Ross, May 28, 1969, JEL, Box 6, Folder 196

13
   “man of sound principles”
McDonnell, Jun. 21, 1954, OOP1 Box 2, Folder 4

14
   made front-page news
Madera Tribune
, Jul. 14, 1954

15
   “going from door-to-door”
Ross to Chavez, Jul. 23, 1954, OOP1, Box 2, Folder 4

16
   “interested in the Mexican vote”
Chavez to Ross, Aug. 20, 1954, ROSS, Box 1, Folder 4

17
   “tamales and buñuelos”
Chavez to Ross, Dec. 21, 1954, ROSS, Box 1, Folder 7

18
   Ross admonished
Ross to Chavez, Apr. 6, 1955, OOP1 Box 2, Folder 6

19
   demanded to know
Chavez to Ross, May 15, 1955, ROSS Box 1, Folder 12

20
   thought of Ross
Linda Chavez, Paradigm Production transcript, FMDP

21
   “were you on a diet”
Alinsky to Chavez, Sep. 9, 1955, OOP1, Box 2, Folder 7

22
   “feel like God”
“Cesar Tries His Wings”

Chapter 5

Sources: Unless otherwise indicated, all details are from daily entries from Chavez journals/activity reports in 1956 in Ross collection, Wayne State, Box 1, Folders 18 thru 44, and Box 2, Folders 1 thru 6.

1
   described a scenario
Minutes of Jul. 1955 CSO convention, Ross Papers, Box 11, Folder 10

2
   Alinsky observed
Alinsky to Ross, Nov. 20, 1962, IAF Austin, Box 559, Ross folder

3
    “It’s a big problem”
Chavez report, Mar. 26, 1956, ROSS, Box 1, Folder 26

4
   sold nine thousand tickets
Carl Tjerandsen notes, ESF, Box 33, Folder 4

5
   “picked up ducks”
Ross diary, Ross Papers, Box 30, Folder 2

6
   “the Christmas tree sale”
Chavez report, Dec.3–24, 1956, ROSS, Box 2, Folder 6

Chapter 6

Sources: Chavez and Ross activity reports; IAF archives in Chicago and Austin; Emil Schwarzhaupt Foundation archives; United Packinghouse Workers papers; author interviews with Gallegos, Margaret Govea, and Gilbert Padilla.

1
   “people do it themselves”
Chavez report, Jan. 29, 1957, ROSS, Box 2, Folder 9; Ross report, Feb. 26, 1957, ROSS, Box 2, Folder 13

2
   “starting from the top”
“Report of CSO Training,” Bashford, Jan. 6–Feb. 14, 1958, ESF, Box 30, Folder 9

3
   “plenty of time”
Cassen, Jul. 6–Aug. 10, 1958, IAF UIC, Box 17, Folder 249

4
   “No one was told”
Lundgren, n.d., IAF UIC, Box 17, Folder 249

5
   “I recall one night”
Alberts, IAF UIC, Box 17, Folder 249

6
   fifty-thousand-mile mark
Chavez diary, OOP 1, Box 4, Folder 1

7
   “People would come first”
Chavez interview on FMDP at http://www.farmworkermovement.com/media/oral_history/swf/chavezintervieworgan.swf; for another version of the story, see Matthiessen, “Cesar Chavez,”
New Yorker
, Jun. 21, 1968

8
   “flat broke”
Chavez report, Mar. 15, 1957, ROSS, Box 2, Folder 14

9
   “this damn issue”
Chavez report, Apr. 5, 1957, ROSS, Box 2, Folder 16

10
   “mad at the world”
Tape of Dec. 1971 conference at La Paz, UFWA

11
   “for the privilege[d] few”
Chavez report, Mar. 22–24, 1957, ROSS, Box 2, Folder 15

12
   “adventurous thinking”
IAF 1957–58 annual report, ESF, Box 30, Folder 3

13
   “your salary increase”
Alinsky to Chavez, Apr. 19, 1957, OOP 1, Box 2, Folder 10

14
   lowered salaries
Clive Knowles to Ralph Helstein, Jan. 30, 1959, UPWA, Office of the President, Box 143, Folder 15

15
   had a deal
Ross report, Aug. 17, 1958, ROSS, Box 2, Folder 41

16
   “my big mouth”
Ross to Tony Rios, Aug. 3, 1958, ROSS, Box 2, Folder 41

Chapter 7

Sources: Details from Chavez daily activity reports; Fred Ross Papers; UPWA Archives; ESF Archives; IAF Archives, Chicago; U.S. Department of Labor archives;
Oxnard Press-Courier
.

1
   number of Mexicans employed
“Foreign Labor Plan Abuse May Kill It, Farmers Told,”
Oxnard Press-Courier
, Jan. 15, 1959

2
   “whole day was spoiled”
Chavez report, Oct. 17, 1958, ROSS, Box 2, Folder 45

3
    “the most important thing”
Chavez report, Sep. 29, 1958, ROSS, 2, Folder 43

4
   bracero program
The series of laws passed between 1942 and 1964 are collectively referred to as the bracero program. Many recent works have raised questions as to whether there was ever a labor shortage, even during the war. See, for example, Mitchell,
They Saved the Crops
.

5
   should shun a program
“The Braceros Must Go,”
Monitor
, Jul. 29, 1960

6
   “unspeakable cruelty”
Reuther to Meany, Nov. 10, 1958, UPWA, Office of the President, Box 143, Folder 15

7
   dramatic impact
A.J. Norton to Glenn Brockway, Oct. 17, 1955, U.S. Dept. of Labor Archives, RG 174

8
   alarming wage discrepancy
Jan. 30, 1958, testimony, citing “Domestic and Imported Workers in Harvest Labor, Santa Clara County, California, 1954” by Varden Fuller, John W. Mamer, and George L. Viles, UPWA, Office of the President, Box 143, Folder 15

9
   house meetings in 1957
Chavez report, Mar. 25, 1957, ROSS, Box 2, Folder 15

10
   “looks almost impossible”
Chavez report, Dec. 12, 1958, ROSS, Box 2, Folder 48

11
   “Application For Work”
Ross Papers, Box 10, Folder 4

12
   Romulo Campos
Chavez report, Dec. 29, 1958, ROSS, Box 2, Folder 49

13
   “a dastardly thing!”
Oxnard Press-Courier
, Jan. 15, 1959

14
   Zamora admitted
George Duemler to Kenneth Robertson, May 28, 1959, Dept. of Labor Archives, RG 174

15
   “come back tomorrow”
Chavez report, Jan. 19, 1958, Ross papers, Box 11, Folder 5

16
   a subsequent inquiry
Kenneth Robertson to Albert Misler, Feb. 15, 1960, Dept. of Labor archives, RG 174

17
   “I have no work”
Ross papers, Box 11, Folder 5

18
   two hundred farmworkers
Ross diary, Feb. 26, 1959, Ross Papers, Box 5, Folder 18

19
   “living as no American should”
Mitchell address, Feb. 23, 1959, McDonnell papers

20
   front-page reports
“Abuse of Braceros Charged,”
Oxnard Press-Courier
, Jan. 19, 1959

21
   “Called Cesar”
Ross Papers, Box 5, Folder 18

22
   “six months of Headaches”
Chavez to Ross, May 23, 1959, Ross Papers, Box 11, Folder 12

23
   “I’ll go at it alone”
Chavez to Ross, May 7, 1959, ROSS, Box 3, Folder 3

24
   “some of the small things”
Chavez reports, Apr. 1–3, 1959, ROSS, Box 3, Folder 3

25
   “life long desire”
IAF annual report, 1959, ESF, Box 30, Folder 4

Chapter 8

Sources: Chavez-Ross correspondence; minutes of CSO meetings; McDonnell Papers; author interviews with Gallegos, Hartmire, Anderson, Carhart, and McDonnell.

1
   close to arranging
Alinsky to Helstein, Sep. 15 and Oct. 6, 1959, UPWA, Office of the President, Box 143, Folder 15

2
   didn’t bother making friends
Fernando Chavez essay, http://www.voxxi.com/cesar-chavez-son-fernando-leader/

3
   “scared stiff”
Chavez to Gallegos, May 24, 1960, and Jun. 2, 1960, Gallegos papers

4
   voter registration campaign
Report on voter registration, ESF, Box 30, Folder 8

5
   “a real fire-brand”
Ross to Alinsky, Mar. 10, 1960, Ross Papers, Box 2, Folder 3