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Wasco Farm Labor Camp By C. V. Roberts: Documentary Analysis

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The boycotting went on for years, and most farmworkers lost their jobs, but by the summer of 1970, the United Farm Workers had won contracts with most of California’s growers (Chicago Museum). It took the growers 5 years to finally give in; the level of stubbornness these growers had was impeccable, 5 years to realize that their first line of cheap labor was going away and they were losing consumers and money by the day. PBS interviewed one grower who said that the farmworkers were in this harsh situation because they chose to be, that since they chose this line of work knowing the consequences they should also be okay with it, he even went as far as to say that the farmworkers were pleased and happy (PBS). The former director of Wasco Farm Labor Camp, C.V. Roberts, was also interviewed at the time of the documentary, and when asked what he thought about the UFW, his response was clear, …show more content…

Farmworkers knew that they would lose their jobs as soon as they went against the system, they would lose their only mean of income, but their motivation for justice was stronger, they needed change. As Ester Hernandez, daughter of migrant union farmworkers recalls her mother saying “even if we starved to death, that we would not be alone, but we had to stay and fight because otherwise nothing was going to change” (PBS). These people who barely had anything were willing to lose everything, to starve to death if necessary, all for change. Change starts with one person, but in this union, change started with every migrant farmworker who knew their worth and were unwilling to continue being treated like an item that only produces

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