Encyclopedia of Cesar Chavez - by Roger Bruns (Hardcover)

About the Book

This book is a unique, single-volume treatment offering original source material on the life, accomplishments, disappointments, and lasting legacy of one of American history's most celebrated social reformers--Cesar Chavez.
Two decades after Cesar Chavez's death, this timely book chronicles the drive for a union of one of American society's most exploited groups--farm workers. Encyclopedia of Cesar Chavez is a valuable one-volume source based on the most recent research and available documentation. Historian Roger Bruns documents how Chavez and his United Farm Workers (UFW), against formidable odds, organized farm laborers into a force that for the first time successfully took on the might of California's agribusiness interests to achieve greater wages and better working conditions.

Set against the backdrop of the 1960s, a time of assassinations, war protests, civil rights battles, and reform efforts for poor and minority citizens, the approximately 100 entries in this encyclopedia provide a glimpse into the events, organizations, men and women, and recurring themes that impacted the life of Cesar Chavez. It also contains a section of primary documentation--useful not only to enhance the understanding of this social and political movement, but also as source material for students.

• Presents a unique narrative of the events in the life of Chavez and the Farm Workers Movement, as well as original documents and entries on people and events
• Provides a valuable source of information for tracing attitudes, legislation, and progressive reform efforts in the last half-century, especially in light of the current heated debate over immigration
• Demonstrates how a determined organizer applied various methods and tactics to accomplish what seemed at the onset of the movement to be a quixotic venture--a relevant lesson for those strategizing to achieve social justice today

Book Synopsis

This book is a unique, single-volume treatment offering original source material on the life, accomplishments, disappointments, and lasting legacy of one of American history's most celebrated social reformers-Cesar Chavez.

Two decades after Cesar Chavez's death, this timely book chronicles the drive for a union of one of American society's most exploited groups-farm workers. Encyclopedia of Cesar Chavez is a valuable one-volume source based on the most recent research and available documentation. Historian Roger Bruns documents how Chavez and his United Farm Workers (UFW), against formidable odds, organized farm laborers into a force that for the first time successfully took on the might of California's agribusiness interests to achieve greater wages and better working conditions.

Set against the backdrop of the 1960s, a time of assassinations, war protests, civil rights battles, and reform efforts for poor and minority citizens, the approximately 100 entries in this encyclopedia provide a glimpse into the events, organizations, men and women, and recurring themes that impacted the life of Cesar Chavez. It also contains a section of primary documentation-useful not only to enhance the understanding of this social and political movement, but also as source material for students.

Review Quotes

"A strong introduction provides a broad historical context for Chavez's life and the United Farm Workers movement. The extensive index provides added access points to topics covered within entries. . . . Summing Up: Recommended." --Choice

"An excellent resource for users interested in this facet of labor history and social reform." --Library Journal

"Informative and interesting . . . a tribute to the work of Cesar Chavez and a reminder of what that work has done to change the world. It is recommended for all libraries." --ARBA

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