Dolores Huerta: Inspiring Civic Responsibility

Mexican workers on strike. California

Overview

Students explore the experiences of Mexican-American farmworkers in the United States and learn about how they – especially through the leadership of Dolores Huerta and the United Farm Workers – worked with others for improvements in pay and working conditions, as well as respect for their civil rights. Students analyze primary sources that document working and living conditions at different times in order to build context and then analyze additional sources that highlight the contributions of Dolores Huerta, including a poem written to celebrate her work. Finally, students write a poem, speech, or letter to the editor about a social movement (past, present, or future) that inspires them to fulfill their civic responsibilities.

Related Resources

Grade

High School

Subjects

Civics, English Language Arts

Length

minutes

Topics

AWOC, boycott, civic action, civic engagement, civil rights, coalitions, Dolores Huerta, Filipino Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee, huelga, labor, National Farm Workers Association, NFWA, poetry, strike, UFW, union, United Farm Workers

Author

Citizen U CRF

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