This series has been a dream project I’ve had in mind ever since I interviewed someone who first told me about the Texas Farm Workers Union years ago when I was a student journalist. I was surprised I’d never heard of them, and I was immediately intrigued.
It’s a story of epic strikes and marches, but also one that occasionally brushes up against controversy. But what I ultimately wanted to do was simply share a story that I wish I had known sooner. And I felt natural questions stemmed from that: Is the way this story has been preserved and retold sufficient? And if not, what needs to change?
I didn’t necessarily think those were questions that fully fell on me to answer. I think they come down to you. And I hope, after delving into this series, you feel like you can begin to answer them.
I’m very interested in continuing to preserve stories related to this moment in history. If you or anyone you know have stories to share, please feel free to drop me a line at ralonzo@kut.org.
– Raul Alonzo, Texas Standard digital producer
Listen to the whole series in the player below or click on each article to take a deeper dive into each installment.
Digging into the history of the ‘César Chávez of Texas’
A UFW split – and Antonio Orendain’s role in it – prompted a little-known chapter in the Texas farm worker struggle.
In 1977, a farmworkers’ march to DC sought to turn the eyes of the nation onto Texas
The Texas Farm Workers Union journeyed 1,600 miles in search of an audience with President Jimmy Carter.
Has the history of the Texas Farm Workers Union been effectively preserved?
Many of the union’s participants want to see more lasting testaments to its legacy. But what would that look like?
