“We copy the methods of [Mahatma] Gandhi. We also copy the methods of the civil rights movement in the South. But we do not copy them out of a sense of tactical necessity. We copy them because we believe in them, because they represent the only way that we can achieve our goals of social justice without losing our own souls in the process.”
— César Chávez, “Letter from Delano,” 1969
Based on the passage, which of the following actions best illustrates the strategy described by César Chávez?
- AEngaging in armed occupations of federal property to demand the restoration of tribal land rights
- BSupporting the implementation of the containment doctrine to combat the spread of communism in rural areas
- Organizing nationwide consumer boycotts of agricultural products to pressure growersAnswer
- DPassing federal legislation to fund Great Society programs that directly employed agricultural workers
Answer
Organizing nationwide consumer boycotts of agricultural products to pressure growers
The correct answer is correct because the United Farm Workers (UFW), under the leadership of César Chávez and Dolores Huerta, adhered to a strict philosophy of nonviolence inspired by Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. A key demonstration of this strategy was the organizing of consumer boycotts (such as the grape boycott), which mobilized the public to refuse to buy boycotted goods, successfully forcing agricultural growers to sign contracts with the union.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Strategies and philosophy of the Chicano/farmworker movement during the rights movements of the 1960s and 1970s
Estimated Time:1m 0s