Amanda Oyler

I chose my topic, Dolores Huerta and The Grape Picking Strike of 1960, because it
relates to my family and I. When I first began to look up a topic for my project I came across
Cesar Chavez who was another figure in the Grape Picking Strike. Eventually I learned about
Chavez’s lesser known colleague, Dolores Huerta. My family is from Mexico and my
grandmother grew up as a child of migrant farm workers, so I thought Huerta would be an
interesting topic. Through the project I have learned so much about my own family and many
other people who were migrant farm workers, and their struggle to create fair wages and better
working conditions. Dolores Huerta is not only an advocate for migrant farm workers, but also
for women’s rights, which I found interesting.

I conducted my research by first looking up information about Dolores Huerta and how
she was involved in the Grape Picking Strike. I was able to talk to my grandmother who
remembered growing up and following the crops as a little girl. I also found newspapers from
California during the 1960’s, interviews with Huerta, and secondary sources from websites.
Lastly, I was able to watch the ​Cesar Chavez​ movie with my grandmother which gave me more
personal insight as to what life was like as a migrant farm worker.

I chose to create an exhibit board to present my investigation because it is orderly and

easy to follow. I began by printing out all of the pictures and all of the primary sources, like
newspapers and articles that I wanted to include. I also included graphs so that readers could see
the evolution of minimum wage, especially the minimum wage for farm workers compared to all
other workers. Then, I created a timeline of all the work Dolores Huerta was involved in.

My project relates to the National History Day theme of Leadership and Legacy because
Dolores Huerta was looked up to by many Hispanics, as a leader and person. She changed the
lives of many people by leading rallies, protests, and other events to boycott California grape
growers. She leaves a legacy to migrant families and women by helping them to advance in pay
and by improving their working hours and conditions. Her legacy will last for generations to
come.