Children of Strikers

children on the picket line with their parents

Many of the strikers were parents.  Fidelia Carrisoza was an active organizer who recruited workers to join the strike and wrote "El corrido dedicado a los 1,000 de Watsonville." In the interview below she talks about being on the picket line with her daughter. 

The agenda below is a draft of a rally organized by teachers called "Educators for the Welfare of Children."  The program includes testimonials by parents and students, a dance performance by Esperanza del Valle, a skit by teachers, and comments by community members.  Two Cabrillo faculty -- Janet Johns in Dance and Shirley Munoz Flores in History -- participated in the program.

Finally the newspaper article below reports on the educator rally.  It describes the impact of the strike on the whole community, and schoolchildren in particular.  It includes quotes and an image of Maribel Medina, Watsonville High School senior class president who was arrested while observing the strike and went on to attend UC Berkeley and become a lawyer.  Open the PDF to see the full 2-page article.

Questions

  • How does Fidelia Carrisoza remember being on the picket line with her daughter?  What does her daughter say about being on the picket line with her mother?
  • What are some of the ways students are effected by the strike?
  • How might this rally organized by educators and reported in the local paper impact the strike?

Fidelia Carrisoza Kids on the Picket Line 

Note: To access text captions click on the square icon in between the volume and gear icons.

Text of agenda below (PDF) Download Text of agenda below (PDF)

Schedule for the "Educators for the Welfare of Children" rally organized by local teachers

 

Text version of the article below (PDF 2 pages) Download Text version of the article below (PDF 2 pages)

Pajaronian article reporting on educator meeting about strike impact on school children page 1

 

Varela, Victor.  Photo. "Beyond the Valley of the Jolly Green Giant." The Sun, 23 Oct. 1986.  Strike Binders, Agricultural Workers' History Center, Watsonville Public Library.

Carrisoza, Fidelia. "Interview with Fidelia Carrisoza 2010-11-18." 18 Nov. 2010, archive.org/details/csfst_006456 Links to an external site.. Peter Shapiro Watsonville Canneries Strike Interviews, larc.oh.shapiro_30, Labor Archives and Research Center, San Francisco State University. (This is a clip from a longer interview which can be found at archive.org/details/csfst_006456 Links to an external site..)

"Educators for the Welfare of Children." Agenda, 7 Dec. 1985. Frank Bardacke Watsonville Canneries Strike Records, larc.ms.0093, Labor Archives and Research Center, San Francisco State University. 

Chavarria, Jesse. "Rally Focuses on Effects of Strike on Schoolchildren."  Register Pajaronian, 9 Dec. 1985. Watsonville Historical Newspaper Archive, watsonville.gov/1411/Online-Newspapers Links to an external site..

Note:  The Register Pajaronian is available online through the Watsonville Public Library Links to an external site..