César Chávez

by Ilan Stavans (Editor)

Overview

Labor leader, social justice advocate, Chicano leader, and humanitarian are only some of the multifaceted renderings of César Chávez. Ilan Stavans has compiled essays and first-person narratives that capture the multiple dimensions of this storied figure. To that end, Stavans's collection of timely articles separates fact from fiction, or as he puts it the "objective is the opposite of hagiography."

Broken into two sections, César Chávez explores a variety of topics central to understanding the actual person instead of a shadowy apparition. The first part, "Considerations" offers critical assessments of Chávez's life that utilize different approaches to understanding his life, including cultural studies critiques, historical narrative that provide invaluable context, and even eulogies following his untimely death. The second section, "Voices" includes personal reflections on Chávez's life that explore his religiosity, his role as an "everyman," and the decline of the United Farm Workers union. The title is certain to assist readers in better comprehending this groundbreaking labor leader.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780313364884
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	02/09/2010
Series:	The Ilan Stavans Library of Latino Civilization
Pages:	157
Product dimensions:	6.30(w) x 9.40(h) x 0.70(d)
Age Range:	15 - 17 Years

About the Author

ILAN STAVANS has been called the czar of Latino culture in the United States by the New York Times and Latin America's liveliest and boldest critic and most innovative cultural enthusiast by the Washington Post. Stavans is the Lewis-Sebring Professor of Latin American and Latino Culture and Amherst College and the recipient of numerous honors, including a Guggenheim Fellowship, the Latino Literature Prize, the Antonia Pantoja Award, Chile's Presidential Medal, and the Ruben Dario Distinction. He earned an Emmy nomination as host of the PBS show La Plaza: Conversations with Ilan Stavans. He has taught at Columbia University, Oberlin College, and Smith College, among other institutions. He is the author of numerous publications, including Encyclopedia Latina (2005) and the forthcoming Greenwood Encyclopedia of Latin Music.

Table of Contents

Series Foreword Ilan Stavans vii

Preface ix

I Considerations 1

Reading César Ilan Stavans 3

Negotiating César Jorge Mariscal 12

Teacher of Truth John C. Hammerback 42

The Final Struggle Richard Griswold del Castillo 46

The First and Last of the Chicano Leaders José Angel Gutiérrez 58

Mapping the New Global Spiritual Line Luis D. León 70

II Voices 93

A Catalyst for Change Josephine Méndez-Negrete 95

A Personal and Historical Testimony Richard G. García 106

La Causa's Self-Destruction Marco G. Prouty 113

from Sal Si Puedes: Cesar Chavez and the New American Revolution Peter Matthiessen 120

Cesar's Ghost Frank Bardacke 135

from Delano: The Story of the California Grape Strike John Gregory Dunne 143

Selected Bibliography 149

Index 151

About the Editor and Contributors 159