Lesson Title: 
El Malcriado, Voice of the Farm Workers (Analyzing editorial cartoons)

Grade Level: 
Grade Eleven

Unit of Study:
American Society in Post World War II Era, Civil Rights Movement in the Post World War II Era  

History-Social Science Standards: 
11.6.5   Trace the advances and retreats of organized labor, from the creation of the American Federation of Labor and the Congress of Industrial Organizations to current issues of a postindustrial, multinational economy, including the United Farm Workers in California.

11.11   Students analyze the major social problems and domestic policy issues in contemporary American society.

Setting the Context: 
César E. Chávez began organizing the National Farm Workers Association during the late spring of 1962.  He had served a ten-year "apprenticeship" as an organizer with the Community Service Organization, and set out on his own to do what no one else had successfully done, organize farm workers.  One of his most useful organizing tools was the publication of the NFWA’s own newspaper.  César named the newspaper El Malcriado, which means "children who speak back to their parents" or "ill-bred."  This name had a special importance to Latinos because one of the people’s papers during the Mexican Revolution was called El Malcriado.  The NFWA’s underground newspaper was originally printed only in Spanish, but an English edition was soon added.  As César’s labor of love, the paper printed editorials calling for improved working conditions and a living wage for farm workers, while blasting growers for the mistreatment of their employees.  El Malcriado became the voice of the farm workers, speaking their language and addressing their issues.  Sold for ten-cents a copy, the newspaper served as a fundraiser, but the list of subscribers was even more important in organizing the NFWA.  

As Boss Tweed said about Thomas Nast’s editorial cartoons in Harper’s Weekly, while he faced charges of fraud and corruption, "I don’t care a straw for your newspaper articles - my constituents don’t know how to read, but they can’t help seeing those damned pictures."  Editorial cartoons are as much an important means of communications today as they were in the 1870s when they led to Boss Tweed’s conviction for fraud and extortion.  César E. Chávez and Bill Esher, the first editor of El Malcriado, understood that humor and graphics could be used to make the newspaper more appealing to farm workers, while at the same time communicating the importance of knowing their rights.  Andy Zermeno, an artist working on El Malcriado, came up with the cartoon character Don Sotaco, a hapless farm worker version of Charlie Brown.  Farm worker subscribers could identify with Don Sotaco.  They had shared his trials and tribulations, and they had experienced his problems with growers and labor contractors.  

The editorial cartoons printed in El Malcriado provide us with a visual record of the most prominent issues tackled by the NFWA, which later became the United Farm Workers of America (UFW).  By analyzing samples of those cartoons, we can better understand the views of farm workers and the rights for which César E. Chávez and the UFW fought.  

Focus Question: 
What were the important issues faced by César E. Chávez and the United Farm Workers’ Union? 

How do political cartoons influence the people and politicians? 

Expected Learning Outcomes: 
Students will be able to analyze editorial cartoons and understand their importance in communicating ideas giving them a better appreciation for the plight of the farm workers.  

Assessment: 
Students will share their analyses of five editorial cartoons from El Malcriado with their group, and the group will provide feedback.  The teacher will assess the cartoon analyses based on the rubric provided.  

Key Concepts: 
nonviolent protests 
socio-economic status 
human rights 
justice
poverty 
immigration 
collective bargaining 
unionization 
campaign finance 
political power

Essential Vocabulary: 
1)	Boycott - A nonviolent tactic used by César E. Chávez and the UFW to gain recognition and contracts from the growers.  By Persuading consumers not to purchase crops like table grapes and lettuce, the UFW put economic pressure on the growers to begin negotiations.  

2)	Campesinos - The Spanish term for farm worker or peasant.  

3)	Contratista - The Spanish term for labor contractor.  They often operate farm labor camps and contract labor to the growers for a high fee, usually taken out of the farm worker’s wages.  

4)	Don Coyote - The cartoonist’s representation of the "contratista" or labor contractor.  This is a derogatory term applying to a sly and wily character. 

5)	Don Sotaco - The cartoonist’s representation of the "campesino" or farm worker.  Don Sotaco is almost an adult Charlie Brown, hapless and abused, but a lovable character. 

6)	El Gubierno - The Spanish term for the Governor.  In these cartoons, it refers to the Governor of California.  

7)	"The Great Society"- This refers to the domestic program of President Lyndon Johnson (1963-1968).  Johnson’s "Great Society" was part of the "War on Poverty" and promised social programs to help the poor in America.  Unfortunately, California’s farm workers benefited very little from those programs.  

8)	Green Card - The immigration papers of the farm workers allowed them to come into this country under the "Bracero Program" that lasted from 1943-1965.  Braceros competed for agricultural jobs with American citizens and permanent residents who were farm workers.  Growers preferred to hire "braceros" because they could pay them less, treat them poorly and they seldom complained.  Prior to 1965, "braceros" made it difficult to organize farm worker unions, and they were often used as strike breakers.  

9)	Huelga - The Spanish term for strike.  This was a nonviolent tactic used by César E. Chávez and the UFW to gain recognition and contracts.  Through work stoppages, the UFW hoped to put economic pressure on growers forcing them to negotiate fairly with their workers.  

10)	National Labor Relations Board - The NLRB was the federal agency established by the National Labor Relations Act of 1935.  The original intent was for the NLRB to mediate differences between labor and management; however, during the Nixon administration, the NLRB sided with the growers against the UFW.  

11)	Non-Union Produce - This refers to crops that were planted and harvested by farm workers who did not belong to a union, in these cartoons the United Farm Workers.  When the UFW was boycotting table grapes and lettuce, they appealed to consumers, asking them to buy only "union-labeled" food.  

12)	Patroncito - A Spanish term for owner or landlord.  In these cartoons, the patroncito is the grower represented by the wealthy "fat cat.”  

13)	Pilgrimages - This refers to the nonviolent tactic used by César E. Chávez to focus media and public attention on the plight of the farm worker.  The 300-mile march from Delano to Sacramento in March of 1966 pressured Schenley Corporation, one of the largest grape growers in the San Joaquin Valley, to negotiate a contract with the UFW.  

14)	Short-Handled Hoe - A tool used by farm workers which had only a 24-inch handle; thus requiring campesinos to constantly bend over doing backbreaking work.  César E. Chávez played an important role in banning the short-handled hoe in 1975.  

15)	Sweetheart Contracts - Contracts between growers and the Teamster’s Union were described as "sweetheart" contracts because they frequently agreed to terms more favorable to the growers than to the farm workers.  Growers preferred to sign contracts with the Teamsters rather than with the United Farm Workers.  

16)	Teamster’s Union - The union that competed with the United Farm Workers Union for the right to represent agricultural labor in negotiations with growers.  

Primary Sources: 
1)	One editorial cartoon by Thomas Nast reprinted for Harpers Weekly.  This cartoon represents Boss Tweed and was one of many that led to his downfall.  At least one of these is found in most U.S. History textbooks.  

2)	Seventeen editorial cartoons taken from El Malcriado:  "The Voice of the Farm Workers.”  These include both original covers and facsimiles.  These cartoons were taken from the César E. Chávez Special Collection housed in the Archives of Labor and Urban Affairs, Wayne State University.  They can be found at the Document Center on the CDE Web site.

Procedure

Motivation: 
Select a current editorial cartoon from the daily newspaper and run-off copies for each student.  Discuss the cartoon with the class in terms of issues, symbolism, and perspective.  Ask them why editorial cartoons are an important method of communicating ideas.  The more relevant and controversial the cartoon you select, the more effective it will serve as a set.  

Making Connections: 
Show students a copy of a Thomas Nast cartoon of Boss Tweed printed in the 1870s.  Discuss Tweed’s comments about "those damned pictures" and how effective Nast’s cartoons were in mobilizing public opinion.  Review the condition of industrial workers in America at the beginning of the twentieth century, and why they joined unions to improve their wages and working conditions.  Discuss the conditions in the migrant camps and in the fields encountered by the Joad family in John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath.  Discuss the working and living conditions of farm workers in America today and the extent to which they share the opportunity to achieve the American Dream.  You might also like to put the farm workers’ struggle in the context of the African American civil rights movement, since Chávez saw the United Farm Workers not only as a union, but also as a movement - "la causa.”  

Vocabulary Activities: 
Print up a list of key terms or write them on the board with brief definitions.  Discuss these terms in the context of agricultural labor conditions in California.  

Guided Instruction: 
1)	Project an editorial cartoon from El Malcriado onto the screen, it is recommended that you use one of the first two cartoons without the El Malcriado heading.  

2)	Write the following outline on the board, leaving an appropriate space between each question: 

ANALYZING EDITORIAL CARTOONS:
a.	What is the main issue of the cartoon? 
b.	What characters are represented in the cartoon? 
c.	What symbols does the cartoonist use? 
d.	What is the perspective of the cartoonist? 
e.	What are your views on the issue? 

3)	Discuss the editorial cartoon with the class, and model your expectations as you answer each of the questions.  (10 minutes).  

4)	Divide the class into groups of 4 - 5 students.  Give students a copy of another editorial cartoon from El Malcriado.  (Again, it is recommended that you use one of the first two cartoons without the El Malcriado heading.)  Have students discuss the cartoon and answer the questions on the board.  Summarize with a full class discussion.  (10 minutes)

5)	An additional 15 cartoons from El Malcriado are provided.  Give each student five of these editorial cartoons and an assignment sheet.  Explain that each student is to analyze the five cartoons, answering the five questions as modeled in class.  You may distribute the cartoons in one of the following ways: 

a.	Select the best five cartoons and have all students analyze them.  
b.	Divide the cartoons into three sets and give each third of your class a different set.  
c.	Mix and match the cartoons, giving each student a different set of five cartoons.  

6)	It is recommended that the due date be two or three days following the assignment, giving students the opportunity to ask questions before they turn in their finished product.  

Integrating Language: 
Students will utilize listening and speaking skills during class discussion.  Their thinking and writing skills will be utilized in interpreting and analyzing the editorial cartoons.  

Enrichment: 
1)	Ask students to draw their own editorial cartoon representing a contemporary issue.  

2)	Have students select three editorial cartoons from the newspaper and analyze them as they did the cartoons in this project.  

3)	Take your class to the computer lab and have them research the life and work of César E. Chávez and recent legislation concerning farm workers (www.ufw.org).

Assessment: 
Students will analyze and interpret five editorial cartoons.  Their work will be evaluated by the teacher and assessed using the rubric provided.  

(NOTE: The rubric is designed to allow for brief comments.  If you want this assignment to be worth 100 points, each category would be worth 0-4 points.  If you give letter grades, it is recommended that each category be worth 0-10 points for a total possible of 250 points.  If you make an overhead transparency of the rubric, you can show students exactly how they are going to be assessed.) 

VOCABULARY LIST FOR ANALYZING EDITORIAL CARTOONS FROM 
El Malcriado, VOICE OF THE UNITED FARM WORKERS

1)	Boycott - A nonviolent tactic used by César E. Chávez and the United Farm Workers (UFW) to gain recognition and contracts from the growers.  By asking consumers not to purchase crops like table grapes and lettuce, the UFW put economic pressure on the growers to begin negotiations.  

2)	Campesinos - The Spanish term for farm worker or peasant.  

3)	Contratista - The Spanish term for labor contractor.  They often operate farm labor camps and contract labor to the growers for a high fee, usually taken out of the farm worker’s wages.  

4)	Don Coyote - The cartoonist’s representation of the "contratista" or labor contractor.  This is a derogatory term applying to a sly and wily character. 

5)	Don Sotaco - The cartoonist’s representation of the "campesino" or farm worker.  Don Sotaco is almost an adult Charlie Brown, hapless and abused, but a lovable character. 

6)	El Gubierno - The Spanish term for the Governor.  In these cartoons, it refers to the Governor of California.  

7)	"The Great Society"- This refers to the domestic program of President Lyndon Johnson (1963-1968).  Johnson’s "Great Society" was part of the "War on Poverty" and promised social programs to help the poor in America.  Unfortunately, California’s farm workers benefited very little from those programs.  

8)	Green Card - The immigration papers of the farm workers allowed them to come into this country under the "Bracero Program" that lasted from 1943-1965.  Braceros competed for agricultural jobs with American citizens and permanent residents who were farm workers.  Growers preferred to hire "braceros" because they could pay them less, treat them poorly and they seldom complained.  Prior to 1965, "braceros" made it difficult to organize farm worker unions, and they were often used as strike breakers.  

9)	Huelga - The Spanish term for strike.  This was a nonviolent tactic used by César E. Chávez and the United Farm Workers’ Union to gain recognition and contracts.  Through work stoppages, the UFW hoped to put economic pressure on growers forcing them to negotiate with their workers.  

10)	National Labor Relations Board - The NLRB was the federal agency established by the National Labor Relations Act of 1935.  The original intent was for the NLRB to mediate differences between labor and management; however, during the Nixon administration, the NLRB sided with the growers against the UFW.  

11)	Non-Union Produce - This refers to crops that were planted and harvested by farm workers who did not belong to a union, in these cartoons it refers to the United Farm Workers (UFW).  When the UFW was boycotting table grapes and lettuce, they appealed to consumers, asking them to buy only "union-labeled" food.  

12)	Patroncito - A Spanish term for owner or landlord.  In these cartoons, the patroncito is the grower represented by the wealthy "fat cat.”  

13)	Pilgrimages - This refers to the nonviolent tactic used by Chávez to focus media and public attention on the plight of the farm worker.  The 300-mile march from Delano to Sacramento in March of 1966 pressured Schenley Corporation, one of the largest grape growers in the San Joaquin Valley, to negotiate a contract with the UFW.  

14)	Short-Handled Hoe - A tool used by farm workers which had only a 24-inch handle; thus requiring campesinos to constantly bend over doing backbreaking work.  César E. Chávez played an important role in getting a law passed in 1975 banning the short-handled hoe.  

15)	Sweetheart Contracts - Contracts between growers and the Teamster’s Union were described as "sweetheart" contracts because they frequently agreed to terms more favorable to the growers than to the farm workers.  Growers preferred to sign contracts with the Teamsters rather than with the United Farm Workers.  

16)	Teamster’s Union - The union that competed with the United Farm Workers for the right to represent agricultural workers in negotiations with growers.  

AMERICAN HISTORY

ANALYSIS OF CARTOONS FROM 
EL MALCRIADO, VOICE OF THE UNITED FARM WORKERS

Cartoon	Issue	Characters	Symbols	Perspective	Opinion	Points	
1.							
2.							
3.							
4.							
5.							

TOTAL POINTS