The religious dimensions in the farm worker movement

This dissertation compares the convergence of three religious traditions in the farm worker movement of the 1960s, as it unfolded in two subregions of the American West. It examines the interaction of the institutional Roman Catholic Church, mainline Protestantism, and Mexican devotional Catholicism, first in the grape workers' strike in California and then in the melon workers' strike in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas.;Major findings include a migration of a pro-labor Catholicism and a liberal Protestantism from the North to California, and a migration of a socially conservative Protestantism from the South to Texas. In terms of ecumenism and social services rendered, religious organizations in California matured much earlier than in Texas. In California liberal Protestantism (especially the Migrant Ministry of the NCCC), the Catholic church, and secular groups assisted the farm workers in their struggle for recognition from growers. Farm labor leader Cesar Chavez introduced a third religious tradition---Mexican devotional Catholicism creatively combined with elements of the civil rights movement. The convergence of these three religious traditions helped lead to the 1970 grape contract. Somewhat similar attempts in Texas failed.;Chapter I presents literature in the field and establishes methodology, which is based on economic conflict and ethnic diversity as stressed in the New Western History. Chapter II outlines relationships between the Catholic church, labor, and ethnic Mexicans from 1910 to 1940. Chapter III examines Protestant missions among ethnic Mexicans from 1850 to 1940. Chapter IV recounts the shift among both the Catholic church and liberal Protestantism from social service to advocacy for farm workers in the 1940s and 1950s. Chapter V focuses on religious individuals and organizations that aided the United Farm Workers in California in the 1960s. Chapter VI analyzes the failure of the farm worker strike in south Texas, focusing again on religious individuals and organizations. Chapter VII concludes that at least two views of religiosity competed with one another in the farm worker struggle, a liberal Northern view and a conservative Southern view.