Today, we know Dolores Huerta as the cofounder, with Cesar Chavez, of the National Farmworkers Association, which later became the United Farm Workers of America. We know her as a tireless advocate for the rights of farmworkers, Mexican American immigrants, women, and LGBTQ populations. And we know her as the recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Barack Obama in 2012.
Before all that, though, Huerta was a child in the farming community of Stockton, California, and then a teenager whose teachers underestimated her because she was Chicana. When she became a teacher herself, she witnessed her students coming to school shoeless and hungry. Many took days off from school to work in the farm fields to help feed their families. What could she do to help them? A young mother at the time, Huerta quit her teaching job to organize their parents. That began her journey to educate a nation about who produces our food and the conditions under which they work.
Dolores Huerta Stands Strong follows Huerta's life from the mining communities of the Southwest where her father toiled, to the vineyards and fields of California, and across the country to the present day. As she worked for fair treatment for others, Dolores earned the nation's highest honors. More important, she found her voice.
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
August 16, 2018 -
Formats
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Kindle Book
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OverDrive Read
- ISBN: 9780821446430
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EPUB ebook
- ISBN: 9780821446430
- File size: 15637 KB
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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August 15, 2018
Meet community organizer Dolores Huerta, who travels from poverty to political victory, becoming only the second Mexican-American woman in history to be honored with a Presidential Medal of Freedom.A biography for the times, Brill's narrative tells the story of a farm laborer's daughter born during the Great Depression. Raised in Stockton, California, where her father, brother, and nearly everyone she knew picked vegetables and fruits for a living, Dolores lamented the poverty and the brutal conditions under which her community was forced to labor. Her sense of injustice only grew when the excellent work she did at school earned her an accusation of plagiarism. Spurred to action by her life experiences and a desire to help her people, Dolores joined forces with César Chávez to start the United Farm Workers Union. Borrowing Mahatma Gandhi's philosophy of nonviolent protest, they set out to change the way their people were treated with a successful grape strike that gained them nationwide sympathy. Weaving in quotes from Huerta and others, Brill paints a vivid picture of her subject and calls attention to a civil rights leader who was often overshadowed by her male counterpart even as she fought sexism in her own community. A helpful timeline, glossary, and "Did You Know?" sections in each chapter serve as aids in this historic biography. An excellent read for anyone hoping to believe one person can make a difference.Young readers will recognize Dolores Huerta's rallying cry "Yes, we can!" even as they are inspired by her vision for a better world. (Biography. 7-14)COPYRIGHT(2018) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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October 1, 2018
Gr 5-8-Though Dolores Huerta is an indispensable advocate for the rights of farmworkers, especially during the mid-to-late 20th century, she often took a public backseat to César Chávez. Despite being an effective organizer, negotiator and speaker, "sexism kept her hidden." While her successful campaigning and leadership is impressive by itself-she was instrumental in forming the first union for farmworkers, among many other achievements-she did this while raising 11 children, often as a single mother. Huerta's activism eventually grew to include campaigning for women's rights. Brill's writing is clear and accessible for middle grade readers; she takes complex issues, such as unionizing, collective bargaining, and Communism, and makes them comprehensible for the intended audience. Many of the issues Huerta championed-workers' rights, the living conditions of immigrants, women's equality-are still timely topics that will resonate with today's youths. Photographs help bring Brill's text to life, and the extensive back matter will lead readers to further research. VERDICT This well-told, age-appropriate account of a vital and essential activist deserves a place in all middle grade collections.-Melissa Kazan, Horace Mann School, NY
Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
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Starred review from October 1, 2018
Gr 5-8-Though Dolores Huerta is an indispensable advocate for the rights of farmworkers, especially during the mid-to-late 20th century, she often took a public backseat to C�sar Ch�vez. Despite being an effective organizer, negotiator and speaker, "sexism kept her hidden." While her successful campaigning and leadership is impressive by itself-she was instrumental in forming the first union for farmworkers, among many other achievements-she did this while raising 11 children, often as a single mother. Huerta's activism eventually grew to include campaigning for women's rights. Brill's writing is clear and accessible for middle grade readers; she takes complex issues, such as unionizing, collective bargaining, and Communism, and makes them comprehensible for the intended audience. Many of the issues Huerta championed-workers' rights, the living conditions of immigrants, women's equality-are still timely topics that will resonate with today's youths. Photographs help bring Brill's text to life, and the extensive back matter will lead readers to further research. VERDICT This well-told, age-appropriate account of a vital and essential activist deserves a place in all middle grade collections.-Melissa Kazan, Horace Mann School, NY
Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
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Starred review from August 15, 2018
Meet community organizer Dolores Huerta, who travels from poverty to political victory, becoming only the second Mexican-American woman in history to be honored with a Presidential Medal of Freedom.A biography for the times, Brill's narrative tells the story of a farm laborer's daughter born during the Great Depression. Raised in Stockton, California, where her father, brother, and nearly everyone she knew picked vegetables and fruits for a living, Dolores lamented the poverty and the brutal conditions under which her community was forced to labor. Her sense of injustice only grew when the excellent work she did at school earned her an accusation of plagiarism. Spurred to action by her life experiences and a desire to help her people, Dolores joined forces with C�sar Ch�vez to start the United Farm Workers Union. Borrowing Mahatma Gandhi's philosophy of nonviolent protest, they set out to change the way their people were treated with a successful grape strike that gained them nationwide sympathy. Weaving in quotes from Huerta and others, Brill paints a vivid picture of her subject and calls attention to a civil rights leader who was often overshadowed by her male counterpart even as she fought sexism in her own community. A helpful timeline, glossary, and "Did You Know?" sections in each chapter serve as aids in this historic biography. An excellent read for anyone hoping to believe one person can make a difference.Young readers will recognize Dolores Huerta's rallying cry "Yes, we can!" even as they are inspired by her vision for a better world. (Biography. 7-14)COPYRIGHT(2018) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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