In September 1965, Filipino and Mexican American farm workers went on strike against grape growers in and around Delano, California. More than a labor dispute, the strike became a movement for social justice that helped redefine Latino and American politics. The strike also catapulted its leader, Cesar Chavez, into prominence as one of the most celebrated American political figures of the twentieth century. More than forty years after its original publication, Delano: The Story of the California Grape Strike, based on compelling first-hand reportage and interviews, retains both its freshness and its urgency in illuminating a moment of unusually significant social ferment.
"An exceptionally incisive report on the anatomy of the strike; a colorful, perceptive examination of its impact on the community; and an analysis of the action of both employers and labor so realistic as to make it important reading for current students of economics and public policy."—The New York Times Book Review
"A sensitive rendering of the atmosphere that permeates the great battle of Delano. . . . Just dip into the book and feel the intense heat of the battle. I've been there, and, believe me, this is how it was."—San Francisco Chronicle
John Gregory Dunne (1932-2003) was an novelist, screenwriter, and frequent contributor to The New York Review of Books. Among his books are True Confessions and Playland. Ilan Stavans is Lewis-Sebring Professor of Latin American and Latino Culture at Amherst College.