César Chávez, the Catholic Bishops, and the Farmworkers' Struggle for Social Justice (review)

20ogBook Reviews287 substantial information of leaders others have overlooked while presenting a new portal to the Chicano Movement and Mexican-American history. University oftL· Incarnate WordGilberto Hinojosa César Chavez, tL· Catholic Bishops, and tL· Farmworkers' Strugglefor SocialJustice. By Marco G. Prouty. (Tucson: University of Arizona Press, 2008. Pp. 200 Illustrations , notes, bibliography, index. ISBN 978081652731 1, $19.g5 paper.) Numerous published works have examined the life and role of César Chavez in the Mexican-American farm workers' movement of the 1 960s and 1 970s. Marco Prouty's book not only focuses on Chavez, but also underscores the involvement of the American Catholic Church in the movement, particularly the Bishops' Ad Hoc Committee on Farm Labor formed in ig6g. The book examines two major conflicts of the United Farm Workers that were mediated by the Bishop's Ad Hoc Committee in California: the Delano Grape Strike (1965-70) and the Battle of the Salad Bowl or lettuce boycott ( ^70-77). According to Prouty, the Delano Grape Strike "pitted Catholic farm workers against Catholic agriculturalists," and the Battle of the Salad Bowl marked a time when the Church emerged from relatively unknown mediator to passionate defender of farm workers' right for union recognition. He further elaborates on the communication and collaboration between Chavez and the Bishops' Ad Hoc Committee during the course of both historic farm labor struggles. The book traces the course of the farm workers movement and the decision-making process of the committee and church in promoting compromise during the labor disputes affecting many people who were Catholic. The epilogue highlights the decline of the movement due to the changing social and political climate after the 1970s, and reflects upon the historical legacy of Chavez and work of the committee. Using archival documentation from clergy who served in the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Prouty examines the major discussions and viewpoints of die church's clerical leadership. Important sources include letters between Chavez and Catholic clergymen, newspaper articles, memoranda, press releases, Catholic Church news articles, and die Bishops' Ad Hoc Committee reports. The main strength of the book is utilizing information from these sources to analyze the changing role and influence of the Bishops' Ad Hoc Committee throughout the movement. One major weakness of the work is the lack of data from oral interviews and sources from other archives. Although Prouty suggests how Chavez integrated the Catholic faith into his movement, the author does not fully examine how the farm workers were inspired by the participation ofdie committee. Consequently, his research does not include data about the impact of Catholicism on the farm workers themselves. How did the farm workers' relationship with the Church differ after the formation of die committee? The author mentions that "Chavez studied and respected many faith traditions" (23). What were those other religious traditions? The book tends to suggest that everyone involved in the movement was Catholic. In what ways did 288Southwestern Historical QuarterlyOctober theology or religious ideology play an important role in sustaining the movement? I believe answers to these questions would give the readers a better understanding of how the movement affected the work of the church radier than vice-versa. Overall, Marco Prouty's work is to be commended for investigating the emergence of the Bishops' Ad Hoc Committee as a powerful influential force for social justice and human rights in the lives of Catholic farm workers and in society at large. César Chavez, tL· Catfolic Bishops and tL·Farmworkers' Strugglefor SocialJustice will make a fine addition to the literature on religious studies, labor history, and American studies. South Texas College, McAllenJames B. Barrera Beb: From Newspapers to New Media. By Judith Garrett Segura. (Austin: University of Texas Press, 2008. Pp. 326. Illustrations, appendices, notes, bibliography, index. ISBN 9780292718456, $50.00 cloth.) Prior to 2008, when it split into two companies, BeIo Corporation published the Dallas Morning News, three other papers, and the Texas Almanac. It owned twenty television stations that reached 14 percent of American households, including WFAA in Dallas/Fort Worth, KHOU in Houston, KENS in San Antonio, KVUE in Austin, and the Texas Cable News. Pronounced "Bee Low," it is the oldest operating...