The artwork I chose is Boycott Grapes, Support the United Farm Workers Union by artist Xavier Viramontes. It is a poster that represents the fight for the rights of Chicanos. The Aztec warrior shows an angry and ferocious face as he squeezes the grapes in his hands, brutally extracting the juices from the fruit, which could represent the blood and sacrifices made during the boycott. The clothing and headdress of this Aztec warrior carry with them significant symbolism as the decorative costume symbolizes the ethnic heritage of the field workers. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The artist himself, who is of Mexican descent, intended to raise awareness of Mexican American farm workers who in the 1970s worked in poor conditions as well as received little pay for their work. This piece serves as a visual expression of Latin American themes such as history, culture, identity and heritage. This painted poster takes us back to the history of social movements manifested by oppressed minorities and this particular movement gained influence and recognition that made César Chávez a world leader for Mexican-American civil rights. Themes such as culture, identity and culture are present within the poster as they provide a representation of the identity and heritage of the Aztec/Mexican people. The warrior's clothing also shows the cultural aspect of agricultural workers. Diving into the history behind this painted poster, in the 1970s, the grape boycott was a social movement led by the United Farm Workers Union (UFW) that created awareness for those farm workers fighting for rights to receive better pay and conditions of work. This group was led by a certain César Chávez. Many of these workers worked in the Coachella Valley of Southern California. This resulted in great pain and sacrifice for those involved. “Coachella growers had begun signing labor contracts with the United Farm Workers Union in 1970, but cooperation between the groups did not last long. Shortly before the 1973 harvest, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (ibt) union stepped in to negotiate sweetheart contracts, with terms favorable to growers and kickbacks that lined the pockets of Teamsters officials” (Matthew, 2007).[1] The Teamsters attempted to subdue UFW challengers by physically intimidating them, such violence had become normal for the local population who struggled to remain peaceful. César Chávez used his now famous hunger strikes to quell the desire for retaliation among his followers and redirect the union's energy away from strikes and toward boycotts and the establishment of the Agricultural Labor Relations Board in California” (Matthew, 2007).[2] César Chávez managed to redirect the energy of his followers towards boycotts instead of strikes. With this nonviolent strategy, she managed to gain national and international sympathy for workers in the Coachella Valley who had suffered a decade of abuse and trauma. The reason for this success lies partly in the UFW's ability to attract attention through the grape boycott. Although grapes were grown throughout California, the strategic choice to choose table grape vineyards as the battleground was due to climate, labor, geography, and market. Because grapes in the Coachella Valley were the most important crop of the season as well as the first crop to hit market after a long winter, union organizers and growers thought their production terms and working conditions would follow.