Labor History
The 1966 farmworker strike put Starr County on the national map
In 1966, Mexican American farmworkers in Starr County went on strike against large agricultural growers — a key event in the broader Chicano civil rights movement.
In June 1966, farm laborers in Starr County walked off the fields. They were protesting low wages and poor working conditions. The strike targeted the large melon growers who ran local agriculture. It was organized by Eugene Nelson, working for the National Farm Workers' Association — the predecessor to the United Farm Workers union.
The strike did not win a contract. But it drew national attention. It also pushed Mexican American political organizing forward across Texas. Historians call the Starr County strike an important early event in what became the Chicano movement. The Handbook of Texas documents the strike and its broader meaning.
Source to confirm: Handbook of Texas Online — Starr County Strike