Irene Ramos Chandler was an activist, a mother, and the wife of Bill Chandler, who was also an activist. She heavily participated in the United Farm Workers (UFW) and the United Farm Workers Organizing Committee (UFWOC), the precursor to UFW, during the 1960s and 1970s in California and Texas through such activities as organizing, attending picket lines, assisting with office work, and recruiting the farmworker community to advocate for their rights. This small collection dates from 1966 to 1978 and includes items created by or for the UFW, UFWOC, and other unions. It consists of publications, donation logs, memorabilia, and clothing.

Irene Ramos Chandler was born in 1943 in a small clinic in El Monte, California, near the migrant camp known as Hicks Camp. Her parents were Francisco and Josefina Ramos, both migrant workers at the time who followed the harvests up and down the West Coast. Francisco Ramos was born in 1912 in Nogales, Arizona, and Josefina Campos was born in El Monte in 1915, in the same clinic Chandler was born. Chandler's grandfather, Josef Campos, fought with the Zapata during the Mexican Revolution. He sent his family (including Josefina) to the United States to keep them safe during the conflict. After the conflict, he joined them in United States and they settled as migrant workers in Los Angeles County, where Francisco was located. Chandler was the fourth of seven children: Herlinda, Gloria, Francisco Jr. (known as Veve), Irene, Henry, Richard and Gilbert. Herlinda died from pneumonia when Irene was young.

2.2 linear feet

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