Occidental

1923:Admitted into Occidental College

1971:Receives the degree of Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Occidental College

1983:Occidental College awards Galarza with the Alumni Seal

1985: The Galarza Room is Dedicated to Galarza

Galarza attended Occidental after one of his high school teachers, an alumnus, encouraged him to apply. In 1927, Galarza graduated with a B.A. in Political Science. Galarza was honored by the college years later for his social activism.

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Social Activist

1913:At the age of 8, Galarza participates in his first labor union

Galarza was involved in his first union conflict after only two years of formal education in the United States.  Galarza was asked by community members to represent their cause, because he could speak English. This event was the beginning of his dedication to social justice. 

1936:Joins the Pan American Union(PAU)

Galarza joined the PAU, an organization to promote inter-American welfare, in 1936. After eleven years of service, he resigned from his position. In 1942, the PAU encouraged the Bolivian Government not to pass fair labor legislation because it would economically hurt American corporations. Galarza refused to continue working for a union that would contradict everything he stood for.

1947:Helps organize strike against DiGiorgio Fruit Corporation

The United States Congress intervened to end the strike.  DiGiorgio Fruit Corp., located in San Joaquin Valley, sued Galarza and others for libel. Although the strike failed, it raised awareness about the hardships the farm laborers faced. Galarza recorded the events of the DiGiorgio strike in his work, Spiders in the House and Workers in the Field.  Despite the failure of this strike, Galarza continued to coordinate other strikes.

1964:Merchants of Labor: The Bracero Story

During the early 1900's, Mexican farm workers were allowed to immigrate to the United States to help with farm work. This was called the Bracero Program. In the program, the living conditions and the wages were terrible. Galarza dedicated his efforts to ending this program. In 1964, Galarza wrote Merchants of Labor. This work brought attention to the abuses of the Bracero program, and eventually the government was forced to end the program.

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Educator

1936:Galarza and wife establish Year-Long School            

Galarza’s work as an activist consumed a great deal of his energy, however, another facet of his life was the importance of education. In 1936, Galarza and his wife helped establish the Year-Long School in Long Island, New York.

1971:Founded the Studio Laboratory for Bilingual Education

In 1971, he founded the Studio Laboratory for Bilingual Education.  Due to a lack of sufficient funds, the Studio Laboratory for Bilingual Education eventually closed. Galarza later worked with the Bilingual Consortium in San Jose, CA. In the 1970s, Galarza also wrote a number of children’s books.

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