Distribution Agreement In presenting this thesis or dissertation as a partial fulfillment of the requirements for an advanced degree at Emory University, I hereby grant to Emory University and its agents the non-exclusive license to archive, make accessible, and display my dissertation in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known, including display on the world wide web. I understand that I may select some access restrictions as part of the online submission of this thesis or dissertation. I retain all ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis or dissertation. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis or dissertation. Signature: ______________________________ ________________ Laura Emiko Soltis Date ¡Presente! Music, Mobilization, and Global Engagement: The Case of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers By Laura Emiko Soltis Doctor of Philosophy Graduate Institute of the Liberal Arts ________________________________ Regine O. Jackson, Ph.D. Advisor ________________________________ John Boli, Ph.D. Committee Member ________________________________ Tong Soon Lee, Ph.D. Committee Member Accepted: ________________________________ Lisa A. Tedesco, Ph.D. Dean of the James T. Laney School of Graduate Studies ____________________ Date ¡Presente! Music, Mobilization, and Global Engagement: The Case of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers By Laura Emiko Soltis A.B., University of Georgia, 2006 Advisor: Regine O. Jackson, Ph.D. An abstract of A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of the James T. Laney School of Graduate Studies of Emory University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy In the Graduate Institute of the Liberal Arts 2012 Abstract ¡Presente! Music, Mobilization, and Global Engagement: The Case of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers By Laura Emiko Soltis This dissertation presents a case study of the migrant farmworker movement led by the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) in Immokalee, Florida. I conducted an interdisciplinary investigation that brings together the fields of social movements, ethnomusicology, and global studies. The research focuses on the formation and maintenance of ethnically diverse movements, the form and function of music and cultural repertoires in mobilization, and the relationship between local movements and global cultural processes. The movement has achieved remarkable success, as indicated by its interethnic solidarity among workers from Mexico, Guatemala, and Haiti, and its attainment of significant material improvements, including wage increases and improved working conditions. I argue that the movement’s cultural repertoires – such as music programs on CIW’s radio station, Radio Conciencia, and visual arts in Immokalee, and music and theater performances in public protests – were crucial to the movement’s success. Adopting an ethnographic approach, I conducted field research in Immokalee during the 2010-2011 tomato harvest season. I employed several interrelated research methods: interviews, participant observation, archival research, and photography. I also used the methods of ethnomusicology, which included tuning in to Radio Conciencia and performing the Mexican son jarocho tradition in public demonstrations. I found that farmworker unity was achieved through a forthright recognition of ethnic differences, in which ethnic identity took on new meanings to signify membership in an immigrant coalition. This articulation of ethnic identity was often expressed through music and other cultural practices. I also found that CIW’s attainment of material gains, such as a 70 percent wage increase and new rights protections, did not result from an increase in power or changes in federal laws. It was achieved through a strategy that targeted multinational corporations with a human rights framework, bypassing obstacles imposed by the state and relying on the power of legitimacy in the world polity. CIW effectively shamed its adversaries and conferred legitimacy on the movement through vibrant demonstrations filled with music, art, and theater. This study contributes to the study of social movement culture and globalization because it demonstrates how cultural aspects of mobilization can help movements with few resources succeed. ¡Presente! Music, Mobilization, and Global Engagement: The Case of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers By Laura Emiko Soltis A.B., University of Georgia, 2006 Advisor: Regine O. Jackson, Ph.D. A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of the James T. Laney School of Graduate Studies of Emory University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate Institute of the Liberal Arts 2012 Acknowledgements I would like to express my deepest gratitude to the farmworkers and staff of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers who so graciously welcomed me into the movement community and for their example of what consciousness, commitment, and creativity can overcome in the struggle for social justice. I would also like to extend my appreciation to the members of Son del Centro for allowing me to join them in song and dance. I also recognize the generous contribution of beautiful photographs by Jacques-Jean Tiziou to this dissertation. I sincerely thank Dr. John Boli, Dr. Regine O. Jackson, and Dr. Tong Soon Lee for serving on my dissertation committee and for their unwavering support throughout this project, as well as my colleagues and friends who generously provided Spanish and Kreyòl translation assistance when necessary. Finally, I am grateful to my family, friends, and loved ones who have encouraged me and put up with me over the past six years. TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction 1 Chapter 1 19 Social Movements: Navigating Culture and Global Crossroads Chapter 2 51 Methodology and Analysis Chapter 3 104 Racial Formation in U.S. Agriculture: The Making of Farmworker Powerlessness Chapter 4 149 The Coalition of Immokalee Workers: Migration, Popular Education, and Interethnic Mobilization 1992-2000 Chapter 5 211 Radio Conciencia: Music and Maintenance of the Farmworker Movement 2001-2011 Chapter 6 301 Performing Solidarity: Music, Ritual, and Theater in Public Demonstrations 2001-2011 A Son Jarocho Case Study Chapter 7 431 Global Engagement: World Culture, Human Rights, and Local Movement Success Conclusion 515 Appendices Oral Histories 531 Figures and Tables 546 Visual Appendix 584 Audio Appendix 625 Bibliography 626 List of Figures Figure 4.1 Rara Improvisation Transcription 546 Figure 4.2 Drawing #1 547 Figure 4.3 Drawing #2 548 Figure 4.4 Drawing #3 549 Figure 4.5 Drawing #4 549 Figure 4.6 Drawing #5 550 Figure 4.7 Spanish lyrics of “Los decididos” 551 Figure 6.1 Campaign for Fair Food Timeline 553 Figure 6.2 Taco Bell Boycott Chant Sheet 556 Figure 6.3 Lyrics of “Poem for the Farmworker Freedom March” 557 Figure 7.1 CIW Advocacy Model 1995-2000 451 Figure 7.2 CIW Human Rights Advocacy Model 2001-Present 452 Figure 7.3 CIW World Cultural Flows 458 Figure 7.4 Letter of Support from Florida Governor 559 Figure 7.5 Theater script of “A Story of Migration” 560 Figure 7.6 Supermarket Campaign Chant Sheet 562 List of Tables Table 2.1 Methodology and Measures 564 Table 5.1 October 2010 Songs and Dedications 566 Table 5.2 November 2010 Songs and Dedications 566 Table 5.3 January 2011 Songs and Dedications 566 Table 5.4 April 2011 Songs and Dedications 567 Table 5.5 October 2010 Group Dedication Frequencies 567 Table 5.6 November 2010 Group Dedication Frequencies 568 Table 5.7 January 2011 Group Dedication Frequencies 569 Table 5.8 April 2011 Group Dedication Frequencies 570 Table 5.9 Percent Distributions of Group Dedication Categories 571 Table 5.10 Causes of Farmworkers’ Concerns Most Played Songs 572 Table 5.11 Causes of Farmworkers’ Concerns Most Requested Songs 574 Table 5.12 Consciousness Categories Most Played Songs 576 Table 5.13 Consciousness Categories Most Requested Songs 577 Table 5.14 Textile Worker Concern Categories Most Played Songs 578 Table 5.15 Textile Worker Concern Categories Most Requested Songs 580 Table 5.16 Migrant Farmworker Concern Categories Most Played Songs 582 Table 5.17 Migrant Farmworker Concern Categories Most Requested Songs 583 1 INTRODUCTION This project investigates the social movement mobilization of a diverse community of migrant farmworkers in Immokalee, Florida. While there are many aspects of this movement one could investigate, the scope of this project examines three primary areas of research: the social formation and maintenance of a cohesive interethnic coalition, the meaning and efficacy of music performances and cultural resources in political mobilization, and the relationship between local movements and global cultural processes. My interest in these areas developed over the course of my graduate career, both as an interdisciplinary student of social movements, ethnomusicology, and global studies, as well as a participant in various human rights movements. It was as an activist that I first came across an extraordinary social movement led by a group of migrant farmworkers organized as the Coalition of Immokalee Workers. As a student-participant in social movements, I was struck by how these migrant farmworkers were able to organize themselves in the face of numerous obstacles to mobilization. These obstacles include ethnic diversity, a fluctuating community due to seasonal migration, exclusion from federal labor laws (and often times, the protections of U.S. citizenship),