Growing up growing sugar: Local teenage labor in the sugar beet fields, 1958-1974

Agricultural History

Volumn 79, Issue 3, 2005, Pages 298-320

  Norris, Jim ^a  

^a NORTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY   (United States)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

AGRICULTURAL WORKER; CHILD LABOR; IMMIGRANT POPULATION; TWENTIETH CENTURY;

BETA VULGARIS SUBSP. VULGARIS;

EID: 23944451682     PISSN: 00021482     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1525/ah.2005.79.3.298     Document Type: Article

References (138)

1. This article might have been structured as a social or labor history. However, it is part of a larger manuscript in progress that I am structuring significantly as a "local history," described most recently in Joseph A. Amato's Rethinking Home: A Case for Writing Local History (Berkeley: University of California Press, 2002), 1-16. Therefore, this inquiry into the dynamics among the sugar beet industry, local and state governments, growers, urban communities, migrant workers, and other participants in the Red River Valley does not rely on methodologies predominately associated with social or labor history.
2. A close reading of the Fargo Forum and Moorhead Daily News (as it was titled during the 1950s) provided numerous articles on issues concerning communism, nuclear weapons, civil rights, and juvenile delinquency throughout the United States.
3. Harry Schwartz, Seasonal Farm Labor in the United States (New York: Columbia University Press, 1945), 130, 154;
4. William John May, Jr. The Great Western Sugarlands: The History of the Great Western Sugar Company and the Economic Development of the Great Plains (New York: Garland Publishing, Inc., 1989), 356-57, 367.
5. Dennis Nodin Valdés, Agricultural Workers in the Great Lakes Region, 1917-1970 (Austin: University of Texas Press, 1991), 15;
6. Manager's Report, East Grand Forks [EGF], American Crystal Statistical Reports, Box 20 (1930), Records of the Red River Valley Sugarbeet Growers Association, Northwest Minnesota Historical Center, Minnesota State University Moorhead, Moorhead, Minnesota [hereafter RRVSGA].
7. Dennis Nodin Valdés, "Betabeleros: The Formation of an Agricultural Proletariat in the Midwest, 1897-1930," Labor History 30 (Fall 1989): 543-52;
8. Terry L. Shoptaugh, Roots of Success: History of the Red River Sugarbeet Growers (Fargo, ND: Institute for Regional Studies, North Dakota State University, 1997), 31-33, 42;
9. Manager's Report, EGF, American Crystal Statistical Reports, Box 20 (1929-31), RRVSGA.
10. Jim Norris, "Bargaining for Beets: Migrants and Growers in the Red River Valley," Minnesota History 58 (Winter 2002-2003): 199-204.
11. Transcript of an oral history interview with Jesus Mendez, Minnesota Oral History Project, July 16, 1976, Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul, Minnesota, pp. 1-2;
12. Yolanda L. Arauza, "The Settlement and Assimilation of Mexicans in Moorhead, Minnesota" (master's thesis, North Dakota State University, 2000), 16;
13. Polk's Fargo and Moorhead City Directory (Kansas City: R. L. Polk and Company, 1940);
14. Polk's Fargo and Moorhead City Directory (Kansas City: R. L. Polk and Company, 1950);
15. Polk's Fargo and Moorhead City Directory (Kansas City: R. L. Polk and Company, 1960);
16. US Bureau of the Census, Census of Population: 1960, Volume I: Characteristics of the Population (Washington, DC: GPO, 1960), Part 36 (North Dakota), p. 192, Part 25 (Minnesota), 306-307.
17. Donald R. McCoy and Richard T. Ruetten, Quest and Response: Minority Rights and the Truman Adminstration (Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 1973), 306-12;
18. The Governor's Interracial Committee, Donald R. McCoy and Richard T. Ruetten, The Mexican in Minnesota (revised) (St. Paul: State of Minnesota, 1953), introductory materials;
19. "Valley Housing for Migrants Called Substandard by Panel," Donald R. McCoy and Richard T. Ruetten,Fargo Forum and Moorhead Daily News [Fargo Forum] (Fargo, ND), May 29, 1956;
20. Donald R. McCoy and Richard T. Ruetten,"Migrant Worker Welfare Said Problem for Public," Fargo Forum, Apr. 9, 1958.
21. "Two Held in Beating Death After Front Street Party," Fargo Forum, May 2, 1955;
22. "Woman Beaten; Laborer Held," Fargo Forum, June 23, 1955;
23. "5 Laborers Held After Attack on Teen-Agers," Fargo Forum, July 1, 1955;
24. "Pair Sentenced for Attack," Fargo Forum, Nov. 15, 1955;
25. "Hold 9 in Forks Street Battle," Fargo Forum, Oct. 3, 1955.
26. "Jury in Shooting Holds Boy's Father Negligent," Fargo Forum, July 20, 1955;
27. "Charge Filed in Shooting of Clay Boy," Fargo Forum, July 21, 1955;
28. "Paul Martinez Placed in Catholic Home," Fargo Forum, Aug. 12, 1955;
29. "Charge in Death of Clay Boy Dismissed," Fargo Forum, Aug. 25, 1955.
30. James Gilbert, A Cycle of Outrage: America's Reaction to the Juvenile Delinquent in the 1950s (New York: Oxford University Press, 1986), 63-78;
31. Tom W. Smith, "America's Most Important Problem - A Trend Analysis, 1946-76," Public Opinion Quarterly 44 (1980): 171-72;
32. Ruth Shonle Cavan, Juvenile Delinquency: Development, Treatment, Control (Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott Company, 1969), 327.
33. Hazel Erskine, "The Polls: Causes of Crime," Public Opinion Quarterly 38 (1974): 289-92;
34. William Graebner, "The 'Containment' of Juvenile Delinquency: Social Engineering and American Youth Culture in the Postwar Era," American Studies 27 (1986): 81-94;
35. Cavan, Juvenile Delinquency, 301-302, 327-28.
36. "Eight Boys Admit Series of Thefts," Fargo Forum, Mar. 23, 1955;
37. "7 Barnesville Boys Placed on Probation," Fargo Forum, June 6, 1958;
38. "Arrest of Nine Fargo Boys Solves 14 Cases of Theft," Fargo Forum, June 18, 1959.
39. "Governing Heads of Five Towns Discuss Problems," Fargo Forum, Apr. 23, 1958;
40. "10:30 Curfew Ordinance Passed By Fargo Board," Fargo Forum, June 26, 1958;
41. "Fargo High Behavior Code Applies to Parents, Students," Fargo Forum, May 5, 1960;
42. "Delinquency Study Made in N.D. Rural Areas," Fargo Forum, May 10, 1960;
43. "Youth Leader Warns of Communism," Fargo Forum, May 20, 1961.
44. "Achievements of 4-H Clubs Have Been Many and Varied," Fargo Forum, Mar. 8, 1955;
45. "Learning Things That Make Good Citizens and Leaders," Fargo Forum, Apr. 13, 1955;
46. "2,500 Register Here for Walther Convention," Fargo Forum, Aug. 7, 1961;
47. "Youth Center Ground to Be Broken Tuesday," Fargo Forum, July 28, 1961.
48. "Misfits in Society 'Alienated' in Teens," Fargo Forum, Apr. 3, 1961;
49. "Summer Job Supply Short," Fargo Forum, July 2, 1961;
50. "Anderson Warns of Youth Unemployment," Fargo Forum, Apr. 24, 1962;
51. "Students Discover Jobs Hard to Find," Fargo Forum, June 24, 1962;
52. "Few Jobs, So Teen-agers Will Study," Fargo Forum, June 2, 1963;
53. "Student Jobs ... Column Eight," Fargo Forum, June 3, 1964.
54. Norris, "Bargaining for Beets," 206-207;
55. Shoptaugh, Roots of Success, 62-65;
56. North Dakota State Employment Service [NDSES], "North Dakota Farm Labor Report, 1960," 22.
57. NDSES, "North Dakota Farm Labor Report, 1956," 2-3, 26.
58. NDSES, "North Dakota Farm Labor Report, 1957," 26-28.
59. Annual Report - Report of Labor Procurement, 1956, Series 8, RRVSGA, NDSES, "North Dakota Farm Labor Report, 1957," 26-28.
60. NDSES, "North Dakota Farm Labor Report, 1958," 24-25;
61. NDSES, "North Dakota Farm Labor Report, 1959," 2-3;
62. Farm Placement Service [FPS], Minnesota Department of Employment Security, "Minnesota Post-Season Agricultural and Food Processing Report, 1959," 12-32.
63. "Valley Beet Fields Provide Work for Youth Under New Program," Fargo Forum, July 27, 1958;
64. "Job Can Be Satisfying for Children," Fargo Forum, Aug. 9, 1959;
65. "Beet Field Jobs Available for Youth Under YES Plan," Fargo Forum, June 5, 1959.
66. NDSES, "North Dakota Farm Labor Report, 1958," 24-25;
67. NDSES, "North Dakota Farm Labor Report, 1959," 23-24;
68. NDSES, "North Dakota Farm Labor Report, 1960," 21-23.
69. I b i d.
70. NDSES, "North Dakota Farm Labor Report, 1958," 3;
71. NDSES, "North Dakota Farm Labor Report, 1959," 2-3;
72. NDSES, "North Dakota Farm Labor Report, 1960," 3;
73. FPS, "Minnesota Post-Season Agricultural and Food Processing Report, 1959," 20-22.
74. NDSES, "North Dakota Farm Labor Report, 1961," 2-3, 24-25;
75. Marifeli Pérez-Stable, The Cuban Revolution: Origins, Course, and Legacy (New York: Oxford University Press, 1999), 80-81;
76. "Sugar Plant Adding Huge Storage Facilities," Fargo Forum, May 28, 1961.
77. NDSES, "North Dakota Farm Labor Report, 1961," 24-25;
78. NDSES, "North Dakota Farm Labor Report, 1962," 31-32;
79. NDSES, "North Dakota Farm Labor Report, 1963," 26-28.
80. I b i d.;
81. FPS, "Minnesota: 1965 Farm Labor Report," 14.
82. NDSES, "North Dakota Farm Labor Report, 1962," 33;
83. NDSES, "North Dakota Farm Labor Report, 1963," 26-28, 35;
84. "Students Discover Jobs Hard to Find," Fargo Forum, June 24, 1962;
85. "Few Jobs, So Teen-agers Will Study," Fargo Forum, June 2, 1963.
86. Ellis W. Hawley, "The Politics of the Mexican Labor Issue, 1950-1965," Agricultural History 40 (July 1966): 175-76;
87. "Sugar Beets Afford Glowing Potential," Fargo Forum, June 30, 1964;
88. NDSES, "North Dakota Farm Labor Report, 1964," 23-24;
89. "Beet Group Sets Up Preliminary Guidelines," Fargo Forum, Apr. 28, 1965;
90. "Group Checks Valley as Beet Factory Site," Fargo Forum, Aug. 2, 1964;
91. "Beet Test Set Along Missouri," Fargo Forum, Mar. 28, 1964.
92. NDSES, "North Dakota Farm Labor Report, 1964," 27-28;
93. NDSES, "North Dakota Farm Labor Report, 1965," 23, 27-28;
94. NDSES, "North Dakota Farm Labor Report, 1966," 27-28;
95. NDSES, "North Dakota Farm Labor Report, 1967," 24-26.
96. NDSES, "North Dakota Farm Labor Report, 1964," 25, 29;
97. NDSES, "North Dakota Farm Labor Report, 1965," 25-26, 30, 38;
98. NDSES, "North Dakota Farm Labor Report, 1966," 23-25, 31-33, 40;
99. NDSES, "North Dakota Farm Labor Report, 1967," 21-23, 28-30;
100. FPS, "Minnesota: 1966 Farm Labor Report," 17-18.
101. NDSES, "North Dakota Farm Labor Report, 1966," 20-21, 32;
102. NDSES, "North Dakota Farm Labor Report, 1964," 23;
103. Crystal-ized Facts, Spring 1965, 25-28;
104. Crystal-ized Facts, Harvest 1965, 16-17, Series 2, RRVSGA;
105. Herbert Anderson, interview, Oct. 31, 1990, transcript 13-14, RRVSGA;
106. "Youth Beat Workers Get 'Beat' but Stick to Their Rows," Fargo Forum, July 5, 1964;
107. "It's Now 'Beat Fever' Time in the Valley," Fargo Forum, June 11, 1968;
108. NDSES, "North Dakota Farm Labor Report, 1965," 25.
109. "Teen-Agers Push Up Jobless Rate," Fargo Forum, May 6, 1965;
110. "Summer Job Opportunities for Area Young People Are Limited," Fargo Forum, June 5, 1965;
111. "2 Reports Conflict on Job Prospects for Teen-Agers," Fargo Forum, May 7, 1966;
112. "Flood of Youth into Labor Market Seen Ending in 1968," Fargo Forum, July 16, 1967;
113. "Supply of Jobs Said Current Youth Problem," Fargo Forum, Mar. 21, 1968;
114. Gilbert, Cycle of Outrage, 63-65;
115. "Police Get 15 Youths in Series of Thefts," Fargo Forum, Mar. 19, 1966;
116. "They Just Sit Around," Fargo Forum, July 19, 1966;
117. "915 Juvenile Court Cases Logged in '66," Fargo Forum, Mar. 7, 1967;
118. "VD Is Continuing Problem Across Nation - And in Fargo-Moorhead," Fargo Forum, Mar. 12, 1967;
119. "'We Aren't Doing Anything Wrong'," Fargo Forum, Apr. 11, 1967;
120. NDSES, "North Dakota Farm Labor Report, 1966," 33.
121. NDSES, "North Dakota Farm Labor Report, 1968," 20-30;
122. NDSES, "North Dakota Farm Labor Report, 1969," 18-30;
123. NDSES, "North Dakota Farm Labor Report, 1971," 20-29.
124. NDSES, "North Dakota Farm Labor Report, 1969," 18, 25;
125. NDSES, "North Dakota Farm Labor Report, 1971," 20-22;
126. NDSES, "North Dakota Farm Labor Report, 1972," 14;
127. Norris, "Bargaining for Beets," 207;
128. "25 Moorhead High DECA Members Happy in Jobs," Fargo Forum, Mar. 5, 1968;
129. NDSES, "North Dakota Farm Labor Report, 1974," 10.
130. Annual Reports 1956 and 1973, Series 8, RRVSGA;
131. NDSES, "North Dakota Farm Labor Reports, 1972," 14;
132. NDSES, "North Dakota Farm Labor Reports, 1961," 24-25;
133. NDSES, "North Dakota Farm Labor Report, 1971," 14, 18.
134. Crystal-ized Facts, Spring 1962, 49-50;
135. Crystal-ized Facts, Spring 1963, 30-32;
136. Crystal-ized Facts, Spring 1965, 25-28;
137. Crystal-ized Facts, Spring 1969, 14-15, Series 2, RRVSGA.
138. Amato, Rethinking Home, 7.