Literature allows us to connect with people whose experiences are different from our own, and to see the world through lenses that were previously unknown. But reading requires context. Using primary sources allows researchers to contextualize what they read, especially when it comes from cultures and histories they may be unfamiliar with.

National Farm Worker Ministry: Mobilizing Support for Migrant Workers, 1939-1985 collection reproduces correspondence, reports, speeches, minutes; included are materials relating to the farm workers, poverty programs, Public Law 78, Braceros, labor camps, the United Farm Workers Union and the Delano Grape Strike.

The National Farm Workers Ministry (NFWM) began in earnest in 1920 as the California Migrant Ministry (CMM) and acted as a charity service aimed at providing migrant workers with aid in procuring medical services, day care, clothing and food. During the 1960's, The United Farm Workers Union leader, Cesar Chavez, urged the various religious and spiritual communities to alter the message from ministry to justice. In response, the NFWM brought together national religious denominations, state councils of churches, religious orders, congregations and all concerned individuals to support fundamental changes in the life and working conditions of migrant farm workers.

Archives Unbound presents topically-focused digital collections of historical documents that support the research and study needs of scholars, researchers, and students at the college and university level. A multi-disciplinary resource, collections cover a broad range of topics from the Middle Ages forward-from Witchcraft to World War II to twentieth-century political history. Particular strengths include U.S. foreign policy; U.S. civil rights; global affairs and colonial studies; and modern history. Collections are chosen based on requests from scholars, archivists, and students.