[Alter] This altar served in a Catholic mass held near Delano, California, on March 10, 1968. The mass marked a significant moment in the history of the United Farm Workers Union and the Chicano civil rights movement--the end of a 23-day fast by union leader Cesar Chavez.

Symbols on the altar include an eagle, the sun, a peace symbol, and the Catholic crucifix. Four clasped hands, representing different races, represent harmony in cosmic, social, and earthly forces.

Courtesy of the National Museum of American Art, gift of the International Bank of Commerce in honor of Antonio R. Sanchez, Sr.

Farm Workers' Altar, 1967, by Emanuel Martinez (b. 1947), acrylic on mahogany and plywood

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