Class Blog Post #1: America's Farmworkers

Diego Rivera, "Peasants" (1931). 

Program date: 7 September 2021

Listening date: 9 September 2021

Topics discussed: Labor rights, child labor, farmers, workers' rights, worker safety, racism, stereotypes, racialization, child abuse, maltreatment, education, unions, working conditions, weather, mental health, slavery, immigration.

In this episode of Latino USA, which aired on 7 September 2021, we had hosts Julio Ricardo Varela and María Hinojosa discuss immigrant farmworkers in the United States from a POC perspective. He was joined by Norma Flores López, the chief programs officer at Justice for Migrant Women, and Reyna López, the executive director of the largest farmworker union in Oregon. They point out that the majority of farmworkers in the United States are immigrants from Latin America and that a third of them live below the poverty line. In addition, they discuss the atrocious working conditions that many farmworkers are subjected to, and even how farmworking children are often given a choice between continuing their education or working the fields to help support their families. 

Child labor

Although I already knew of the harsh, intense, backbreaking working conditions for farmworkers, it did fill me with indignation when Norma described her childhood as a migrant farmworker. She described the disparity in how she was treated differently from the local white children who worked with her, and how she was subjected to verbal abuse and insults by her employers, who employed children as young as nine years of age. (Federal law at the time allowed children to start work at the age of twelve.) She patiently tolerated the verbal abuse, yelling, and harassment because she knew it was paying for her family's needs and less abusive than previous jobs - it was out of necessity. 

It was particularly poignant when she said her bosses would tell her, at only twelve years of age, “WTF are you doing?! Why are you wasting time? We need to go faster! Quit talking! You can’t even do this! What good are you? What you going to be in the future if you can’t even f*cking manage this sort of work? You’re worthless!” (17:15)  It triggered a variety of traumatic emotions within me, because although I am a former retail worker, the same thing happened to me, and I had to patiently bear the abuse and exploitation because the job was paying for my rent. I didn’t have much savings that I just easily quit and start anew with a fresh job. But to experience that abuse and those feelings of worthlessness and uselessness at such a young age is intolerable.  No child should ever feel that way or be told that their only future option in life is to be subservient to an abusive boss, working in such dangerous, deadly conditions. It was utterly appalling to hear that testimony.

César Chavez and Larry Itliong

Black and Brown unity

What I did like about this episode is the mention of the better protections for farmworkers and children. Reyna mentioned systems of oppression and racial caste systems (sistema de castas) still persist in the farming industry today, despite the workers’ rights movement. She also mentions that the average lifespan of a migrant worker is around 40 years of age - which was really shocking. Black and Brown unity is thus essential, and Mexican and Filipino migrant workers have led the way with workers’ rights, leading to reforms in labor law. 

Working conditions in scorching temperatures 

In The Seattle Times, an editorial (“It shouldn’t take a 100-degree day to trigger heat protections for farmworkers”)  says, “Farm work is arduous and demanding under the best circumstances, but climate change has made things worse in recent years, with rising temperatures, increasing drought conditions and poor air quality from longer fire seasons. Farmworkers are already at least 20 times more likely to die of heat stress than any other category of worker, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.” The editorial notes that workers are not given shade and paid cooling breaks in days with triple-digit temperatures. Despite the best efforts of unions and the State’s emergency heat rules for outdoor workers, little change could be found at nearly 50 workplaces in the State of Washington. Employers care little for their employees, haven’t done much to improve the quality and safety of working conditions. 

The aforementioned editorial describes working conditions similar to Reyna’s childhood, and attests to the little change we have achieved and the progress that will yet to come. It implies that there is so much more to be done. There is still a struggle between the working class and those who hold them captive in such miserable conditions, it truly amplifies the need for social justice advocates to raise awareness of the plight of farmworkers and others who literally feed us on a daily basis. We certainly need to do better in regard to human rights, especially labor rights and social protections. The Government and employers must be held accountable. As Norma said, despite her intelligence and education, “To them, in those fields, I was seen as worthless, a Brown employee, a nothing.” (18:20)

Bibliography

The Seattle Times Editorial Board. “It Shouldn't Take a 100-DEGREE Day to Trigger HEAT Protections for Farmworkers.” The Seattle Times. 30 Aug. 2021, www.seattletimes.com/opinion/editorials/it-shouldnt-take-a-100-degree-day-to-trigger-heat-protections-for-farmworkers/.