JacquelineMoreno

English6B
Dinsmore
12April2015
ForeignWorkers
Whatisthefirstthingonethinksofwhentheythinkofafarm?Ithinkofthefirst
AmericanDreamalargelandfollowedbycows,pigs,andchickensrangingthroughthisgreen
field,andafarmerortwoplantinghisharvestandavarietyofcropsgrowing.Todaywecan
easilysaythatitisnothinglikemuchbeforetherearenoanimalsnovarietyofcrops,buta
varietyofimmigrantworkersbeingoverworkedandharmed.Wewillexplorethemodernreality
offarmsandtheexploitationofimmigrantfarmworkersandhowtoreducetheexploitationby
demandingtheriseinwagesforeachworkerandtheconditionsthattheyareworkingin.
Farmworkersareimportanttoourfoodsystembecausewithouttheirlaborourfoods
wouldn'tbeonourdinnertables,buttheyarebeingexploitedsignificantly.Whetherisisthelack
ofbasicrightsorbeingabusedinwhichtheycannotreportforfearofbeingdeported.Someof
theseworkersarepartofaspecialguestprogram,whichallowsaforeigntoworkinthecountry
foraspecificjobandstayhereforaspecificamountoftimetowherethejobwillbecompleted
orhoweverlongtheworkerisneeded,sojobsecurityisnotpromisedfortheseworkers.H2A
visasarehandedtotheseagriculturalworkers,butevenunderthisprogramaccordingtothe
NationalFarmWorkerMinistry,thesefarmersarebeingpaidjustabout$9.00perhour.Thisis
themoneytheyhavetoprovidefortheirfamiliesthattheyleftbackhome.Sometimesthese
farmerscannotobtainworkintheirowncountriesorsometimesforcedtocomework.For

example,sincecornischeaptoproduceintheU.S.theextraisdownpouredintoMexico,sothe
farmersinMexicothatgrowcornoftengooutofbusinessbecauseitisalotcheapertobuythis
cornthatcamefromtheU.Sbecauseitisbeingproducedbythetons.AreportbytheU.S
departmentoflaborstatedthatthesefarmworkersthatareimmigrantswithoutworkingvisas
earnaveragely$7.25perhour,andthisisinthebestworkingcasesandhavebeenworkingfor
thefarmforacoupleyears,butmostofthetimeeventhesetypeofwagesareunrealisticto
womenworkersbecausetheyaremoreeasytointimidate.Unfortunately,therearemany
loopholesinthesenumberssincethesearewagesbeingpaidtoimmigrants,mostofthesewages
goundocumentedsothenumbercouldbealotlower,whichwecanassumeitis.Apartfromall
thistheseworkersdontgettheluxuryofsimplebenefitssuchaspaidtimeofforsicktimeand
arerequiredtoworkinhinderousconditions.Theseconditionsfallanywherefromworkingin
thecoldraintoworkinglonghoursundertheblazinghotsun.Amongthesefarmworkersthe
heatstrokesarecausingdeathsbecausetheworkergohoursunderthesunwithouttakingany
breaksforwaterorassimpleasshade,itwasreportedbyOxfamandtheFarmLaborOrganizing
CommitteeandtheCenterofDiseaseControlandPreventionthat,throughtheyearsof
19922006,68cropworkersdiedfromheatstroke.Thisnumberisn'tsurprisingconsideringthe
onlystatebylawthatgiveswaterbreaksandshadebreaksisCalifornia,andsometimesthese
aren'tevenfulfilledforimmigrantworkers.Amongtheweatherconditionstheimmigrant
workersalsohavetoworryaboutbeingexposeddirectlyandindirectlytotoxicchemicalsinthe
airandontheplantstheyaretouching.Theseworkerscanbecaughtinthecrossofbeing
sprayedwithpesticidesalsobreathingthepesticidedrift,whichiswhenthewindspreadsthe
chemicalsthatarebeingsprayedthroughoutthefield.Sometimestheworkerscarrycontainers

thatmayhavebeencontainingthepesticideandtheyhavenowayofknowingthisbecausethe
warninglabelmaynotevenbeinspanish.Theseworkershavenowayofprotectingthemselves
frombeingexposedtothesehazardouschemicals.
Amongtheseissuesofimmigrantworkers,thewomenworkershavetodealwithallthe
issuesmaleworkersdealwithplustheissuesofsexualharassment,violationofrights,andeven
reproductiverights.Womenmakeup22%ofthepopulationofimmigrantfarmworkersalthough
theremightnotbeasmanyasmentheyarethemostexploitedinthisworkindustry.Inasurvey
conductedamongwomenworkers90%indicatedsexualabusewhiletheywereworkingonthe
fields.AccordingtoacaseinFresno,Ca.byaEqualEmploymentOpportunityCommission's
lawyer,Weweretoldthathundreds,ifnotthousands,ofwomenhadtohavesexwith
supervisorstogetorkeepjobs.Inonecompanyclosetothefresnofield,womenworkerswould
refertothefieldasthefildecalzon(fieldofpanties),becausetheamountofwomenthathave
beenrapedbytheirsupervisors.Sometimeswomenworkerswilldressasmensotheycanbeleft
alone.Becausethesewomenfearbeingreportedanddeportedtheyputupwiththeharassment
forfearofbeingfiredorevenworsebeingseparatedfromtheirfamilies.Apartfromsexual
abusewomenarediscriminatedontheirpayrateandhowtheyarepaid.Forexamplethe
SouthernPovertyLawcenterreportsthatmarriedwomenareillegallypaidontheirspouses
paychecksothattheemployersdon'thavetopayextrafeeslikesocialsecurity,thismakes
womenhavingtobedependentontheirhusbandsfinanciallysincetheyhaveallthemoney.Even
thoughtheseareviolations,thiscan'tcomparetotheviolationofreproductiverightswomen
face.Becauseamongmen,womenareexposedtopesticidestheamountofexposurehasbeen
proventocausingmiscarriagesordeformitiesinbirthoftheirbabies.Forexamplethestoryof

CarlitosandhisneighborsinFlorida,threemotherswhowerehighlyexposedtopesticides
workingatatomatofarmwherethefieldshadbeensprayedwithupto,ifnotmore,thirtytypes
oftoxinswhichwerehighlytoxic,andsomewherelabeledasdevelopmentalandreproductive
toxins.Alltheirchildrenwerebornwithbirthdefects.ThefirstbabytobebornwasCarlitos,
whowasbornwiththeconditionoftetraamelia,whichlefthimwithnoarmsorlegs.The
secondbabyJesus,whowasbornsixweekslaterwasbornwithajawdeformitythatlefthim
withtheinabilitytoeatnormally,causinghimtobefeedthroughaplastictubetopreventhis
tonguetofallinginhisthroatandchokinghim.ThethirdbabyJorgeborntwodaysafterJesus,
wasmissinganear,anose,akidney,ananus,andakidney,becausehedidnothaveanyvisible
sexorganshewaslaternamedagirl,Violetabutonlylivedforthreedays.
Apartfromlowwages,poorworkingconditions,womenfacingsexualharassment,
workersstillfacetoproblemofproperbasichousing.Immigrantworkersthatholdatemporary
workingvisaareprovidedhousingbyemployersandsometimesrentisdeductedfromthefarm
workerswages.Becausetheemployerisinchargeofthehousingtheyhavetheprivilegeof
overchargingtheworkers,andthishappensalotinareasthatareisolatedandhavenoalternative
ofhousing.OneexamplewecanlookatisatrailerinFloridathatisclosetoaparkinglotwhere
workerslineuptofindworkforafield,thistypeofshackisconsideredluxuryformostworkers,
butthistraileris$500perweek,inthesecases8ormoreworkerswillallliveinthislittleshack
inordertoaffordthelivingexpenses,thiscausesmoreproblems.Theseworkersallsharethe
samebathroom,cookingutensils,andshowers,thishighlypromotesthespreadofsicknessand
diseasesbecauseofthepesticidestheycouldhavetouchedearlierintheday.Thiscauseaneven
biggerproblemifanyoftheseworkershavechildrenthatarestayingwiththemwithoutthe

employersknowing,becausethechildrendonthaveanyotherplacetostay.Althoughthisisa
meansofsolvingtheproblemforpayingrent,employersstartedchargingrentperpersonto
makemoreofaprofitbecausefamilieshavetopayforeachchildtheyhave.Becausethereisa
lackofenforcementalotofthesehousingplacesdon'thavethebasicutilitiesandareoftenvery
unsanitarywhichpromotesdiseasesevenmore,andtothinkthesearethepeoplethatare
handlingourfoodshouldn'ttheybetreatedmuchbetterandkeptingoodhealth?
Althoughtherearemanyissues,theycanallhaveasolution.Fortheworkersthatare
beingunderpaidtherecanbeasystemsetupwherethefarmhastoreporttheamountofworkers
thatareworking,immigrantorcitizen,hastobereportedandtheamountthatisbeingpaideach
weekhastomatchtheamountofworkersthereare,andmonthlyaofficialshouldcomeoutand
counttheworkersandlookattheirpayandtakeanonymoussurveys,andifgrowersarenot
abidingbytherulestheydbefinedortimeinjail.Fortheconditionsandtheexposureoftoxins
theEPAscurrentagriculturalworkerprotectionstandardneedstobebetterenforced,this
teachesworkerspesticidesafetytraining,accesstospecificinformation,keepingworkersoutof
areasbeingtreatedwithpesticides,andprovidingprotectivegeartothehandlersthatarearound
thetoxins,andofcourseasufficientsupplyofwater,soapandtowelsforwashingand
emergencyassistanceifsomethingweretohappenwithaworker.Tofightagainstwomenbeing
sexuallyharassedtherecanbeananonymoushotlinethattheycanreportabusetoandthe
womencangotoanyclinicandgetcheckedwithoutbeingdiscriminatedtohaveproof,andif
reportedtheycannotfacedeportation.Withtheissueofhousing,eachhousingareahastobe
inspectedmonthlybyanofficialtomakesurethehavebasicutilitiesandarewellkept,andifnot
theemployerwillfacejailtimeorafine.Alsotherentforthesehousingfacilitiesshouldonlybe

enoughtocovertheutilitybillssothegrowerdoesnotmakeaprofitoffthesepeople.Although
itmaytakesometypetowinthesetypeofrightsforimmigrantworkersitiswellworththefight
forthegovernmenttodosoconsideringthesepeopleareworkingforusandhandlingourfood
makingsurewearebeingfed,sothesamebasicrightsshouldbegrantedforthem.