5.

2FinalMakingSocialChange

KarlaMarroquin July172015

Introduction

Itsironicthatthosewhotill
thesoil,cultivateandharvestthe discriminatedduetotheircolor
fruits,vegetables,andotherfoods ofskin,discriminatedbasedon
that fill your tables with their occupation, and sometimes
abundance have nothing left for eventheirgender.
themselves.CesarChavez Takeforexamplethestoryof
ThemovementofCesarChavezwas the migrant workers farming in
such an inspirational moment in Michigan. The Grand Rapids
history.Manyofthefarmworkers BusinessJournaldidanarticle
wereimmigrants,peopleofcolor, titled,
Migrant Workershousing
and many were afraid to defend still, unsafe, civil rights
themselves. It took a group of officials says
, in the article
courageous individuals to shape workers complain how they are
the course of history. Cesar housedinoldbeatdowntrailers,
Chavez,DoloresHuertaandGilbert trailers squeeze in about 4+
Padilla took matters into their families.Manyofthesefamilies
ownhands.Theyknewtheonlyway donotknoweachotherandhave
to stop unfairness, and cruel to give up their space and
treatmentwasbyworkingtogether NFWALogoAlsoknownasthe comfort. Livingconditionsare
asacommunity.Theywerenotthe symbolofanAztec.Cesar poor,theresbarelyanyrunning
typically Latino group, they Chavezfeltthatitwas water,food,and.
reliedheavilyonfacts,laws,and appropriatebecauseitshowed Manyoftheseindividualsworked
rules.Theywantedtomakesure prideanddignity. long hours and were not given
their voices were heard and
whatwaspromised, Courtrecords
violence was not acceptable.
TheBraceroProgram saytheGuatemalansforcedtowork
Thankstothemmanyfarmworkers
nowtakeadvantageof someequal attheeggfarmswerekepthidden
away in dirty, unsafe trailers
treatmentandfairwages. Thebraceroprogramwasaan
owned by the rings leaders at
The United Farm WorkersagreementbetweentheUnited OakridgeEstatesMobileHomePark
Association was a huge step Stat esan dMexico.Mexican inMarionCounty.Theworkersare
towardstherightdirection.Thecitizensweregiventemporary now
UFWAwasstartedandorganizedbyworkvisas,andweregiventhe

Manyoftheworkersareafraid
CesarChavezandDoloresHuerta.opportunitytobefarmworkersin
tospeakup.Theyfear
TheinitialtrainofthoughtwastheU.S.TheBraceroProgramwas
deportation,andfearthatthey
togivefarmworkersfairwagesanexcellentwayforfarmowners
wontbeabletoprovidefor
and human livabletohavecheaplabor.However,
theirfamilies.Thesemigrant
conditions(Ei:labor contracting,
withtimefarmownerswere workersarehiredtemporarilyfor
nomoretoxicpesticides,having
thesummerorwhenworkis
accesstowaterandtoilets,etc).realizingtheycouldgeteven
needed.Theownersofthefarms
Onethingiscertainthankstothecheaperlaboriftheyhired
areresponsibleforproviding
movementitempoweredmanyfirstillegalimmigrants.These
shelter,fairwages,andadequate
generation Americans to beimmigrantswouldhavenolegal
livingconditions.Somemigrant
activist and to fight for theties,theywouldnotbeoffered
farmworkershaveexpressedthat
communities. thesamebenefitsasthe manyofthefarmownersdonot
However, stories have been brac eros, andmanyofthe botherfacilitatingcleanliving
released to press throughoutBraceroswereforcedtoreturnto spacesbecausetheUSdoesnot
years,anditseemsthatmanyofMexico. haveenoughinspectorstoinspect
thefarmworkerscontinuetofight farmandlaborsituations.
this everlasting battle.Why isManyoftheBracerosleftto Anotherprimeexampleisthe
thisanongoingbattle?DidtheMexico,butrealizedthatwhat storyoftheGuatemalan
UFWA stop fighting for farm immigrantswhowerepromisedto
theywereearningintheir
workers? havejobsiftheyarrivedtothe
hometownwasnotenough,
These are questions that manythereforecausingmanyworkersto US.Manyoftheseindividuals
should be asking themselves.cometheU.S.illegally. havehighhopesofstarting
IndeedtheUFWAdidalotforfarm fresh,earningmoneytohelp

workers.However,thereasonthe supporttheirfamiliesbackhome,
UFWA was so successful duringCesarChavezwantedequal
andtolivetheAmericandream.
CesarChaveztimewasbecausethetreatmentforall.Hedidsucceed
ingettinghisvoiceheard,and TheColumbusdispatchcoveredthe
BraceroProgramended.
asmentionhediditthanksto storyoftheseimmigrantfarm
theendoftheBraceroprogram. workers,
Courtrecordssaythe
TheendoftheBraceroprogram Guatemalansforcedtoworkatthe
meantthatmanydomesticfarm eggfarmswerekepthidden
workerswouldeffectivelywantto
fight,represent,anddefend
theirowninterest.


CONTD awayindirty,unsafetrailersownedbytheringsleadersatOakridge
EstatesMobileHomeParkinMarionCounty. Manyoftheteenagersare
promised to makemoneyandtohaveabetterfutures.Manycome
legallyasthecompaniesthathirethemprovideworkvisas.Another
exampleisUSVSBonteps: InJuly2010,CabiochBontemps,Carline
Ceneus,andWillyEdouardwereindictedbyafederalgrandjuryon
chargesofconspiracytocommitforcedlabor.DOJofficialsaccusethe
threeofholdingover50guestworkersfromHaitiagainsttheirwillin
thebeanfieldsofAlachuaCounty,Florida.Theindictmentstatesthat
Bontempsrapedoneoftheworkersinhisemployandthreatenedherif
sheweretoreportit.Theemployersheldtheworkers'passportsand
visas,andforcedthemtoworkinfieldsrecentlysprayedwithharsh
pesticides,causingpermanentscarring.Thegrower,StevenDavis,asked
thejudgeduringthecourthearingtoreleaseBontempssincehewaskey
totheharvestingoperation.Allthesepeople[theworkers]lookupto
him,Davissaid.Allthesepeoplerespecthim.Allthesepeople
worshiphim.AsofSeptember2010,theprosecutionisongoing.TheCIW
trainedlocallawenforcementandchurchgroupsshortlybeforethe
workerswererescued,andassistedinreferringthecasetotheDOJ.
ItisinterestingtoseehowtheU.Sissoadamantaboutenforcing
lawsforworkingemployeesyetfarmworkersarenotaccountedfor.A
typicalAmericanworkerisencouragedtospeakupwhenhe/sheis
injured. Typically, the employer pays foranymedicalbills.In
addition,manyoftheseworkersaregivingopportunitiessuchas
FMLA,Disability,PaidTimeoff,andSickdays.Ontheotherhand
farmworkersaretoldtheycannottaketimeoff,andifanythingthey
areseenasadisposalworker.Itsasadstorybutmanyofthe
workersaretryingtomakeendsmeet.
Thefighthasnotended.Manychoosenottohearthesestories.But
weallhavetothinkaboutWherearecropscomefromandWhopicks
them.Itsnotamatterofwhetherornottheworkerishereis
legally, its about equality and justice. We are allhumansand
deservetohaveequaltreatment.Manyofthesefarmworkersarenot
askingformuch,theyaresimplyaskingtobetreatedfairly.

WorksCited:
Roth,Cheyna."MigrantWorkers'HousingStillUnsafe,CivilRights
GrandRapidsBusinessJournal
OfficialSays." 33.17(2015):3.
MasterFILEPremier
.Web.16July2015.

CoalitionofImmokaleeWorkers
"AntiSlaveryCampaign." .CIW.Web.18
July2015.<
http://ciwonline.org/slavery/>.