Agriculture Workers Community of Oxnard, Ca

Agriculture Workers Community of Oxnard, Ca

Health 102: Community Health Organizations and Their Functions

Photovoice 2017
California State University, Channel Islands
Fall 2019
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The community that I had identified is the agricultural worker's community of Oxnard,

California. Oxnard is mainly known for its agriculture and their strawberries, however, what

most people don’t really talk about in Oxnard is the people that work hard in agriculture fields.

How they have to work from early morning till afternoons in the hot scorching sun or in other

climates. Due to this factor working in agriculture can essentially have a tremendous effect on

health issues in their lives.

Agriculture workers tend to work in some of the worst conditions. Such as constantly

being on their feet and working extremely long hours under extreme climate. According to

Raising up Farm Workers, there are essentially about 16,622 of agriculture workers here in

Oxnard and Port Hueneme and about “71% of farm workers worked 50 to 52 weeks out of the

year, while working an average of over 41 hours per week ”(Raising Up Farm Workers Ventura

County 5). It surreal that many workers of this community have to endure working these long

hours and be on their feet the entire time. This also shows that agriculture workers essentially

work more hours and any other average worker. This is essentially why I wanted to learn more

about the agricultural worker's community of Oxnard.

When we were assigned this assignment I had asked one of my cousin she wouldn’t mind

participating with this photovoice assignment. For the purpose of protecting her privacy, we will

call her Jenny. First, I had to explain to her exactly what she needed to do. I had asked her if it

would be possible if she can take pictures of the community she works in or anything that

significantly impacts her health when she works in the agricultural. Moreover, I explained to her

that once the photos were taken if she wouldn't mind to meet up in order for me to see them. I
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had also asked if she can describe why she chose that specific photo and if she had any methods

or recommendations in order to improve health services in the agricultural worker's community.

I was grateful that my cousin Jenny agreed to help me with this photovoice assignment.

TThe first of the photovoice pictures that my cousin Jenny showed me made an impact

on me. She took a picture of her friend where you can clearly see the amount of clothing that is

layered on top of each other. How she is carrying a box of strawberries perched up on her side as

well as carrying a tool that they use on the other side. In this particular photo my cousin stated

that “on the day that I took this photo it was quite warm and no matter the climate whether it may

be hot or cold, people who work in the fields have to always wear multiple layers of clothing to

protect themselves from the climate” (Jenny, personal communication, April 25, 2019). I can

only imagine the intense heat and climate that not only my cousin goes through, but also that

many agricultural workers go through. In truth, this photo shows the aspect of how many

agricultural workers have to endure in order to bring some income to their families. How they
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can have heat-related issues such as heat stroke, heat exhaustion, and be at risk of cancer.

According to Julie Mitchell, “Agricultural workers top the list of candidates for skin cancer

because they are outdoors and are exposed to the sun on a daily basis” (Mitchell). This is a prime

example of physical determinants because the agriculture worker community cannot change the

natural environment. They have to suffer through the ultraviolet rays that are dangerous and

harmful to the skin during their work time. That is why most people layer their clothing because

without the layer of clothing many agricultural workers are at risk of sun exposure, thus causing

many to have skin cancer.

The second photovoice photo that I was shown highlights how many workers in the

agricultural community do their physical labor. How they have to bend and crouch down in order

to pick up the harvest. In the far end, you can also see a couple of workers performing other
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physical labor such as carrying the boxes full of harvest. “This photo basically shows what many

of us have to endure whether it be physically and mentally because with this type of job you to

be tough to do it” (Jenny, personal communication, April 25, 2019). This photo highlights the

performance of physical labor that many workers have to do throughout the day. It was also

tough to hear that most agricultural workers they work with, especially themselves, suffer from

back pain and leg because they are constantly crouching. They also suffer through this because

they don’t use proper mechanics to prevent these types of injuries. As stated by Louise S. Ward,

“Women were almost 2.3 times more likely to report health problems than were men, possibly

because of the physically demanding work” (Ward p.562). “When you work in the fields you

have to be in a fast moving pace and even if your back starts to hurt you ignore it because people

need to provide income for their family and there are no benefits that you can get” (Jenny,

personal communication, April 25, 2019). It breaks my heart that not only my cousin has to go

through this, but many others have to as well. How they have to endure this type of low paying

job because they need to provide for their family. As stated by Raising Up Farm Workers,

“Back, leg and hand pain as well as falling were common injuries suffered by farmworkers in the

fields. 65% received no benefits or compensation. 63% continued working after their injury”

(Raising Up Farm Workers Ventura County, 2015, p.5). With this in mind, it is grueling to know

that people in the agriculture community have to experience. How they may not even receive any

benefits at all and continue to do their job with their injury because they don’t want to lose their

job. Many are basically expected to be on their feet working many hours and be hunch over no

matter their physical state.

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The last of the photovoice photo that my cousin showed me is a picture of just the fields

itself. “Just because you see the fields when you pass by it, some of us feel and smell the toxins

that they have” (Jenny, personal communication, April 25, 2019). Jenny took that photo to

explain to me that if they don’t wear a bandana or anything for that matter, that covers their

mouth and noise they are going to be inhaling all these hazardous chemicals. “There are times

where I can still smell the fertilizer and it gives me headaches and makes me want to vomit and

stop working, but I know I can’t do that” (Jenny, personal communication, April 25, 2019).

Many agricultural workers are exposed to toxins because of the pesticides that are constantly

sprayed on the harvest. If they inhale it throughout their work hours they have to endure it since

they can’t do anything about it. “5 out of 10 farm workers say they have had negative health

effects from pesticides” (Raising Up Farm Workers Ventura County, 2015, p. 7). Being exposed

to pesticides can have significant effects on many workers and because most agricultural workers

do not have many benefits they cannot seek any medical assistance if they need it. As stated by
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Raising Up Farm Workers, “39% don’t feel comfortable to ask for time off for illness or other

reasons” (Raising Up Farm Workers Ventura County, 2015 p.8). Jenny had mentioned that when

it comes to her and many people that she knows in her community of agriculture workers fear of

taking time off if they feel sick with any type of illness due to being exposed to pesticides. “We

fear that they will lay us off because we feel nauseous and sick” (Jenny, personal

communication, April 25, 2019). It is worrisome that most people cannot take care of their health

since they fear they will get fired from their job site. This can significantly affect agriculture

workers health services determinants. “Lack of access, or limited access, to health services

greatly impacts an individual’s health status.” (Determinants of Health). The lack of resources

will most likely make agriculture workers to seek any medical care later in life or receive any

preventative care.

Additionally, an organization that can help serve this community would be the

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This organization essentially works by setting up

federal regulations that protect agriculture workers from any hazardous and toxic pesticides.

According to Earthjustice, “In 2015, the agency started the process of banning chlorpyrifos one

of the most widely-used pesticides linked with lower birth weight, reduced IQ, and loss of

working memory” (Protecting People From Pesticides, 2018). However, a shortcoming that

affects this banned is the Trump administration. The Trump administration “refused to ban the

chlorpyrifos, a Pesticides that has already been banned from home use” (Protecting People From

Pesticides, 2018). Due to this barrier, it is clear that the protection of agriculture workers are

meaningless to them. How they do not care that the community of agricultural workers are
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exposed to these types of pesticides that does more harm than good, especially when it comes to

their health. Moreover, another organization that can assist with agriculture workers would be

the Association of Farmworkers Opportunity Program (AFOP). AFOP provides a great deal of

training that can aid workers in helpful tips to prevent heat-related illness and signs to know

when there is excessive exposure. “Prevention is very important to avoid this kind of health

disaster...It is extremely important to maintaining healthy wellbeing” (Heat Stress Prevention).

Taking caution when it comes to the hot environment is essential to know and be educated on. If

people are educated with ways of prevention it reduces the risk of sun exposure and other

heat-related illness that could be avoided. Furthermore, there many recommendations for

improvement in health services in the community. For instance, Jenny stated that she wants to

see better treatment with the agriculture community, such as taking breaks when they need it,

improvement to being less exposed to the pesticides, and have better benefits. By implementing

these recommendations not only will it reduce the health issues and other related illness caused

by pesticides, but it will also improve their physical and health services determinant. How they

wouldn’t be exposed to any harmful substances as much anymore and how they will have health

benefits in order to meet any medical assistance when they need it. I believe that by

implementing these changes there will a difference in the agricultural worker's lives in their work

environment.

In conclusion, many agricultural workers community of Oxnard, Ca. face many health

issues in their environment. Whether it may be physical strains, inhaling hazardous chemicals, or

risks of sun exposure. However, when researching further into this community there are some
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organizations that can essentially help aid workers with health issues. Even so, there are

recommendations from agricultural workers for improvement in health services in the

community.
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Reference

Determinants of Health. (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/about/foundation-health-measures/Determinants-of-Health

Heat Stress Prevention – Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs. (n.d.). Retrieved

from ​https://afop.org/health-safety/heat-stress-prevention/

Mitchell, J. (n.d.). The Dark Side of the Sun: Sun Exposure and Agriculture. Retrieved

from​ ​http://nasdonline.org/925/d000769/the-dark-side-of-the-sun-sun-exposure.html

Protecting People From Pesticides. (2018, November 14). Retrieved from

https://earthjustice.org/advocacy-campaigns/pesticides

Raising Up Farm Workers Ventura County. (2015, September). Retrieved May 5, 2019,

https://causenow.org/sites/default/files/files/CAUSE%20Raising%20Up%20Farm%20W

orkers%20Ventura%20County%20September%202015.pdf

Ward, L. S. (n.d.). Preliminary Tests of an Ecological Model of Hispanic Farmworker

Health. Retrieved from​ ​http://lib.ncfh.org/pdfs/7065.pdf