The Plight of the Farm Worker

In the midst of a national housing crisis, what largely goes unnoticed is the deplorable, inhumane living conditions of the farm worker.  Our national focus remains the recent subprime mortgage snafu, while hundreds of agricultural laborers are denied the dignity of basic shelter for themselves and their families.  Many of these laborers who work tirelessly in grueling conditions are sleeping underneath trucks, in parking-lots or camping in the orchards.

Aside from the living conditions, these workers labor in triple-digit temperatures 10-12 hours a day so we can enjoy produce on our dinner tables.  In fact, a 63 year old mother of nine recently died from dehydration and heat stroke having endured back breaking labor in 111 degree heat. Her death marked the 6th heat related death in the fields in a 3 month period.

We cannot ignore these violations of basic human rights nor should we allow people to be flippant about a person's citizenship in the face of these conditions.  The right to safe drinking water, food and basic shelter should be afforded to EVERYONE regardless of age, gender, race or creed.  

During Hispanic Heritage month, take the time to research Cesar Chavez and his lasting legacy to improve the lives of the poorest and most powerless members of our workforce.  Visit the United Farm Workers website to see how you can make a difference to improve the plight of agricultural workers.  But most importantly, when eating your fruits and vegetables at the dinner table, be mindful that there is exploitation and injustice happening in the fields--and we can do something about it.