Migrant Farmers
Only about two percent of people in the United States work as farmers. There is not a large need for farmers because of the quality machines that they have which can allow them to save a lot of time on their work. Also, many farmers have been farming for a long time so they know how to make sure that they are not wasting their time and money when they work. Most people in the United States do not know a lot about what it takes to be a farmer. What is important to the average American is that they have food on the table when they want to eat. They do not care how this food gets on their table, however. For this reason, most Americans do not really care about the people who work on the land, people who are often called migrant famers. These migrant farmers come from places around the world, but most of them are from Mexico, Guatemala, or El Salvador, poor countries in Latin America. Since they come from these places, migrant workers do not speak English very well or at all. Also, they might even be illegal immigrants, which is hard because they can’t speak for themselves if they are being taken advantage of, or abused, by the owners of the farms. It is important to educate people who do not know anything about the terrible situations that migrant workers face so that these situations will begin to solve.
Many migrant farmers who come to the United States come because they cannot find work in their home countries. The economies in their home countries like Mexico, Guatemala, or El Salvador are weak. Since these workers can’t find work, they have to make long and difficult ways to the United States, crossing deserts and going through rivers. Once they make it to the United States and find work, these workers can easily be abused, do not have any rights, and do not know where to go to get help. For example, A” Report on the Conditions of Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers in Michigan by the Michigan Civil Rights Commission in 2010” says how migrant farmers often report problems related to the “lack of drinking water, portable toilets and hand-washing facilities…some workers said they did not have access to water in the fields at all…some stated that there were no bathrooms or breaks offered” (3). This means that migrant farmers have to face many abuses when they are working in the farms. The fact that they are not even given water to drink or do not have bathrooms available is a huge crime that should not be ignored. All people must be treated fairly and the problems of migrant workers should not be ignored. Happily, the Michigan Civil Rights Commission is not ignoring them. Since they published this report, they already care about the situation that migrant workers face. If they did not care, then they would not have took their time and energy to make sure that these problems were show to the public. Moreover, this report gives the migrant farmers a voice which is important because often times these farmers can’t say anything about their situation without getting in trouble. However, this report gives an idea about the true conditions migrant farmers facing on a daily basis. Maybe with this information available to the people, something might change so that these workers will be treated more fairly and humanely. Toward the end of the report, the Michigan Civil Rights Commissions writes that the presentation of this report is “not the end of a process, it is the beginning. It is not intended as an indictment, but an assessment of need. Most importantly, we hope that it will serve as a call to action” (98). This “call to action” can only happen if people know what is happening in the farms.
Many migrant farmers who come to the United States come because they cannot find work in their home countries. The economies in their home countries like Mexico, Guatemala, or El Salvador are weak. Since these workers can’t find work, they have to make long and difficult ways to the United States, crossing deserts and going through rivers. Once they make it to the United States and find work, these workers can easily be abused, do not have any rights, and do not know where to go to get help. For example, A” Report on the Conditions of Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers in Michigan by the Michigan Civil Rights Commission in 2010” says how migrant farmers often report problems related to the “lack of drinking water, portable toilets and hand-washing facilities…some workers said they did not have access to water in the fields at all…some stated that there were no bathrooms or breaks offered” (3). This means that migrant farmers have to face many abuses when they are working in the farms. The fact that they are not even given water to drink or do not have bathrooms available is a huge crime that should not be ignored. All people must be treated fairly and the problems of migrant workers should not be ignored. Happily, the Michigan Civil Rights Commission is not ignoring them. Since they published this report, they already care about the situation that migrant workers face. If they did not care, then they would not have took their time and energy to make sure that these problems were show to the public. Moreover, this report gives the migrant farmers a voice which is important because often times these farmers can’t say anything about their situation without getting in trouble. However, this report gives an idea about the true conditions migrant farmers facing on a daily basis. Maybe with this information available to the people, something might change so that these workers will be treated more fairly and humanely. Toward the end of the report, the Michigan Civil Rights Commissions writes that the presentation of this report is “not the end of a process, it is the beginning. It is not intended as an indictment, but an assessment of need. Most importantly, we hope that it will serve as a call to action” (98). This “call to action” can only happen if people know what is happening in the farms.
If the public is educated about the conditions of migrant workers, then change can happen for these workers. In their report, Ten Ways to Protect Undocumented Migrant Workers, authors Michele LeVoy and Nele Verbruggen shows that there are many ways to make sure that migrant workers are not take advantage of them. One of the best ways to make sure this does not happen is by educating the people. “Without public support,” the authors write, “undocumented workers stand little chance of fighting exploitation and abuse, a reality that many endure on a daily basis” (11). One of the biggest reasons why migrant workers and migrant farmers are exploited is simply because many people do not really understand the difficulties that these people have to face in their jobs. The organization that LeVoy and Verbruggen are writing for is called the Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants (PICUM).
This organization’s goal is to make sure that the public is aware of the abuse migrant workers face, and they do this by putting the eyes on the workers so that they can have a sound in the society. Through their stories, LeVoy and Verbruggen make the readers of the report understand who these migrant workers are. Once the people understand who they are, they will feel bad about the situation and try to change it. “Numerous organizations engage in awareness-raising initiatives to dispel the negative images of undocumented workers by highlighting that these workers are human beings and that they contribute considerably to our economies,” (11). This quote is important because it shows what is needed to make sure that migrant workers have people who will fight for them. Before anything happens, the public must see these migrant workers and migrant farmers as people since the public will not do anything for these workers if they do not think of them as human beings first. Organizations such as PICUM and the Michigan Civil Rights Commission help stop the exploitation of migrant workers and migrant farmers by showing that these workers should be treated like everyone else is. However , the problem is still alive and need to be changed.
This organization’s goal is to make sure that the public is aware of the abuse migrant workers face, and they do this by putting the eyes on the workers so that they can have a sound in the society. Through their stories, LeVoy and Verbruggen make the readers of the report understand who these migrant workers are. Once the people understand who they are, they will feel bad about the situation and try to change it. “Numerous organizations engage in awareness-raising initiatives to dispel the negative images of undocumented workers by highlighting that these workers are human beings and that they contribute considerably to our economies,” (11). This quote is important because it shows what is needed to make sure that migrant workers have people who will fight for them. Before anything happens, the public must see these migrant workers and migrant farmers as people since the public will not do anything for these workers if they do not think of them as human beings first. Organizations such as PICUM and the Michigan Civil Rights Commission help stop the exploitation of migrant workers and migrant farmers by showing that these workers should be treated like everyone else is. However , the problem is still alive and need to be changed.
Finally, it is important to show that the changes that are made are good, but there is still a lot of work that needs to be done to help migrant farm workers. Ellen Ernst Kossek shows that there is a lot of works to be still do by writing about the low salaries migrant farmers receive, the poor education their children receive, and the conditions that have changed in some places but are too common in other locations. Migrant farmers and their families also deal with a lot of health issues, including high levels of stress. “Migrant farm working families have to cope with many daily life hassles that posed serious structural constraints to cultural assimilation and the family’s ability to manage stress and improve long term overall social and economic well-being,” (15). This quote shows just how big the challenges migrant farm families face because of their jobs. A lot of the public also does not know about these health issues or the other problems that migrant farmers face which means that these problems will continue to hurt these families and nothing will be done about it. There is a need for more education. Different individuals and organizations which have helped these migrant farmers need to continue helping them and not forget about them.We can’t forget about these migrant farmers, if we forget, then everything that has been done for them already will go away.
Many people think that migrant worker should is treated fair because this is a job that does not take a lot of work or skill. People should get pay for the how hard the work is and not any more than what they are worth. Also, any person can be farmer since a person does not need education to pick fruits and vegetables. However, this counterargument is not strong because migrant farmers are people and need to be treated fairly with respect. This means that migrant farmers need to be treated properly with water to drink and bathrooms to use. Animals should not be treated this way and it is not fair to treat people like this either. In addition, this means that migrant farmers should be paid a fair wage since people can’t live off low wages that they are making now. When people can’t live off money that they make for monthly salary, then they will not have enough food to eat or can’t help their children make more progress in life. Migrant farmers should be treated better than this because they are giving the food that is on our tables so that we can eat and do not have to go without food. If we are lucky enough to buy the food, then migrant farmers should make more money.
Many people think that migrant worker should is treated fair because this is a job that does not take a lot of work or skill. People should get pay for the how hard the work is and not any more than what they are worth. Also, any person can be farmer since a person does not need education to pick fruits and vegetables. However, this counterargument is not strong because migrant farmers are people and need to be treated fairly with respect. This means that migrant farmers need to be treated properly with water to drink and bathrooms to use. Animals should not be treated this way and it is not fair to treat people like this either. In addition, this means that migrant farmers should be paid a fair wage since people can’t live off low wages that they are making now. When people can’t live off money that they make for monthly salary, then they will not have enough food to eat or can’t help their children make more progress in life. Migrant farmers should be treated better than this because they are giving the food that is on our tables so that we can eat and do not have to go without food. If we are lucky enough to buy the food, then migrant farmers should make more money.
In conclusion, many Americans are not educating about farming in the United States. People forget that the food is just not in the grocery store to buy. There are migrant farm workers on farms across the United States who are being taken advantage of and abused so that this food can get on the dinner table on time. It is not fair that the owners of these farmers are becoming rich from the work that these migrant farmers are doing on everyday basis. These owners must treat their workers better and they should pay them fair salary, give them better working conditions, and make sure that they are not taken advantage of. The way that these owners treat their workers is not right, and it is illegal also. Many times, these workers are treated worse than animals. For these reasons, people and organizations have to continue fighting for these migrant workers and their rights. Things much change, but it needs to change more .
work cited
A Report on the Conditions of Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers in Michigan. Lansing, MI:
Michigan Dept. of Civil Rights, 2010. Mar. 2010. Web. 20 Mar. 2015.
Escobar, Allyson. "Executive Actions on Immigration Could Affect Agriculture Industry"
News. Asian Journal, 2 Jan. 2015. Web. 20 Mar. 2015.
Fast Facts about Agriculture. American Farm Bureau Federation, 2015. Web. 24 Feb.
2015.
Kossek, Ellen Ernst, et al. "US Latino Migrant Farm Workers: Managing Acculturative Stress
and Conserving work-family resources." Work and Family: An International Research
Perspective (2005): 47-70.
LeVoy, Michele and Nele Verbruggen. Ten Ways to Protect Undocumented Migrant
Workers. Indiana Journal of Global Legal Studies 14.2 (2007): 509-25. Platform for
International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants, 2005. Web. 20 Mar. 2015.
Michigan Dept. of Civil Rights, 2010. Mar. 2010. Web. 20 Mar. 2015.
Escobar, Allyson. "Executive Actions on Immigration Could Affect Agriculture Industry"
News. Asian Journal, 2 Jan. 2015. Web. 20 Mar. 2015.
Fast Facts about Agriculture. American Farm Bureau Federation, 2015. Web. 24 Feb.
2015.
Kossek, Ellen Ernst, et al. "US Latino Migrant Farm Workers: Managing Acculturative Stress
and Conserving work-family resources." Work and Family: An International Research
Perspective (2005): 47-70.
LeVoy, Michele and Nele Verbruggen. Ten Ways to Protect Undocumented Migrant
Workers. Indiana Journal of Global Legal Studies 14.2 (2007): 509-25. Platform for
International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants, 2005. Web. 20 Mar. 2015.