Tag Archives: immigrant

Migrant Workers Have Always Been Essential, So We Should Be Treating Them Like It

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In response to “‘Essential Workers’: Heroes or a Sacrifice to Capitalism?” by Ashley (@ash_marie)

The U.S. has historically relied on the labor of minority groups to provide this labor since the conception of the nation even in times of normalcy. From the use of slave-labor on plantations to the current use of Latinx labor, minorities have driven commercial agriculture for centuries. Yet many Americans hold the notion that these migrant workers are not essential workers but are actually stealing the jobs of American citizens.

The view that these essential workers are “stealing jobs” has been strongly held, even in recent years. We must question this and ask why it is that minority groups have been the main supply of agricultural labor in the U.S.. This question appeals to the larger system of immigration and class structures, and it is deeply intertwined with the history and politics of the U.S. and the countries that the migrants had immigrated from. It all boils down to this: employers seek the cheapest labor, and the cheapest labor can be provided by the most vulnerable populations. The essential work that these workers provide is low paid and the conditions are often unsafe. Even when the United Farm Workers launched the “Take My Job” campaign, a counter discursive act against the “stealing our jobs” mentality, incredibly low numbers of American citizens moved to take on these jobs due to the labor conditions that they present.

As we begin to recognizing these workers as essential during this pandemic, their conditions stay the same. They continue to receive low wages and their working conditions do not comply with the basic precautions of social distancing that are so vital in this pandemic. Instead of calling these workers “heroes”, a term which normalizes their deaths as an inevitability, we must improve the conditions of this essential labor.

“Essential Workers”: Heroes or a Sacrifice to Capitalism ?

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In the face of major shifts and/or unrest both global and domestic, the US has historically relied on the most marginalized groups to uphold the status quo; an aspect of our history that is too often left out of, or skewed within, popular narratives. An example ringing with familiarity, was the onset of WWII (when swaths of the agricultural labor force migrated into war production factories) the 1942 Mexican Farm Labor Program Act systematically promoted the exploitation of immigrant labor as a means to keep meeting food demands on the backs of “cheap” labor. Our immigrant workers are a labor force that has been consistently condemned, ridiculed, and cast out. And again, today, in the face of a global pandemic, we are turning to the numerous undocumented immigrants that make up our 2.4 million farmworkers to continue to supply us with our demands (Honig, 2020). They are essential to keeping America fed.

Yet, as the choir of bells ring through our cities in gratitude to those who are on the front lines, these essential workers continue to work unprotected in close quarters, high risk conditions, and extremely limited access to testing or health care. And when calls are made to solve these issues, and to provide adequate provisioning, they are too often being met with no answer. Ultimately, they are being ignored. Still though, the faces of leadership turn to the media to give praise and show appreciation of our essential workers… our “heroes.”

Is this the way to treat our heroes? Do we truly believe that these people put themselves at risk everyday, in-spite of the love of their families and own lives, to be our “heroes?” Or have they been given no other choice, no other option to sustain themselves, or their families? And, in knowing this well, the faces of leadership can chose to tend to their need or not. The migrant workers, who have always been an essential labor force, are treated as if they are disposable. This pandemic is not an independent actor, it is constantly being fed by the conditions that were already established, long before it’s outbreak. Vulnerable living conditions, limited access to health care, muted voices, and insufficient ground to establish self-determination are the by-products of our capitalist structure that continues to sustain itself through the most marginalized people, who tend to fill our most essential positions.

 

This blog post was inspired by the FERN article: https://thefern.org/2020/04/as-pandemic-spreads-and-growing-season-ramps-up-farmworkers-deemed-essential-but-still-largely-unprotected/

Farmworkers are essential!

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Amidst this crisis, it is difficult to not feel useless at times, especially for someone who is used to being such a busy-body. Learning about and reflecting on the world food system sparks inspiration, yet makes me long for the days when I worked on the UW Farm. Like many, I am out of work due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and miss the long, yet rewarding days on the farm. Being so idle these days, I realize I sometimes took my wholesome farm life for granted, with access to local produce daily and constantly learning about the intricacies of organic food production. It seems that many people see being a farmer as a relatively easy job, in terms of the little education required. However, farming demands such fine attention to detail and an understanding of how farms operate cohesively as a system. 

Trying to feel connected to the outside world in some way, I came across an article on undocumented farmworkers while scrolling through news and politics. The article, by the New York Times, explained how immigrant farmworkers, most of which are undocumented, have been prescribed ‘essential work’ letters that prevent punishment for working during stay at home orders. While these letters don’t protect from deportation, measures have been shifted from ordinary undocumented workers to those who pose a threat to public safety.’ This allows these essential workers to feel more at ease, despite the high risk they are to contracting coronavirus. It is ironic to me that it took a public health crisis for the government to realize that immigrants are beneficial to our country, especially farmworkers. How can we continue to have the stigma of immigrants being ‘criminals’ and detrimental to the US, when in fact they are ensuring food safety for so many Americans? I resonate with these farmers, as I understand how crucial the agricultural sector is to the sustaining the well-being of a country. 

During this crisis, it is important to analyze systemic inequalities that are becoming more apparent, like the many hardships imposed on immigrant workers. It is these under-paid ‘essential workers’ that are holding up the upper class in America, and it is only now that society realizes how reliant the wealthy are to the poor. Deploying systems thinking and viewing the food system through a broader lens can help to reveal these inequities and understand how to restructure such weak points. Next time you take the convenience and selections at grocery stores for granted, reflect on the many hard workers that ensure food security across the country. 

 

-Reily Savenetti

Sources:

Jordan, Miriam. “Farmworkers, Mostly Undocumented, Become ‘Essential’ During Pandemic.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 2 Apr. 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/04/02/us/coronavirus-undocumented-immigrant-farmworkers-agriculture.html.