If you have eaten a fruit or vegetable in the past week, it was most likely hand picked for you by an immigrant farmworker. The United States fruit and vegetable industry depends on the cheap, reliable labor of immigrants (mostly from Mexico) to stay afloat. Because of their relative lack of education, low wages, and often compromised immigration status, these migrant and seasonal farmworkers are extremely vulnerable to workplace abuse and fraud.
The human rights and future success of these farmworkers depend on comprehensive immigration reform. We’ve seen the benefits for a path to citizenship for farmworkers back in 1986. Half the workforce will be able to come out of the shadows and stop living as second class citizens. Migrant workers will have better opportunities to reunite with their families. It is the morally and economically correct thing to do.
Want to read more about the U.S. Agriculture Industry, U.S. Farmworkers, and migrant labor? Check out these resources:
