In Recognition of Latinx Heritage Month
Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month kicked off on September 15th, the Independence Day of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua, followed by Mexico’s Independence Day on the 16th, Chile’s on the 18th, and Belize’s on the 21st.
This month, our team at Point of Origin is highlighting the vital role the Latinx community plays in both the history and present-day facilitation of food systems in the United States.
It is estimated that there are anywhere from 2.4 million to over 3 million farmworkers operating in the U.S. 68% of U.S. farmworkers were born in Mexico and 3% hail from Central American countries. So when we talk about the farmworker population in the United States, we’re referring to a predominantly Latinx workforce.
Farmworkers play the most important role in keeping our food systems running and our grocery shelves stocked. Every time we go grocery shopping or restock our pantries, we’re indirectly engaging with the workers who helped bring that food to our hands. Yet our policies don’t work to respect or protect farmworkers and their livelihoods. In fact, when labor rights were expanded in the 1930s under FDR, farmworkers were specifically excluded from the right to create unions, and they have continued to lack the most basic of protections well into the 1970s and through today.
Much of the progress that has been made for farmworker rights in the U.S. has been thanks to the work of members of the Latinx community. The Oxnard Strike (1903), the El Monte Berry Strike (1933), the Pecan Shellers’ Strike (1938), Delano Grape Strike (1965) and the Immokalee Workers’ Hunger Strike (2003) were all organized by Latinx agricultural laborers (sometimes in collaboration with other ethnic communities) demanding basic rights like fair pay and safe working conditions. You can learn more about these Latinx-led movements here.
Despite the progress made from these efforts, we still have a long way to go. Farmworkers in the U.S. continue to be exploited, working demanding hours–with a quarter of farmworkers reporting they work 50 or more hours a week–for meager pay. At least a third of farmworker families live below the poverty line. Only 5-8% of farmworkers report being covered by employer-provided health insurance, and the majority don’t receive paid sick leave or vacation. And, for the half of farmworkers that are undocumented, they live with the looming fear of deportation.
“While Latinx people make up a vast majority of our agricultural workforce, systemic barriers make it difficult for these same individuals to transition to decision-making positions within our food systems.”
Our food systems simply would not function without the ~2,130,000 Latinx and ~1,000,000 undocumented farm laborers currently working in the U.S. Yet while Latinx people account for three-quarters of U.S. field laborers, they only own about 3% of farms, a statistic that has plateaued over the past few years. While Latinx people make up a vast majority of our agricultural workforce, systemic barriers make it difficult for these same individuals to transition to decision-making positions within our food systems.
The lack of support and protection for Latinx livelihoods within our food systems – from the exploitation of farmworkers to barriers to farm-ownership – highlights a need for us all to learn more about the history of Latinx communities in the U.S. and in our food systems, to hear their stories, and educate ourselves on how we can actively support them today. As a starting point, we’ve compiled a list below of articles for you to read.
Of course, Latinx communities and heritage in the US is not defined by or limited to contributions to the food and agriculture sector. However, given this community's representation within U.S. food systems, it would would be irresponsible not to recognize their central role and the justice yet to be seen.
Reading List:
Follow @TheFarmworkerProject on Instagram and visit their website:
https://thefarmworkerproject.org/our-vision
Learn about co-ops working to make farm-ownership more accessible to Latinx farmers:
https://civileats.com/2021/07/15/farmer-co-ops-are-giving-latinx-communities-room-to-grow/
Read about how an increase in Latinx-owned farms can make our food systems more sustainable:
Read about the paradox that many undocumented farmworkers experienced after being recognized as “essential workers” with the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic:
Learn about proposed legislation impacting farmworkers:
https://thecounter.org/farm-workforce-modernization-act-citizenship-labor-advocacy/
Learn about barriers and tactics that make it difficult for farmworkers to unionize and participate in unions in California:
https://calmatters.org/economy/2021/08/united-farm-workers-ab-616/
Read about increasing threats to farmworker health in a warming climate:
https://civileats.com/2021/09/24/fires-fuel-new-risks-to-california-farmworkers/