Cultivating Fear

As our last blog entry I want to share one of the most interesting reports I have read all year. It comes from the organization I work for and it really resinated in me. Every day, farmworkers awake at the crack of dawn and head out to the fields to harvest the fruits and vegetables that feed our nation. It is a grueling, backbreaking, seasonal job, one of the most dangerous occupations in the country. The vast majority of farmworkers in the United States are foreign born, looking for opportunities that are not available in their countries. Because so many of them are undocumented they are particularly vulnerable to abuse from people that have power over them in the work place. Through the lens of structural violence, specifically the axes of gender and race, it is clearly evident that these agricultural employees are being exploited and are suffering from serious abuses such as sexual violence. It is a true horror, female farmworkers are experiencing various forms of sexual violence, this includes rape, assault, and harassment and cannot go to the police due to fear of being deported.

With no one speaking out for the rights of these farmworkers, the abuse continues. I actually had the honor of meeting an amazing woman named Alina Diaz. Alina Diaz created Alianza Nacianal de Campesinas. Alianza Nacional de Campesinas, is a national network founded to advocate for the rights of farmworkers, especially women. They have various campaigns and programs that help farmworkers in a plethora of ways, from reporting abuse to teaching them their basic rights. With the aid of organizations such as Alianza Nacional de Campesinas, this silent disaster is being exposed in hope that they will serve as a voice for those that are unheard.

I encourage you all to check out the amazing report by HRW by clicking here.