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Intro
Farm workers in California speak twenty-three languages and have rich cultures of music, dance, and food that bind their communities together. Migrant indigenous farm workers participate in immigrant rights marches, and organize unions. Migration creates communities, which today pose challenging questions about the nature of citizenship in a globalized world.
In Washington DC, discussions of immigration are filled with wrong assumptions. US policy treats migrants as individuals, ignoring the social pressures forcing whole communities to move, and the networks of families and hometowns that sustain them on their journeys.
Today I see workers waiting in long lines to cross the border in Mexicali, trying to get to their jobs cutting lettuce in the Imperial Valley. It’s not hard to go down those lines, talking and taking photographs. This documentation continues on the other side of the border by going out to the fields, taking images that show the work in a way that asks the viewer to think about what it’s like to labor bent over all day.
As a union organizer, I helped people fight for their rights as immigrants and workers. I’m still doing that as a journalist and photographer. Like many others in this movement, I use the combination of photographs and oral histories to connect words and voices to images. Together, they help capture a complex social reality as well as people’s ideas for changing it.
I’m on the side of immigrant workers and unions and share their struggle for rights and a decent life. If the work I do helps to strengthen these movements, it will have served a good purpose.
-David Bacon
What item would you include in your portrait, and why?
Work
At the end of the 1970s, California farm workers were the highest-paid in the U.S., with the possible exception of Hawaii’s long-unionized sugar and pineapple workers. Today they are trapped in jobs that pay the minimum wage and often less, and mostly unable to find permanent year-round work.
In 1979, the United Farm Workers negotiated a contract with Sun World, a large citrus and grape grower. The contract’s bottom wage rate was $5.25 per hour. At the time, the minimum wage was $2.90. If the same ratio existed today, with a state minimum of $10.00, farm workers would be earning the equivalent of $19 per hour. Today farm workers don’t make anywhere near $19 an hour, though farm labor is very dangerous. At least 16 farmworkers have died of heat exposure in California fields since 2005.
In 2008 demographer Rick Mines conducted a study of 120,000 migrant farm workers in California from indigenous communities in Mexico. “One third of the workers earned above the minimum wage, one third reported earning exactly the minimum and one third reported earning below the minimum,” he found. In other words, growers were paying an illegal wage to tens of thousands of farm workers.
Family and Home
Traditions
Success at Sakuma Farms
After four years of strikes and boycotts, Sakuma Farms workers successfully organized the first new farm worker union in the U.S. in 25 years – Familias Unidas por la Justicia (FUJ) – and signed a contract with the grower.
A highlight of the agreement is the establishment of a piece-rate system designed by Ramon Torres, head of the strike committee and president of FUJ. Before work starts, three workers make a “test pick.” Depending on the amount of fruit and field conditions, prices are then set so the average worker can make $15 per hour. All workers are guaranteed at least $12 per hour.
“The most important thing for us was the wages,” says Torres. “That’s the priority – to raise our living standards. We know the contract will change our lives. Now, if we make a little more, our children will have other possibilities. It’s not that we want to take them out of the fields, but we want them to have opportunities other children have.”
Thank you
Thank you to Sutter County Museum for hosting this exhibit.
The Sutter County Museum shares local stories to strengthen community bonds, to inspire celebration of our diverse cultural heritage, and to demonstrate how understanding the past prepares us for the future.
To find out more about the Sutter County Museum visit suttercountymuseum.org today.
What others are saying:
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Although they are shorthaired, Russian Blues have a very dense double-layered coat. Their undercoat is soft and downy, while the outer layer is even-colored with silver tips. This accounts for the breed’s alluring shimmer.
A short comment.
A long Comment (Cat Ipsum)…..
Open the door, let me out, let me out, let me-out, let me-aow, let meaow, meaow! chase the pig around the house. Poop in the plant pot flop over climb into cupboard and lick the salt off rice cakes. Ears back wide eyed i hate cucumber pls dont throw it at me hell is other people present belly, scratch hand when stroked this human feeds me, i should be a god. Chew the plant sweet beast human is washing you why halp oh the horror flee scratch hiss bite. Hide at bottom of staircase to trip human make meme, make cute face have secret plans scratch the postman wake up lick paw wake up owner meow meow. Bury the poop bury it deep. Is good you understand your place in my world stare at ceiling. Have secret plans when owners are asleep, cry for no apparent reason pooping rainbow while flying in a toasted bread costume in space ooooh feather moving feather!. Be a nyan cat, feel great about it, be annoying 24/7 poop rainbows in litter box all day eat owner’s food cats making all the muffins cuddle no cuddle cuddle love scratch scratch. I like big cats and i can not lie. Spend six hours per day washing, but still have a crusty butthole chase imaginary bugs, munch on tasty moths.
I cry and cry and cry unless you pet me, and then maybe i cry just for fun drink water out of the faucet, for groom forever, stretch tongue and leave it slightly out, blep. Meow for food, then when human fills food dish, take a few bites of food and continue meowing hide when guests come over fall asleep upside-down. Murf pratt ungow ungow intrigued by the shower. Sleep in the bathroom sink chew on cable i bet my nine lives on you-oooo-ooo-hooo cough what a cat-ass-trophy!. Howl uncontrollably for no reason need to check on human, have not seen in an hour might be dead oh look, human is alive, hiss at human, feed me i’m going to lap some water out of my master’s cup meow, for poop on floor and watch human clean up hide when guests come over. Meow for food, then when human fills food dish, take a few bites of food and continue meowing i hate cucumber pls dont throw it at me so run off table persian cat jump eat fish. Steal the warm chair right after you get up pushed the mug off the table. Ooh, are those your $250 dollar sandals? lemme use that as my litter box hopped up on catnip claw at curtains stretch and yawn nibble on tuna ignore human bite human hand. My left donut is missing, as is my right touch my tail, i shred your hand purrrr, yet push your water glass on the floor and cat snacks, yet paw at your fat belly but run as fast as i can into another room for no reason. Try to jump onto window and fall while scratching at wall making bread on the bathrobe for whatever poop in the plant pot. Drink water out of the faucet purr when give birth or has closed eyes but still sees you and throwup on your pillow.
When in doubt, wash instead of drinking water from the cat bowl, make sure to steal water from the toilet, i like fish. Spend all night ensuring people don’t sleep sleep all day swat turds around the house. Side-eyes your “jerk” other hand while being petted chase dog then run away for wack the mini furry mouse and i love cats i am one wake up scratch humans leg for food then purr then i have a and relax. Purr while eating check cat door for ambush 10 times before coming in. Curl up and sleep on the freshly laundered towels play with twist ties for lick plastic bags ooh, are those your $250 dollar sandals? lemme use that as my litter box stare out cat door then go back inside but kitty loves pigs. Sniff all the things. Don’t nosh on the birds litter box is life, and annoy the old grumpy cat, start a fight and then retreat to wash when i lose and stand in doorway, unwilling to chose whether to stay in or go out, climb a tree, wait for a fireman jump to fireman then scratch his face for purr while eating. Leave fur on owners clothes hunt by meowing loudly at 5am next to human slave food dispenser but purrrrrr and jump off balcony, onto stranger’s head. Under the bed. Get scared by sudden appearance of cucumber throw down all the stuff in the kitchen. Jump up to edge of bath, fall in then scramble in a mad panic to get out proudly present butt to human or purr when being pet hit you unexpectedly claws in the eye of the beholder. Bury the poop bury it deep attack dog, run away and pretend to be victim. Always ensure to lay down in such a manner that tail can lightly brush human’s nose lick the other cats for purr when give birth. Step on your keyboard while you’re gaming and then turn in a circle purr like an angel, stretch out on bed. Gimme attention gimme attention gimme attention gimme attention gimme attention gimme attention just kidding i don’t want it anymore meow bye scratch the postman wake up lick paw wake up owner meow meow. I will be pet i will be pet and then i will hiss kitty scratches couch bad kitty but skid on floor, crash into wall so dont wait for the storm to pass, dance in the rain. Eat and than sleep on your face scratch the postman wake up lick paw wake up owner meow meow miaow then turn around and show you my bum scratch the box. You call this cat food give me some of your food give me some of your food give me some of your food meh, i don’t want it yet adventure always. Nap all day vommit food and eat it again give me attention or face the wrath of my claws toilet paper attack claws fluff everywhere meow miao french ciao litterbox, white cat sleeps on a black shirt walk on car leaving trail of paw prints on hood and windshield. I want to go outside let me go outside nevermind inside is better taco cat backwards spells taco cat, nya nya nyan toilet paper attack claws fluff everywhere meow miao french ciao litterbox pretend you want to go out but then don’t kitten is playing with dead mouse so cat mojo . This cat happen now, it was too purr-fect!!!. Licks paws demand to be let outside at once, and expect owner to wait for me as i think about it or jump around on couch, meow constantly until given food, or cat playing a fiddle in hey diddle diddle? spot something, big eyes, big eyes, crouch, shake butt, prepare to pounce for i bet my nine lives on you-oooo-ooo-hooo but i like to spend my days sleeping and eating fishes that my human fished for me we live on a luxurious yacht, sailing proudly under the sun, i like to walk on the deck, watching the horizon, dreaming of a good bowl of milk. Stand in doorway, unwilling to chose whether to stay in or go out my water bowl is clean and freshly replenished, so i’ll drink from the toilet yet kitty poochy for demand to be let outside at once, and expect owner to wait for me as i think about it or stare at owner accusingly then wink yet pet right here, no not there, here, no fool, right here that other cat smells funny you should really give me all the treats because i smell the best and omg you finally got the right spot and i love you right now pushes butt to face. Scream at teh bath scream at teh bath but kitty scratches couch bad kitty.
Plays league of legends hide at bottom of staircase to trip human cat dog hate mouse eat string barf pillow no baths hate everything. I cry and cry and cry unless you pet me, and then maybe i cry just for fun tweeting a baseball hack, and prance along on top of the garden fence, annoy the neighbor’s dog and make it bark but disappear for four days and return home with an expensive injury; bite the vet. Go into a room to decide you didn’t want to be in there anyway shed everywhere shed everywhere stretching attack your ankles chase the red dot, hairball run catnip eat the grass sniff plan your travel disappear for four days and return home with an expensive injury; bite the vet. Roll over and sun my belly. ???? love you, then bite you so pet right here, no not there, here, no fool, right here that other cat smells funny you should really give me all the treats because i smell the best and omg you finally got the right spot and i love you right now for bury the poop bury it deep but cats are fats i like to pets them they like to meow back yet mark territory play time. Destroy the blinds hide from vacuum cleaner why use post when this sofa is here chase imaginary bugs run off table persian cat jump eat fish so steal mom’s crouton while she is in the bathroom or meow. Scratch at door to be let outside, get let out then scratch at door immmediately after to be let back in. Gimme attention gimme attention gimme attention gimme attention gimme attention gimme attention just kidding i don’t want it anymore meow bye.