A migrant farmworker or a migratory agricultural worker is a person who moves from his or her permanent place of residence in pursuit of employment in agricultural work. There are also seasonal farmworkers, who are people who seek temporary farm work and unlike migrant farmworkers, they may have other sources of income and do not move from their permanent residence. According to Migrantclinician.org, the US has around 1 and 2.5 million farmworkers and about half million of them are under 18 years. About half of immigrants have the proper authorization to operate in the US. The males comprise of 78 percent and women 22 percent of the total number. Most of the farmworkers are young Latinos who have little primary education meaning they speak less or no English. Few Americans know about the plight and struggles of farmworkers and the significant role they play in their lives. These workers provide the hand labor that sees the production and harvest of vegetables and fruits that Americans consume and because of this, they affect the livelihood of Americans directly. Every watermelon, apple, a bunch of grapes, and all harvests pulled from the earth or plucked from the tree are available because of farm laborers, a group of the disadvantaged and the poorest class of American workers.
Annually, a big number of migrant farmworkers travel across the nation in old vans, cars, and some other forms of transport in a bid to find employment. On the course of their journey, they pass through many communities and search for temporary homes in labor camps, cheap motels, or trailers. Some of them sleep on roadsides and some right where they work. Farmworkers travel to the US due to several contributing factors, which involve their countries of origin facing economic instability, population growth, political unrest, and limited employment opportunities. The factors vary from country to country and from individual to individual. There are also factors that attract employers in the US seek services from migrant farmworkers such as cheap labor force to accommodate job positions, which US citizens shy away from due to their unsatisfying pay and lack of complete or substandard work conditions (González).
In this day and time, migrant farmworkers still face higher rates of mortality and morbidity than a big number of the American population (Rothenberg 6), since they experience poverty, dangerous working conditions, and limited access to health care services. The plight that farmworkers go through makes agriculture a risky occupation. According to Migrantclinician.org, the death count for forestry, hunting, fishing, and agriculture decreased to 23.2/100,000 in 2013; however, this figure does not show any significance difference since it is higher than the general industry fatality rate of 3.3/100,000. Studies show that farmworkers of Hispanic origin are more likely to be involved in fatal occupational injury than any other ethnic group. Some of the illnesses and occupational health injuries farmworkers experience include lacerations, musculoskeletal strains, temperature extremes, pesticide exposure, allergens, falls, and trauma. This is evident in the clarification made by Rothenberg by asserting that:
“Physicians treating farmworkers generally compare their health to that of residents of the developing world. Farm workers suffer from chronic infections, advanced untreated diseases, and numerous problems resulting from limited access to medical care” (7).
Many if not all migrant farmworkers in the US lack legal status thus face scenarios that detrimentally affect their livelihoods. Since they lack legal status, this group of individuals’ gets exposed to injustice and abuse from different walks of people. According to Foodispower.org, the injustice that surrounds farmworkers in the US does not always hit the news headlines and because of this, they continue facing substandard housing, lack of recognition from labor laws, chemical and substance violations, and their children get a low-quality education. Farmworkers find it hard or rather impossible to raise their voices unfavorable working environments or approach their employee or the authorities and openly say what they feel. This advantage leaves them as a marginalized population. This state of lack of legal status among these individuals sets them apart, and it makes them invisible lacking the voice and advocacy to raise their pleas.
Farmworkers usually live in substandard housing conditions and have to pay exorbitant rent fee for them. Seeing them, living in crowded houses with poor sanitation is a common scene. These individuals experience limited access to basic utilities, and their environs are usually far from health care services, public transportation, and grocery stores. Farmworkers who work in North Carolina in tobacco farms are greatly facing nicotine exposure, which is a significant health risk. The nicotine gets into their bodies while they work and causes a very serious poisoning. Researchers refer to this poisoning as green tobacco sickness (GTS). Studies show that one-quarter of farmworkers in these farms experiences GTS annually (Arcury and Quandt 466). Some of the symptoms of GTS include nausea, dizziness, vomiting, anorexia, and headache (Mirabelli et al. 468-471).
In the US, approximately 2.5 million farm workers are at a high risk of facing serious consequence of handling pesticides without proper protection compared to other American citizens. Pesticides pose a greater health risks that inevitably compromise the health of an individual causing rashes, vomiting, nausea, burns. The impact of the pesticides on a long-term basis includes birth defects, sterility, and cancer. According to the statistics released by the state of Washington in 2004, one in five worker who works in the department that makes him or her get into contact with pesticides faced significant negative impacts on their health (Arcury, Grzywacz, Talton, et al. 803). The federal laws that are in place to protect the worker who works on the farm and are in direct contact with pesticides offer little protection. According to Human Right Watch org, the research done by The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) shows that approximately 300,000 farmworkers experience acute injuries and illnesses just from pesticides. Farmworkers are the one involved in production and harvesting of a wide range agricultural foods, and it is an irony if they would be insecure about food. However, this is the case in the about half of farmworkers are food insecure, and it is far much worse among farmworkers with children. The food insecurity arises due to poor income and the restrictions hindering migrant farmworkers from getting food stamps on the net programs.
Farmworkers face a higher risk of being detached from their loved ones, following the recent policy on immigration in the US that makes the workers stay in the country year-round. The farmworkers find themselves living in rural areas, where getting transportation services is near to impossible and often experience discrimination and harassment. Farmworkers usually work for long hours in the hot sun or extreme condition with little pay and less or no entertainment in their lives. The conditions, in the end, cause significant levels of mental health complications associated with loneliness and anxiety (Grzywacz). Since they are separated from their family and their use of commercial sex workers, farmworkers are at a higher risk of getting HIV and other diseases like tuberculosis, hepatitis and waterborne diseases due to poor and crowded living conditions (Rhodes).
There is the need of adopting major immigration policy. Migrant farmworkers are crucial to the agricultural economic freedom of the nation; however, it is relatively hard for employees and their employees to embrace the present immigration regulations. There exists the H-2A visa program, which ensures safe and secure movement of agricultural workers. The living conditions and the occupational safety for those farmworkers who possess H-2A visas cannot be compared to those who lack the H-2A visas (Robinson). However, researchers have raised an alarm about the humane conditions that should govern H-2A visa holders in the existing program. Farmworkers should also be allowed to move freely to see their family, after all, they are a big pillar to the agricultural sector, and if they get comfortable, it only means the economy of the nation would grow even higher.
There is the need of instituting regulations that govern farmworkers and involves occupational safety training appropriate for them. The safety regulations should hint on heat stress, child labor, pesticide, and chemical exposure, payment regarding overtime, minimum wage, and housing. Farmworkers have the right to feel comfort and free report any violations against them and have the freedom protests when they feel infringed. There needs to be enough funding to support the regulations and support enough staff to overlook its implementation. For the sake of the growth of the nation, the employers, the citizens, and the government need to be realistic on the driving force behind agriculture. They must practice humanism and respect the ethnic groups who work in the agricultural production and harvesting sectors. There is need of establishing enough health and safety regulations to protect farmworkers.
Farmworkers need to have unlimited access to adequate health care services. Few employers offer health insurance to their employees, and the compensation farmworkers should receive, is only available to workers with H-2A visas. There should be a worldwide awareness that shows the importance of farmworkers and their contribution to the nation. There should be regulation set aside that use surveillance to monitor how employers treat their employees. Employees, on the other hand, should allow their employees to work in suitable conditions and better pay. The working hours should also be reduced so that farmworkers can enjoy themselves and engage in other activities to reduce stress so that it may reduce the suicide cases and mental disorders among them.
The United States continues to grow as a nation because of efforts from immigrants and different sectors in the country; thus, it is high time for the government and the nation as a whole recognize farmworkers and understand them thoroughly. The cultural and political divisions that exist in the US have clouded the true nature and information concerning the history, achievements, and contributions different groups have brought within the US. As a nation built because of hard work, selflessness, and commitment of various immigrant groups, it is high time for the US to reevaluate the face of farmworkers and immigrants in general. Like any other citizen, the farmworkers have the spirit and determination to see the nation grow and above all, they have the same vision and dreams to offer the best for their families and safeguard a bright future for their young boys and girls.
Works Cited
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Human Rights Watch.org. "Fingers to the Bone - Adolescent Farmworkers in the United States: Endangerment and Exploitation". Web. 7 May 2016. https://www.hrw.org/reports/2000/frmwrkr/frmwrk006-02.htm
Migrantclinician.org. "The Migrant/Seasonal Farmworker". 2016. Web. 7 May 2016. http://www.migrantclinician.org/issues/migrant-info/migrant.html
Mirabelli, Maria C. et al. "Symptoms Of Heat Illness Among Latino Farm Workers In North Carolina".American Journal of Preventive Medicine 39.5 (2010): 468-471. Web. 7 May 2016. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2963149/
Rhodes SD, et al. "HIV and Sexually Transmitted Disease Risk Among Male Hispanic/Latino Migrant Farmworkers In The Southeast: Findings From A Pilot CBPR Study. - Pubmed - NCBI".Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. N.p., 2016. Web. 7 May 2016. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3668338/
Robinson E, et al. "Wages, Wage Violations, and Pesticide Safety Experienced By Migrant Farmworkers In North Carolina. - Pubmed - NCBI". Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. N.p., 2016. Web. 7 May 2016. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21733804
Rothenberg, Daniel. With These Hands: The Hidden World of Migrant Farmworkers Today. New York: Pearson Publishers.
