After a long day, most people don’t think twice about where their dinner comes from, but behind every fresh fruit and vegetable is a farmworker whose labor makes that meal possible. Farmworker Awareness Week shines a spotlight on the essential workers who keep the nation fed while highlighting the harsh conditions and challenges they often face out of public view.
MEChA, a student club promoting higher education, culture and history, organized several events to honor farmworkers. To start the week, the club hosted the Bandana Project with Latinas in Action, followed by screening the documentary “La Cosecha” (The Harvest, 2010). The week wrapped up Thursday, with a presentation in partnership with the Asian Pacific Islander and Desi American Resource Center that highlighted the contributions of APIDA communities in agriculture.
“Organizations like MEChA help raise awareness for underrepresented groups like Filipino and Hispanic farmers. We educate people about overlooked histories and emphasize cross-cultural unity, which helped make movements like the Delano Grape Strike successful,” said MECha president Miriam Jimenez Cuevas.
The week’s events also came with recent allegations about César Chávez, once celebrated as a leader and role model to many, including Gerardo Mireles, a Spanish professor and MEChA advisor at Chico State, who shared that he grew up in a farmworker family and worked in the fields for a year before learning he could pursue an education.
“To me, it was one of the greatest shocks I have gotten in the last few years. César Chávez, for those of us who are Hispanic, has been the only one who has been recognized not just by the Hispanic community but by the community in general, including the government,” Mirleses said. “Something that no other Hispanic has been able to achieve. This news comes, and they destroy that. Not just taking down the name of César Chávez, but also leaving us with no role model to follow.”
Mireles also emphasized the importance of recognizing Filipino farmers, noting that their contributions came first and are often overlooked. He also expressed support for the women brave enough to speak up. “If he committed those crimes, he does not deserve to be called a hero,” Mireles said.
MEChA highlighted the historical impact of Filipino farmworkers, noting their role in initiating the 1965 Delano Grape Strike, a pivotal moment in the fight for farmworker rights. “Giving recognition to these communities helps correct the historical record and ensures that their efforts and sacrifices are properly acknowledged,” Cuevas said.
While the week touched on difficult and ongoing conversations, its main purpose stayed simple to recognize and celebrate farmworkers. The week aims to raise awareness for all farmers and their families, highlighting the challenges they face and the sacrifices they make to put food on our tables.
Roberto Partida, a third-year student, shared how his parents and siblings all worked in the fields while he was growing up. Though he never worked in the fields himself, he recalled that at 11 years old, he would attend summer school while his sister went to work. “A lot of people would tell my parents that I could work in the fields, but my mom wanted me to go to school since she knew that in the long run, that would help me more,” he said.
Farmworker Awareness Week ultimately highlights the dedication, sacrifice and family behind every meal, while giving overdue recognition to communities such as Filipino and Hispanic farmworkers.
Arlette Valdivia can be reached at [email protected]
