In hopes of sparking conversations and action surrounding the treatment and conditions of farmworkers, the San José State Campus Community Garden hosted a group discussion to talk about the importance of United Farm Workers on Tuesday afternoon.
United Farm Workers (UFW) was founded in 1962 by César Chávez, Dolores Huerta, Gilbert Padilla and other early organizers, and is the nation’s first enduring and largest farmworkers union, according to its website. The UFW continues organizing in major agricultural sectors, mainly in California, according to the same site.
During the discussion, students sat at benches, ate slices of vegan pizza from Sammy G’s Pizzeria and shared personal stories and opinions about farmworkers being taken advantage of, despite their tedious efforts.
Matthew Mangoni, Associated Students Community Garden coordinator, started the conversation by asking the group to consider where the food on their plates came from, leading to conversations about how to take action.
He said there are already great organizations that exist supporting farmworkers, but there is still very little public support or awareness for the workers that feed us all.
“The biggest thing I think that we can do is have more conversations and raise public awareness of the struggles farmworkers face, and make farmwork more front of mind, instead of completely forgetting about,” he said. “Additionally, we can support the organizations that already have close connections with farmworker communities.”
Mangoni said farmworkers endure various obstacles while working including unstable citizenship status, language barriers, educational attainment and more.
“It is important specifically for us as college students to have these discussions, because we will all soon have influence in our circles as we start our careers, and we have a responsibility to change the current system for the better,” he said.
Farmworkers are paid less than even some of the lowest-paid workers in the U.S. labor force, according to the Economic Policy Institute. The majority of farm laborers in the United States are Latiné, while more than 40% are undocumented, according to the same site.
In 36 of the 50 states in this country, farmworkers are either excluded entirely or partially from workers’ compensation coverage for occupational injuries, illnesses and deaths, according to Farmworker Justice.
Environmental studies junior Jillian Clavette sat at a bench with multiple students in the corner of the garden, with a wooden fence and a collection of plants and vegetables growing behind her.
Clavette said it is important to start discussions about farmworker conditions with a simple question, to get individuals to start considering how they feel.
“I might just start with, ‘Have you ever thought about where your food comes from?’ ” Clavette said. “The Bay Area was the Valley of Heart’s Delight, and was huge for agricultural practices because of the soil.”
The southern region of the San Francisco Bay, now commonly known as Silicon Valley, was known as the Valley of Heart's Delight, a name inspired by the region's orchards and acres filled with ripening fruit, according to Business Insider.
Clavette also said a lot of people think about farmworkers and the way they are being treated.
“If I start off a conversation with a simple fun fact, I can then get the discussion moving and then eventually ask the person what they think,” she said. “It is important to talk about farmworker conditions not only here at San José State, but universally as well.”
Liberal studies alumna Megan Yee said farmworkers are the reason we are able to eat, and they are unseen in our day-to-day lives.
Yee said the garden has done a great job providing a space for discussion.
The Campus Community Garden, created in 2014, provides the SJSU students, staff, faculty and the community with an opportunity to participate in food justice, gain accessibility to fresh and healthy food and engage in cultural exchange and cooperation, according to the SJSU website.
“Having these workshops and holding conversations with peers and family members is really helpful in spreading awareness and starting programs to help with workers’ healthcare and heat protection,” Yee said. “It is something that we as a society need to work on.”
She said finding common ground and sharing a similarity with someone can make it easier to discuss such a topic.
“If you and a friend are both eating, you could say, ‘where do these tomatoes come from?’ ” she said. “You could also ask the person if they know anything about the conditions of farmworkers, and if they have any personal relatives who work in farms.”
The UFW has created dozens of contracts to protect thousands of farmworkers, including agreements with California based tomato, dairy, mushroom and winery companies, according to its website.
Many recent UFW-sponsored laws and regulations protect all farm workers in California, including protection from death and fatigue from intense heat, according to the same site.
Nutritional science freshman Esha Dhillon said from the discussion in the garden, she was able to learn more about ways in which farmworkers are taken advantage of.
“It is so important to speak with others in open spaces like these, so we can not only understand one another but also raise awareness about something that is not really highlighted,” Dhillon said. “These people are how we get our food, which is why they need to be recognized.”
Mangoni said farmworker struggles are a large issue, which will not easily be disrupted or altered.
“However, there are a lot of people that want to make a change,” he said. “You can be part of that.”
