Leticia Zavala, Co-Coordinator, El Futuro Es Nuestro
On July 7th, I got a call from a worker saying, “Lety another worker passed away from heat, I don’t know who or where but the grower just informed us that there was another death yesterday.” It is so hard to hear about yet another farmworker death due to heat. Year after year we have been dealing with death. It seems like since the pandemic it is becoming normal for bodies of hard working fathers, husbands and sons to be sent back to Mexico.
It is nothing normal to me, it is not getting easier to talk to the family, it is not getting easier to help the co-worker understand their rights and how that relates to comrades losing their lives.It gets harder and harder every time!
How can things be so bad? How can it be so under the radar? How can someone be worked to death harvesting sweet potatoes that symbolize gratitude.The GoFund me page reads as follows:
“On July 6, 2024,Juan tragically succumbed to a heat stroke brought on by the severe weather conditions in North Carolina.
Juan was born and raised in Alfajayucan, Hidalgo, Mexico, and at 32 years old, he was known for his strong work ethic. In Mexico, he worked as a truck driver, dedicated to providing for his wife and their two children: an 11-year-old boy and a 6-year-old girl.Earlier this year, Juan Jose seized an opportunity to work in the United States under a work visa, employed by a company in North Carolina. Tragically, he suffered a fatal heat stroke while at work.
The company initially assured Juan’s family that they would cover medical and funeral expenses and facilitate his return to Mexico, where he wished to be laid to rest. However, attempts to contact the company have been unsuccessful, leaving the family in a distressing situation.”
What can we do? Climate change is almost irreversible? The growers have lots of political power, and there is too much fear in the fields and too much conformity amongst consumers.
Should we pray? Pray for the family to accept the death as a tragedy? Or should we pray for them to fight? Should we pray for the souls of those scrupulous growers and farm labor contractors to treat their workers better? Or should we pray for those who are fighting to keep their strength? I say we pray for ourselves. Let’s pray that when we eat we seriously think about that other world where our food comes from. That world where people work without breaks, no guaranteed rest time, no guarantee that if you pass out from the fields the medical attention will be called, where you may or may not have time or water to drink while you work. That world where when you finish your work day under horrendous working conditions you come home to no kitchen access, no air conditioning and over crowded housing. That world where you fear speaking up because despite it being so bad it is the best opportunity you have to feed your family.Lets pray for ourselves and that God forgive us for not doing enough!
OR LET’S JOIN THE FIGHT FOR FARMWORKER JUSTICE AND CHANGE THE WORLD!
