“Just because we love it doesn’t mean we should be taken advantage of.”
Jesús Linares, California
Jesus shares his testimony while lobbying for the Farm Workforce Modernization Act in Washington, DC. (December 2019)
People do not realize how difficult farm work labor is. Farm work is an experience that one will never truly understand unless they personally experience it. As farm workers, we are very proud of our work; it’s a very humble, dignified job. Just because we love it doesn’t mean we should be taken advantage of.
I wake up at 3 AM, make lunch, and I come home very late, your body feeling drained from a day full of work. I know I have to do it all over again in a couple of hours. That’s the life of a farm worker.
I have been doing field work for more than six years and it has helped me pay for school.
I’ve done table grape harvesting, oranges, tomatoes, almonds, and the list goes on and on.
I put my life on pause to advocate for undocumented farm workers because it’s not fair that although we are a crucial component to the American economy, we are still being abused and we live in the shadows.
The Farm Workforce Modernization Act of 2019 would give farm workers the right to stand up and speak out against abuses we endure. I cannot wait to continue organizing in my community and tell my undocumented friends that we actually have a chance at passing this bill.
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