{"id":31385,"date":"2021-02-04T12:36:27","date_gmt":"2021-02-04T20:36:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/?p=31385"},"modified":"2021-02-04T12:36:27","modified_gmt":"2021-02-04T20:36:27","slug":"essential-but-disposable-how-california-farmworkers-battle-covid-19","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/?p=31385","title":{"rendered":"ESSENTIAL BUT DISPOSABLE: HOW CALIFORNIA FARMWORKERS BATTLE COVID-19"},"content":{"rendered":"
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by\u00a0Jenny Manrique<\/a><\/span>\u00a0|\u00a0Feb 4, 2021<\/span>\u00a0|\u00a0COVID-19<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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POPLAR, CA \u2013 13JULY20 \u2013 Erika picks pluots in a field near Poplar, in the San Joaquin Valley, in a crew of Mexican immigrants. Most workers wear facemasks or bandannas as a protection against spreading the coronavirus. Photo \u00a92021 by David Bacon<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Also available in\u00a0Spanish<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Study reveals the high degree of exposure to the coronavirus in the fields and the profound impact on the economy and mental health of these families.<\/p>\n

By: Jenny Manrique, Ethnic Media Services<\/strong><\/p>\n

In addition to high risk exposure to COVID-19, farmworkers in California have borne the brunt of setbacks caused by the pandemic: loss of income and employment, sudden childcare costs due to school closings, problems with distance learning due to poor or zero Internet access, food shortages, housing insecurity and even mental health problems.<\/p>\n

The dire diagnosis was compiled in the\u00a0report\u00a0<\/a>\u201cAlways Essential, Perpetually Disposable: California Farm Workers and the COVID-19 Pandemic,\u201d a research conducted by the California Institute for Rural Studies and several grassroots organizations.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe study findings show that farmworkers and their families experience a lot of reality and a lot of fear,\u201d said co-author Bonnie Bade, professor of anthropology at California State University in San Marcos, who spoke at a Feb. 3 video press conference.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe reality is the job loss and loss of income, unsafe and high risk working conditions,, lack of health insurance and sick leave, housing insecurity, deportation and death,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe fear is of being exposed at work and infecting their children, of not being able to put food on the table, of not having the technological resources to support distance learning \u2026 fear of eviction, fear of testing positive and being intubated in a hospital and dying alone.\u201d<\/p>\n

The report includes stories collected through 63 in-depth interviews as a follow-up to the statewide COVID-19 Farmworkers Survey (COFS) of 915 people last year, in response to the overwhelming number of indigenous and Latino people in the fields falling sick from COVID. Although the data shared is from California, the complete study tracks workers in the fields of Oregon and Washington.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe mental health of farmworkers\u2019 families emerges as a primary concern voiced by participants,\u201d Bade said. \u201cWorking women sacrifice wages to stay home and navigate an unfamiliar world of computers to keep kids online, while isolated teens contemplate and commit suicide.\u201d<\/p>\n

Prevention practices against the coronavirus in the fields are almost nil and some bosses even refuse to give the workers basic resources such as masks, alcohol and soap. Although farmers try to keep physical distance, many should carpool with colleagues or live in shared houses with other families, increasing the risk of infection.<\/p>\n

Federal or state aid provided during the pandemic is delayed or directly denied to this population, according to those interviewed.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe asked them for masks and they (bosses) just laughed. And we asked for soap to wash our hands, and they (bosses) just laughed. Several of my coworkers and I called Cal OSHA (California Division of Occupational Safety and Health Administration), to ask for help before we could get infected. They told us that they were going to send letters and that they were going to talk to our boss but they never did anything.\u201d<\/p>\n

Eliseo\u2019s testimony was shared by Erica Fernandez Zamora, a community organizer for the California Central Valley Environmental Justice Network, who interviewed residents in the San Joaquin Valley.<\/p>\n

\u201cBarriers for farmworkers to report COVID-19-related complaints should be eased, and they must be protected from retaliation,\u201d Fernandez Zamora said. \u201cAgencies like Cal OSHA should bolster health and safety enforcement for these workers.\u201d<\/p>\n

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POPLAR, CA \u2013 11AUGUST20 \u2013 Filipino farmworkers pick table grapes in a field near Poplar, in the San Joaquin Valley. Most workers wear facemasks or bandannas as a protection against spreading the coronavirus. Teresita Mateo came from Laoag, in Ilocos Norte province of the Philippines. Copyright David Bacon<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Another concern for the campesinos is that many belong to mixed-status families who were excluded from receiving financial relief in the first round of stimulus checks.. The incoming Biden administration has said that a social security number is not needed to access such relief going forward.<\/p>\n

Community based organizations (CBOs) and migrant clinics have taken the state\u2019s place in providing food and rent relief through the few donations they receive. They also distribute sombreros, working gloves and personal protective equipment (PPE), and ensure that information about COVID-19 is available not only in Spanish, but in indigenous and Asian languages.<\/p>\n

\u201cMany times public information is shared in academic Spanish format and even that can be inaccessible to Spanish-speaking communities,\u201d said Paola Araceli Illescas, another researcher who works at the Vista community clinic that serves north county in San Diego. For this study, a total of 15 interviews were conducted in other languages than Spanish and English.<\/p>\n

\u201cCBOs are often trusted messengers for the community and can be key to dispelling any fears of misunderstandings caused by threats of public charge,\u201d added Araceli, referring to the test to determine whether someone who is applying for permanent residency or some other immigration relief, may become dependent on federal public benefits in the future. This public charge, which Biden has vowed to eliminate, has resulted in farmers\u2019 reluctance to even get tested for COVID-19 and increased vaccine hesitancy.<\/p>\n

\u201cI watched on the news that the hospitals are at full capacity and I am very scared because I don\u2019t have health insurance and I feel that my life as an undocumented person is not as valuable as saving the life of a US citizen,\u201d said Rodolfo, 46, one of those interviewed for the report.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re exposing ourselves every day to this virus and we don\u2019t have the good fortune to be able to work from home,\u201d said Martin, concerned about the reduction in his salary. \u201cYou can\u2019t harvest from a computer.\u201d<\/p>\n

The researchers emphasized the need for the California legislature to pass SB 562, the Healthy California Act, which guarantees access to health for all Californians regardless of their immigration status.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s time to prioritize free access to COVID testing and vaccination for farmworkers and other essential undocumented workers,\u201d said Deysi Merino-Gonz\u00e1lez of the Farmworker CARE coalition in San Diego.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hope that the next relief package will prioritize their legalization \u2026 Farmworkers are the backbone of the nation\u2019s food system, the food they give us supports the immune system attacked by this pandemic,\u201d added Merino Gonz\u00e1lez.<\/p>\n

The report also includes other recommendations such as investing in broadband internet infrastructure in rural California and including farmworkers in developing response plans for future emergencies.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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