Field Notes

What does it mean to you to be an essential worker?

During the pandemic, we’ve worked and contributed with our labor in farm work. As essential workers, we’ve also been worried since we’re also vulnerable because of the pandemic… we keep working, trusting God and helping with our labor in this country. Many of the people in this country know how important our efforts are in the agricultural fields since our work can be seen in the homes of families in the US… in the food and in the Christmas trees decorating each home during Christmastime.

¿Qué significa para usted ser un trabajador esencial?

Durante la temporada de pandemia hemos trabajado y contribuido con nuestra mano de obra en el trabajo agrícola. Como trabajadores esenciales también nos hemos preocupado pues también somos vulnerables ante esta pandemia… seguimos trabajando, confiando en Dios y ayudando con nuestra mano de obra en este país. Muchas de las personas de este país saben de lo importante que es nuestro esfuerzo en los campos agrícolas ya que nuestro trabajo se mira reflejado en los hogares de las familias de USA… en la comida y en los pinos de Navidad adornando cada hogar en época de Navidad.

What do you need to feel safe and be safe? 

Being in this country that is very different than mine… it’s like a strange country since there’s a different language, a different culture… there are organizations that help me feel safer—such as Vecinos. Vecinos has been here to help with medicine, doctors’ appointments, translations, and even more so during this global pandemic. Vecinos has been very attentive to us farmworkers.

Regardless of religion, when I read the Bible, I realize that many people look to God to feel safe and sound from many threats… today it’s the same since the Bible contains a lot of knowledge for our own good. I’m sure it’s a book that’s completely different than others because it provides certainty and confidence from a God who does not exclude anyone, and we can turn to him.

¿Qué necesita para sentirse seguro y mantenerse a salvo?

Al estar en este país donde es muy diferente al mío, como un país extraño pues hay otro idioma, otra cultura, hay organizaciones que me ayudan a sentirme más seguro como vecinos. Vecinos ha estado al pendiente para ayudar con medicinas, citas al médico, traducciones y más durante esta pandemia mundial. Vecinos ha estado muy atento a nosotros como trabajadores agrícolas.

Que necesito para sentirme seguro? Independientemente de las religiones al leer la Biblia me doy cuenta que muchos buscaron a Dios para mantenerse seguros y salvos de muchas amenazas, hoy en día es lo mismo ya que la Biblia contiene mucha sabiduría para el bien de nosotros, yo puedo asegurar que es un libro totalmente diferente a otros pues ofrece seguridad y confianza de parte de un Dios que no hace excepción de persona y podemos recurrir a el.

What do you think about when you’re at work?

I mainly think of God each day, for many reasons… I’ll mention a few: Thanks to Him I have food on my table; work hasn’t let me down, despite the current situation; my family is safe and I’m in touch with them; and I’m healthy to keep working in this country… these are some of the reasons why I think of God.

¿En qué piensa cuando está trabajando?

Dios es en lo que pienso cada día principalmente, pues por muchas razones… mencionaré algunas cuantas: Gracias a él tengo alimento en mi mesa; el trabajo no me ha fallado, a pesar de la situación que vivimos actualmente; mi familia está a salvo y estoy en comunicación con ella; y yo estoy con salud para seguir trabajando en este país… estas son algunas razones por las cuales pienso en Dios.

Hey, my name is Rafael Vasquez and I am from North Carolina. My mom is from Mexico and came here before I was born. My mom has been working in the fields for a long time and I want to change that.

A big reason I joined SAF was to learn how to help other people no matter their background. I like SAF because it teaches me about different types of things.

Hello! My name is Emily Velazquez-Alvarado, I am 16 years old and I attend early college high school. My family is originally from Michoacán and they migrated from Mexico more than 20 years ago. I live with my younger brother and mom. Growing up, I had an amazing childhood because I was always surrounded with people I love. All my hard work I do is to one day pay my mom for always being there for me.

School is my priority, I work very hard on all my assignments to get good grades. I love helping people – two years ago I went to Mexico to help children and visited orphanages.

I am doing the Levante program because I hope to give back to people who, thanks to them, we have food on our table. I want to make a small change to help people because they sacrifice many things. I also want to be involved in my community. I know a small change can make a huge difference.

I am Jesús Cabrera and this is my fifth year at SAF. Unfortunately, this is my last-first blog for SAF. As much as I did not like writing blogs, I will sure miss it.

I am from a family of four, and I am the youngest sibling out of two. I have been part of SAF to gain knowledge about farmworker rights and social justice. I am excited about doing more activities with other people and as of right now I am worried about the pandemic affecting the SAF program.

(The photo represents an "L" gesture on my hand and represents how 2020 is going for me).

My name is Angel Araiza. I am from Guadalajara, Jalisco. I moved from Mexico when I was 3. I am excited to work with SAF to spread more awareness of farmworker rights and how they are treated unfairly at times. I am most afraid of farmworkers not getting the rights they deserve.

My name is Johan Amezquita. I am a sophomore in high school. Where I come from is from a hard working family. My mom is from Guatemala and my dad is from Mexico.

Why am I doing Levante? I’m doing this because I wanna learn something new and get to know others. What I am most excited about doing this work is I get to do something I’m good at and get to work with others.

Well, I’m not afraid of nothing because it’s easy and if I’m stuck on something I can ask someone for help.

The more time passes, the more I learn about myself. My name is America Juarez-Maldonado, I am a Mexican-American, first-generation college student. I attend the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, double majoring in Environmental Studies and Public Policy. I am a brown girl that represents the mix of what future America will look like in the next years to come. I learned that I am the mix of many– my history, my culture, and my name.

This past summer I did the SAF Into the Fields internship and learned more about the farmworker movement which inspired me to continue. My experience this summer taught me that there is inequity in education in the rural areas where farmworkers are most present. I witnessed kids’ lack of confidence in school because they did not have enough resources or because they were told they were not capable.

I am in a different role as a Solidaridad intern this year, as a Youth Mentor. My past internship and skills with my siblings certainly prepared me for this position. I am excited to help students build leadership skills and help them through their high school and college goals. I am afraid of the connection between the students since it will be remote, but I am hoping next year I get to meet them in person. I am ready to continue in this work – SI SE PUEDE!

My name is Tyme Nunn and I am a junior at Meredith College in Raleigh, North Carolina. When I chose to attend a college in Raleigh, it was a drastic change from the environment I grew up in. I was born and raised in Hamlet, North Carolina. Being in that type of environment allowed me to be immersed in a rural community which has encouraged me to never take for granted the small-town feel and all of the people within it.

When I first came across this opportunity with SAF, I was thrilled to find an organization in the area which connects me to a community that reminds me of home, while giving me professional opportunities in the field of social work. Right now, I am most excited about working on the Conéctate Carolina app that connects farmworkers to resources in their area. I am really interested to see how we can advance the program and make sure that all the resources are up-to-date for its users. I wouldn’t say I am afraid, but I am definitely anxious about being able to adapt and learn as I advance as an intern. With any new experience, you have to overcome obstacles so I am taking this opportunity one day at a time. I am absolutely stoked to be able to work with SAF.

My name is Evelyn Archer, and I am so excited to be joining SAF as a Solidaridad Program Management intern. Here is a little piece of my story, my passions, my faith, my fears, and my dreams!

I was born in Virginia and grew up in the tidewater area of Yorktown. My family home stands no more than a ten minute drive from the site where Cornwallis surrendered to Washington: a historic event marking the end of the American Revolution. Growing up in an area deeply rooted in such historic events spurred a hunger in me for storytelling and cultural education.

From a young age I felt a calling toward Christian ministry. At 12 years old, I gave my first sermon and fell in love with the church’s mission of love and service in the world. After graduating high school, I attended Randolph-Macon College and earned a BA in Religious Studies and Communication with the hope of one day becoming an Ordained Elder in the United Methodist Church. I began my time at Duke Divinity School in 2018 and am now in my final year! I am a certified candidate in the Virginia conference of the UMC, and I am now pursuing Commissioning in Provisional Ministry; one more step toward becoming a full-time pastor.

The church is called to embody the ministry of Christ in love and humility to the world, which is why I am so beyond excited to be working with SAF this year. Not only is SAF doing crucial work for the sake of human rights, just work practices, large scale policy improvement and fair wages, but it is doing all this through the immeasurable importance of empowering farmworker voices. I’m entering into this internship with absolute awe at the wonderful work that has been (and is being) done, and I am enthused at the thought of even having a tiny part in it.

There are so many things I am excited to learn while working at SAF, especially as a leader of faith communities. Drawing a link between religious belief and modern activism is a subject I am passionately exploring, and SAF is an incredible organization in which to grow and learn with others. As I humbly begin my work, I look forward to the successes and the challenges these next months will bring. Ultimately, while my role will be somewhat brief, it is woven together with the efforts of so many others fighting for a more just world.

My name is Tyshenna Phillips and I was born in Greenville, North Carolina. I spent a good portion of my childhood in this area surrounded by many farm animals such as cows, pigs, horses, and chickens. I remember as a little girl being able to go outside with my mom and collect pecans, pears, and plums from the trees in my grandmother’s front yard.

As I got older, our access to food swiftly changed. I moved to Greensboro, North Carolina in the midst of my fifth grade year. At the time it was just my mom, my younger brother and I. We endured many tough times and to this day I admire my mother’s resilience to raise and feed a handful of children without much help. Initially when we arrived in Greensboro, we were able to obtain food stamps which gave us access to fresh fruits and vegetables. However, as my mother’s wage slightly increased, our food stamps were taken away. We struggled quite a lot with food; our diets became pretty homogeneous and often consisted of white rice, Ramen noodles, and frozen dinners. As time progressed, I discovered that many of my peers were experiencing the same hardship. When I graduated high school in 2016, Greensboro was listed as the most food insecure city in the United States. Now I am a senior at UNC-Chapel Hill studying Sociology, which involves the study of social groups, behaviors, and problems. Within this major I am specifically interested in studying and advocating for food justice and sovereignty. Food justice acknowledges that there are communities, specifically communities of color, that have been systematically disadvantaged in the production, distribution, and consumption processes of our food system. In other words, communities and individuals of color experience difficulties in their access to food, representation in decision-making processes regarding food, and obtaining living wages in the food industry.

My passion for this topic stems from my life experiences and the experiences of others I’ve witnessed. I have also spent a good portion of my academic career learning about food insecurity and volunteering at food distribution centers. I’ve realized that food insecurity is just one small issue in our food system. Many people are not aware of how their food gets to them or the type of labor required to create the product we purchase from the shelves at our local grocery store (if we have one). It is very important that we forge connections between individuals experiencing food insecurity and individuals that are being exploited at the production and distribution level of our food system such as the immigrant farmworkers that we are advocating alongside. The inequalities experienced by both of these groups are often the result of inequalities deeply embedded into the fabric of our society such as racism, sexism, and classism. To simply tackle one and ignore the other would be setting ourselves up for failure because they are all interrelated. I am grateful to be interning with SAF this year as it gives me an opportunity to learn more about the lives of immigrant farmworkers and to expand on the knowledge I’ve gained through my personal life experiences and academic career at UNC-Chapel Hill. I am most excited about meeting like-minded people in this organization, the projects I will be working on with the Communication Arts Director, and reconnecting with a vital part of my own childhood. I am a bit concerned about what the rest of this year will be like especially for those from disadvantaged communities as they have been disproportionately impacted by the effects of this pandemic. However, I am still grateful that there are organizations such as SAF that exist to minimize the effects of these issues for communities of color such as the farmworkers we’ll be meeting soon!

My name is Omar Alejandro Ibarra and I am a proud Chicano. I am a first-generation student and son of Mexican immigrants. I was born in Kansas, but I come from the small town of Guymon located in the panhandle of Oklahoma.

I come from a town that is mostly Latinx in a very conservative state. A town of immigrants. Just this year the BBC published an article on Guymon called “How Mexicans saved a dying US town.” At first, I was only proud of my town and my people getting the recognition they deserved. It wasn’t until later that I realized this headline was also deceiving. Mexicans and immigrants did save this town, but they didn’t do it for headlines or glory. They came to this town and worked in the Seaboard meat processing plant because they had to. They had to make a living for their families and loved ones. This same need, however, left them exposed to unsafe and unsanitary working conditions.

My family is made up farmworkers. Most of them on this side of the border work in meat processing plants in Oklahoma, Kansas, and North Carolina. My mom has been working in a meat processing plant for almost 25 years, and my stepdad recently retired after over 20 years there. I can tell the plant has left a strain on their bodies that will never leave.

My parents and other immigrant parents are the hardest working people I have ever known, yet they are often treated like they don’t exist. Immigrant farmworkers are the backbone of the food supply chain for the U.S., but only receive vilification as a reward. Sure, there is a paycheck, but it is often too little for the immense work they put into their jobs. COVID-19 has further exacerbated and exposed disparities that have long existed among immigrant farmworkers, especially those who are undocumented.

I am excited to work with SAF and the leaders who have done the hands-on work with farmworking families to learn how to fight back for our people. I am ready to learn more about the real-life policy affecting this population and how to advocate for long-lasting change.

Hand Map Identity Project | Five things to describe me:

I’m a brother/ nervous/ smart/ nice/ student I want to hold my dream I hope to have a successful career I lived with my aunts

Proyecto del mapa de identidad de mano | Cinco cosas que me describen: Soy un hermano/ nervioso/ inteligente/ amable/ estudiante Quiero alcanzar mi sueño Quiero tener una carrera exitosa Viví con mis tías

Hand Map Identity Project:

Patient / Nice/ Fun/ Focus/ Caring My family are supporting me and keeping me in line. “I would want respect.” Past: shy and insecure Present: cheerful Future: Army + Nurse

Proyecto del mapa de identidad de mano:

Paciente / Amable/ Divertida/ Enfocada/ Bondadosa Mi familia me está apoyando y me mantiene a raya “Yo quisiera respeto”. Pasado: tímida e insegura Presente: alegre Futuro: Ejercito + Enfermera

I just like to color what is on my mind. I really like to do art. I made one of the apples look like a heart. I used red and yellow and pink to color the sun. I made smaller background bushes and put birds in there.

I get bored. During the day I watch my little brother, Isidro, and my neighbor, Wendy. We play in the yard and with the dogs. We have walked all around the property.

A mí me gusta colorear lo que tengo en la mente. Me gusta mucho hacer arte. Hice una de las manzanas en forma de corazón. Usé rojo y amarillo y rosa para colorear el sol. Hice arbustos pequeños en el fondo y puse pájaros sobre ellos.  

Me aburro. Durante el día yo cuido a mi hermanito, Isidro, y a mi vecina, Wendy. Jugamos en el jardín y con los perros. Hemos caminado por la propiedad.

Hand Map Identity Project: 

Brother/ Soccer/ Games/ Books/ Medicine / Good Memory Psychology career Peers / Rivals Pride / Spite Work: almost always work, have to do math Talking/ playing with friends online—only way to connect

Proyecto del mapa de identidad de mano: Hermano/ Fútbol/ Juegos/ Libros/ Medicina / Buena memoria Carrera en psicología Compañer@s / Rivales Orgullo / Rencor Trabajo: casi siempre trabajar, tener que hacer las matemáticas Hablar/jugar con amig@os en línea—la única manera de conectar