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Running head: MARGINALIZATION

The Marginalization of Agricultural Workers in Mexico

Janelle Barton
Western Washington University

Mexico is a country that has experienced colonialism, violence, the acquisition of its
resources and its continued exploitation by wealthier, more powerful nations (Nieto, 2014).

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While a democracy was established, a constitution was written and the government continues to
make promises for a better quality of life, the citizens of Mexico continue to struggle in many
ways (Nieto, 2014). One such population of citizens is Mexican agricultural workers. In both the
United States and within Mexico, agricultural workers face various challenges including
physical, social and economic injustices (Segura, Sager & Sager, 2009). Today, the United
States continues to rely heavily on Mexico for agricultural workers (Segura, Sager & Sager,
2009). Currently, 36% percent of all agricultural workers in the United States are Mexican
(Segura, Sager & Sager, 2009). Mexican agricultural workers in California, who make up over
95% of the total agricultural workforce, have some of the lowest paid households in the United
States (Segura, Sager & Sager, 2009). The experiences of agricultural workers in Mexico are
even grimmer. Due to various factors, including the exploitative practices of large national and
international corporations, the steady drop in crop prices due to the globalization of the free
market with free trade agreements like NAFTA, the corruption and structural weakness within
the Mexican government, the continued reliance on the United states and the many residual
effects of a long history of colonialism, agricultural workers continue to have their rights
disregarded and experience many forms of systemic oppression (Segura, Sager & Sager,
2009).
One form of systemic oppression Mexican Agricultural workers face is their
marginalization in society. With the globalization of the countrys economy and the pull of
demand for a migrant agricultural workforce in the United States, Mexicos agricultural workers
are often an overlooked population, suffering from poverty, disease and a lack of social services
(Vogel, 2007). When Agricultural workers comprise 80% of the workforce in the countryside,
issues that affect this population impact the entire rural community (Segura, Sager & Sager,
2009). Government corruption has created a system of extreme benefit for the elite and wealthy
and severe neglect of the poor (Nieto, 2014). For instance, in 2000 the wealthiest 10 percent of
the population earned 40 percent of Mexicos income (ONeil, Fields, & Share, 2010). There is

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also an astoundingly large income gap between northern Mexico and southern Mexico (O Neil,
Fields, & Share, 2010). Because the factories and agricultural establishments that are owned or
invested in by wealthy nations are predominantly located in the north, the populations in the
southern part of the country are made to rely solely on the limited resources they can obtain
through their efforts (Segura, Sager & Sager, 2009). In this way, the marginalization of
agricultural workers is partly a product of globalization of the free market and the residual impact
of a corrupt government. Both are recent developments that have dramatically impacted the
experiences of agricultural workers in Mexico.
The nature of agricultural work in Mexico has changed within the last four decades as
the economy was transformed to alleviate the massive amounts of debt the government
incurred in the 1970s and foreign investments poured into the industrial and agricultural sectors
with the globalization of the free market in the 1980s and 1990s (Vogel, 2007). With foreign
(primarily American) investments in factories in the Northern part of Mexico came an influx of
industrial jobs which attracted multitudes of people from poorer rural parts of the country (Nieto,
2014). At the same time, foreign investments into cash crops like cotton, coffee and seasonal
fruits created a new demand for labor (Segura, Sager & Sager, 2009). However, these crops are
seasonal in nature, creating mostly temporary work similar to the agricultural jobs open to
migrant workers in southern California (Vogel, 2007). Ultimately, By... opening Mexico up to a
flood of cheap agricultural imports, the government in effect devastated many of Mexicos
poorest peasants (ONeil, Fields, & Share, 2010, p. 438). Additionally, when land is owned by
foreign corporations rather than by the local people, agricultural workers are forced to accept
whatever terms their employers dictate even if the working conditions are unsafe. One example
of the treacherous work conditions agricultural workers experience is exposure to pesticides.
Due to lax safety regulations, the restrictions on unionization and poor equipment, many
agricultural workers are exposed to dangerous chemicals found in the pesticides they use on
crops (Payn-Rentera, Garibay-Chvez, Rangel-Ascencio, Preciado-Martnez, Muoz-Islas,

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Beltrn-Miranda, & De Celis, 2012). While short-term exposure can lead to temporary sickness,
chronic exposure can cause damage to the nervous system, skin, lungs, eyes, and immune
system,as well as infertility, mutations and in numerous cases, cancer, among other serious
diseases ((Payn-Rentera et al., 2012, p. 23). Due to the seasonal nature of many agricultural
workers jobs, the land-holders and companies responsible for these poor labor conditions are
rarely held accountable (Payn-Rentera et al., 2012). Additionally, many of the laborers
working on these agricultural compounds have migrated from the poorest regions of Mexico
where their access to education, healthcare and other social services are very limited (O'Neil,
Fields, & Share, 2010). The disregard for the rights of Mexican agricultural workers as made
evident by these dangerous working conditions illustrates the level of marginalization these
individuals continue to experience.
The sources used in this paper are all of scholarly credibility, however some may be less
relevant than others in the information they provide. For instance, the source by ONeil, Fields
and Share (2010) contains information from 5 years ago, which means some of the facts and
figures presented may not be accurate anymore. Additionally, the source by Nieto (2014) has
the disadvantage of only having one author. While this doesnt necessarily discount the
credibility of the source, it might not hold the same quality of information or accountability an
article written by more than one author might have. Finally, the source from Vogel (2007) not
only includes both of these previously mentioned disadvantages, but also contained the least
amount of relevant information for this paper as it primarily focused on the experiences of
Mexican agricultural workers in the United States. Overall, it was the intention of this paper to
look at the marginalization of Mexican Agricultural workers from a variety of angles in order to
provide a clearer picture of what this population experienced and is experiencing.

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References
Nieto, N. (2014). Corruption in Mexico: A historical legacy. Social Science Diliman, 10(1),
101-116.
ONeil, P., Fields, K., & Share, D. (2010).Cases in comparative politics: Third edition. New York:
W.W Norton & Company, Inc.
Payn-Rentera, R., Garibay-Chvez, G., Rangel-Ascencio, R., Preciado-Martnez, V., MuozIslas, L., Beltrn-Miranda, C., & De Celis, R. (2012). Effect of chronic pesticide exposure
in farm workers of a mexico community. Archives Of Environmental & Occupational
Health, 67(1), 22-30. doi:10.1080/19338244.2011.564230

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Segura, F. P., Sager, A., & Sager, M. (2009). Agricultural Workers in Mexico and the
United States. Journal Of Workplace Rights, 14(4), 419-440.
Vogel, R. D. (2007). Transient servitude: The U.S. guest worker program for exploiting Mexican
and Central American workers. Monthly Review: An Independent Socialist Magazine,
58(8), 1.