AllmenarecreatedequalisaphrasethatwasfirstusedbyThomasJeffersonintheU.

S
DeclarationofIndependence.ButfromthetimeoftheAmericanRevolutionuptothepresent,
AmericansocietyhasstruggledwithapplyingthattoholditastruthinAmerica.Ifallmenare
createdequal,thenshouldntallmenbetreatedequalandgiventhebestchanceatlife,too?
MigrantworkersfelltotheshortendofthescaleduringtheDustBowlerawherethelargest
migrationexodusinhistorytookplace.TheylefttheirhomelandsandheadedtoCaliforniafora
betterlifeaftermanybeingforcedofftheirlands.ThenewlivesthatwereformedinCalifornia
werenotmuchbetter,ifnotworsethantheiroldlives.

TheGrapesOfWrathbyJohnSteinbeckshowstheharshrealitythatmigrantworkersmen,
women,andchildrenhadtoface.Thehatetheyexperiencedfromtheowners,industries,and
citizensalongwiththeirmistreatmentashumanbeingsmayseemofsomethingofthepast,but
todaytheimprovementshavebeenquiteminimalfromthetimeoftheGreatDepression.
Migrantworkershaveterribleworkingconditionsandtheproblemcontinuestorepeatitself
generationsaftergeneration,andthegovernmentshouldtakeimmediateactiontoraise
awarenessinhelpofthisstrugglinggroup.Stilltodaythemigrantworkersareunderpaid,
workingconditionsareterribleforhealthandmoredangerousthaneverbefore,andtheir
lifestyleandlivingconditionsareverypoor.

Migrantworkersshouldbepaidmoretoworkbecauseitsnotnearlyenoughtoliveadecentlife
andtosupportafamily.InTheGrapesofWrath,ittalksabouthowthelandownerstook
advantageoftheoverflowofstarvingmigrantworkers.Maybeheneedstwohundredmen,so
hetalkstofivehunderd,antheytellotherfolks,anwhenyougettotheplace,theysathousan
men.Theownerwouldsayhespaying20centsanhour,andahandfulwouldleave.Butthe
remainderofthebunchwouldbesohungrytheywouldworkfornothingbutbiscuits.Themore
fellashecanget,lesshesgonnapay.Anhellgetafellawithkidsifhecan.Thathasnot
nearlychangedbecauseownerstodaystilltakeadvantageofthesehungrymigrantworkers.
Manymigrantfarmersearnanannualmedianincomeoflessthan$7,500,leaving61%of
workersbelowthepovertylevel.The$7.25federalminimumwagedoesnotapplyto
farmworkers,andsincemanyhaveanundocumentedstatus,theytendtobepaidlessthan
thosewithdocuments.LeonelPerez,amigrantworkerinFlorida,getsonly50centsforevery
32poundsoftomatoeshepicks.Thatistheequivalenttoonebucket,andthispayisaratethat
hasntchangedinover30years.InGrapesofWrath,theJoadfamilywaspaid5centsforevery
bucketfilledwhichtodayistheequivalentof85cents.Thisisnotnearlyenoughtoliveahealthy
lifestyle.Overtime,inflationaffectsthepriceoffruits,butthepayhasbarelyraisedcausingitto
getharderandhardereachyeartopayfoodexpenses.Criticsarguethatifthesemenwork
hardenough,theycanmakeagood$20andthatsenoughtobuymanyfruitsandgoods.But
howcan$20coverforafamily,orthecostofaplacetostay.Thecostoffeedingafamilyoffour
costs$146to$289dollarsaweek.$20perdayonlyamountto$120whichisnoteventhebare
minimum.Thewagesareterribleandfamilieswouldnotbeabletopaythecostifafamily
memberweretofallillorseriouslysick.Butwithconditionstheyworkin,thisisntuncommon
amongworkers.


Workingconditionsformigrantworkersareterriblefortheirhealthandaremoredangerousthan
everbefore.Withmigrantworkerspickingcropsanddoingbackbreakinglaborfortheearthin
thefields,theyareconstantlyfacedwiththedangersofthechemicalsbeingusedinthefields.
AccordingtotheBureauofLaborStatistics,onefarmworkerdiesonthejobeverydaywhile
hundredsofmoreareinjured.Pesticidesareusedbyfarmersinthefieldsasawaytocontrol
insects,diseases,andweeds,buttheyalsocauseseriousharmtotheworkerswhoareinthe
fieldsalldaylong.Nausea,vomiting,dizziness,rashes,andburnsandlongtermproblems
includecancer,sterility,birthdefects,anddamagetothenervesystemareafewoftheside
effectsfrompesticideexposure.Migrantworkerswhoseareaareintobaccocaningestasmuch
nicotineassmokinganaverageof30cigarettes.Itprobablywontsurpriseyouthatgrownmen
aredoingthissortofwork,butanestimatedhalfamillionchildrenaswell.Someofthemas
youngassevenyearsold,workingoutinthefieldsforninetotenhoursundercruelconditions.
Underchildlaborlaws,provisionsaredesignedspecificallytoprotecttheeducationofminors
andprohibittheirworkinginjobsandunderconditionsthatareharmfultotheirhealth.Butaswe
cansee,thisisnotthecaseformigrantworkingchildren.LittleWinfieldandRuthieinGrapesof
Wrathworkedinthefieldswiththeirfamilypickingcottonandfruit.Theconditionseventuallyled
toWinfieldcollapsinginthefieldandbecomingterriblyill.Thiscostthefamilymoremoneyto
takecareofhim,andtheyranshortonmoney.ThemembersofCongressfromtheseDistricts
needtoimprovetheplightofmigrantworkers.Thereshouldbetrainingprogramsinplace,
disclosureofchemicalusage,andcertainprecautionstakenbeforethesprayingofpesticides.
Pollstakenofcitizensandjournalistsarguethatthesepeoplearedoingthisworkbytheirown
choice,childrenarenotrequiredtowork,andhowtheEPAsWorkersProtectionStandardisin
placeandaimedatprotectingfarmworkersandtheirfamiliesfromdangerouspesticides.The
FairLaborStandardsActgivesthemarighttominimumwage.Unfortunately,theWPSis
outdated,quiteweak,andpoorlyenforced.Formanyfamilies,ifalldonotworknoteveryone
willeat,sochildrenhavenochoice.AsfortheFairLaborStandardsAct,theminimumwage,as
saidearlier,doesnotapplytofarmworkers.Sotheyarerobbedofthechanceofearningfair
pay.Sincethisisso,italsorobsthemlivinginamodesthome.Insteadtheyliveingrueling
conditions.

Thelifestyleandlivingconditionsareverypoorandeffectthechildrenofthenextgenerationto
fallintothesametrap.Theworkofmigrantworkersistypicallyaseasonaljobsincetheyareat
timesonlyneededforthetimeofthepicking.Theirpayforthebackbreakingworktheydois
veryminimal,sohowaretheysupposetopaytoliveinamodesthome?Manyworkersare
forcedtoliveonthelandtheyworkiftheywanttokeeptheirjobsandmakemoney,andlivein
rodentandinsectinfestedshacks.InGrapesofWrath,theJoadfamilyhadtosetupsmalltents
andtarpsthatwereunabletostandtheweatherconditions.Evenwhentheyweregivenasmall
livingspacewhentheypickedcotton,theyhadastonecoldfloorandrodentsrunningacrossit.
Itwasunsanitary.AstheJoadfamilycontinuedtomovearoundinordertosurvive,thetwolittle
oneswererobbedthechanceofreceivinganeducation.MaJoadwasconsideringtotryandget
thetwoinschoolwhenWinfieldexclaimed,Idontwannagotonoschool.Ruthiedont,
neither.Themkidsthatgoestoschool,weseenem,Ma.Snots!CallsusOkies.Weseenem.

Iaintagoin.Thechildrenwerenotexceptedorhappy,andhowcananunhappyoppressed
childreceiveapropereducation?Andthelackofeducationamongchildrenisstillanordeal
today.Anopportunitycancomealongthatcansaveamigrantworkerfromthefarmlands,but
withoutapropereducation,thatopportunitycanbreaktopieces.Theparentsstruggletogive
thesekidsaneducation,andwithouttheknowledge,theyfallintothesamewaysoftheir
parentsensnaredinthetrap.Whilesomepeoplearguethatifthesekidsworkhardenough,
theyllgetoutofthetrapjustlikeothersinthepasthave,thatsnotnecessarilyeffective.These
kidsworkninetotenhoursadayjustsotheirfamilycansurvive.Afamilycannotaffordtosend
theirkidstoschoolbecausethiswouldmeanashortageinmoneyandworkclosetodeathfor
theseparents.Whattheyneedaregovernmenteducationprograms,thatareaimedathelping
migrantworkersbothchildrenandadultswholostthatopportunityasachild.Butifthe
governmentignoresthem,thereisaneedforastand.Awarenessthatwillforcethegovernment
tonoticethem.

Generationaftergeneration,migrantworkersbecomestuckinthepoorlifestyletrapandthe
governmentsneedstoturnitsheadandtakeimmediateactiontohelpthisstrugglinggroup.
Theirlowpayforcesthemtoworklonghardhoursofbackbreakingwork,andwithafamilyisnot
nearlyenoughtogetabovethepovertyline.Longhoursofworkfromdawnuntilduskcomes
withtheheavyburdenofunsafeworkingconditionsthataremoredangerousthaneverbefore.
Insteadoftemporaryeffectsofbeingoutinthesun,therearelongtermsideeffectsfromthe
chemicalsandsomeincludecancer,damagetothenervoussystem,andbirthdefects.Living
conditionsandlifestylearepoorandeffectthemindsetoftheirchildrensettingthemupfor
becomingcaughtinthesametrapastheirparents.WecallourselvestheUnitedStateswhich
meansweareaunitednation,oratleastweshouldbe.WouldThomasJeffersonfeelsatisfied
withthis?WouldMartinLutherKingJr.lookatthisandseeitasajobwelldone?WouldCesar
Chavezwalkamongthefieldsoftheworkers,stareinthefacesofstarvingchildrenandsmile
withdelight?No,theywouldfightfortheirpeople.Itwouldntmatterthedifferenceincolor,
background,orknowledge.IntheUnitedStates,weneedtostandtogetherunited.Andifthe
governmentrefusestotakenotice,thenwelltakethestandourselvesanditwillforcethemto
beawareofthisgrowingproblem.Couldyoulookinthefaceofachildlayingonacoldfloorofa
shack,dyingfromharmfulchemicalsandcallthistheAmericaourFoundingFatherswould
proudof?

Sources:

http://readersupportednews.org/opinion2/27441/18718migrantworkersandame

http://nfwm.org/tag/workingconditions/

http://www.extension.org/pages/9960/migrantfarmworkers:ournationsinvisiblepopulation#.V
W43cc9VgSV

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2011/11/04/8620474migrantswoesbedbugsfoultoiletsill
ness?lite
TheGrapesOfWrathbyJohnSteinbeck

http://www.migrantclinician.org/issues/migrantinfo/migrant.html