[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abT28CIkHD8[/embedyt]
By Sandra Martinez cwith information from Manuel Ortiz
Migrant farmers in the United States say they feel attacked and discriminated against by the frequent comments of former President Donald Trump, who on several occasions, especially during election campaigns, has referred to migrants as criminals, mentally ill, abusers of the system, among other adjectives.
Manuel Ortiz, director and co-founder of Península 360 Press, traveled to rural northern California to, among other topics, learn about the feelings and state of farmers regarding political speeches during election time in the United States.
In addition to regretting Trump's attacks, in an interview that aired on the radio program Hecho en California In collaboration with P360P, Juana, a farmer originally from Jalisco, Mexico, who works growing mint in the fields of Tule Lake, California, said that people come to the U.S. in search of a better life for themselves and their families, and not, as the former president says, to do harm.
“We feel attacked and discriminated against by Donald Trump because the way he addresses us is very hurtful,” said Juana.
Juana said that she and her family live in a “traila” (mobile home), but they have faced discrimination at the place where they rent a parking space. On one occasion, they received a rent increase of $35. At the time, they didn’t see it as a bad thing, but shortly after, they raised their rent by another $50.
After what happened, Mrs. Juana's husband questioned the landlord why he had raised the rent so much, to which he replied in English: "If you don't like it, go back to your Mexico."
This comment was unnecessary, both felt discriminated against and excluded, since they both work to earn a salary, pay for their services to live, and feel part of the country because they do what corresponds to them as citizens.
“We as citizens feel part of this, we are here to make this nation grow by working and fighting,” Juana stressed.
In the 16 years he has been working, he has only seen three Americans trying to work in the fields; however, “they don’t last, they can’t stand working in the fields” and it is the migrants who produce the food that many consume and that few want to harvest.
Juana says that it is very easy to open the refrigerator and grab the fruit or vegetables to eat, but they do not appreciate the great work that is behind it all, as it is hours under the sun, a lot of time for said foods to grow, care for them and cultivate them.
Likewise, the day laborers constantly face excessive fatigue, bone pain, fever, humidity, colds and much more, but despite this, the farmers are dedicated to their work, they do it with love and dedication.
The work in the fields is very hard and many people have the privilege of having more opportunities, so Mrs. Juana asks her son to study and prepare himself so that he does not have to suffer from the hard work that the fields entail.
“Get ready, because you have all the rights and benefits here; get ready because we are just like a little board that is pushing you forward, because that is why we have come to fight, to get ahead and be a blessing to others, and mainly to help our children get ahead,” concluded Mrs. Juana.
This resource is supported in whole or in part by funding provided by the State of California, administered by the California State Library in partnership with the California Department of Social Services and the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs as part of the Stop the Hate program To report a hate incident or hate crime and get support, go to AC vs Hate.
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