Graduation Date
5-2014
Document Type
Senior Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
Humanities and Cultural Studies
Department or Program Chair
Chase Clow, PhD Candidate
First Reader
Chase Clow, PhD Candidate
Abstract
The cultural and workforce conflicts facing the Mexican migrant farm worker have been a continuous battle. From the creation and collapse of the US/Mexico Bracero Program to the Cesar Chavez movement, Mexican migrant workers have been fighting for dignified working rights and against the negative stereotypes within American culture. With in-depth photojournalism and self-immersion with a unit of Mexican migrant crop workers, three critical areas of conflicts have risen above all others. These areas consist of the physical harm endured by the Mexican migrant worker as they start their day at five am and continue to complete back-aching labor for twelve hours. Secondly, the chemical dangers of the crops’ pesticides are examined and whether or not they truly present risks to the workers. Lastly, Mexican migrant workers expose: their struggles of not knowing English in America, address the negative connotations they face and their hopes for the future. Overall the consequences of farm labor are examined through qualitative research and personal narratives of Mexican migrant workers.
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