Fresh Fruit/Broken Bodies

Due to the recent unsavory rhetoric in politics, the atmosphere against immigrants is rising. There has been a wave of anger geared towards them due to the misconception that immigrants are taking jobs in the US. Meanwhile immigrants are the only ones willing to take on the toughest low paying jobs here in the U.S. I’m mainly focusing in on the migrant workers and the health impact, human rights and labor laws they have to endure. Immigrants come to America with the promise of a well paying job but the reality of it is that they come to find themselves in dirty, toxic and abusive working conditions.

At least half of all farmworkers in America are undocumented Mexican immigrants. Often these farmworkers are unaware of their vulnerability to environmental and occupational health hazards. Their long exposure to pesticides can later lead to an increased chance of cancer, elevated rates of leukemia, birth defects and miscarriages.They live in substandard housing and constantly endure dietary and environmental exposures to lead along with exposure to industrial pollution of air and water. Migrant workers work long backbreaking hours and get paid little to no money often enduring abuse from employers. Meanwhile not having a voice to speak up due to the fear of deportation. This is to shed some light on the how the fresh fruit in our kitchens are brought to us by the broken bodies of immigrants.