Abstract
The prevailing narrative in Chicanx studies focuses on the historical labor activism of the United Farm Workers (UFW) in the 1960s and ‘70s. I am particularly interested in examining the contemporary campesino experience in the Salinas Valley by discussing the history behind Mexican cheap labor, low wages, exploitive work conditions with inadequate healthcare, agrochemical exposure, and historical consciousness of farm workers. I will argue that farm workers are in dire need of a migratory reform as an approach to improve the working conditions of farm workers throughout California. This research aims to shed light on how the multi-billion-dollar agribusiness industry uses public policy to its advantage. To support my assertion, I used public policy, communal studies, and environmental analyses to reveal how modern campesino laborers in the valley have not seen significant improvements in their working conditions compared to the farm labor lifestyle since 1960s.
Language
English
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Level of Degree
Masters
First Committee Member
Laura Belmonte
Second Committee Member
Irene Vasquez
Third Committee Member
Ruben Martinez
Keywords
History, Chicana and Chicano Studies, Agriculture, Social Justice, Migration Studies
Recommended Citation
Tavarez, Jesus E.. "Modern Agricultural Servitude: The Modern Farm Worker Experience in the Salinas Valley." (2024). https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/ccs_etds/8
Included in
Agricultural and Resource Economics Commons, Chicana/o Studies Commons, Environmental Studies Commons, Labor History Commons, Other American Studies Commons, Social Justice Commons
