Fresh Fruit Broken Bodies Summary

Over the past couple decades the number of undocumented immigrants involved in American agriculture has increased by the hundreds. They have dominated the fields on the west coast and have been put to work in some very harsh conditions. Many people in the US believe that these men, women, and even children are occupying jobs that legal citizens could have. We realize that even though much of our agriculture these days is harvested by modern technologies, a big part of the agriculture’s economy is made up of labor intensive from people, such as harvesting grapes, strawberries, pistachios, raspberries, etcetera. As we dig deeper into this topic we will realize why our agricultural

Strawberries are treasured by numerous throughout the world, but feelings may transformation after the unveiling of some dark secrets of strawberry farms. “In the Strawberry Fields” by Eric Schlosser brings up many concerning realities about what life is truly like for strawberry pickers. Many of these farm workers are illegal migrants from Mexico. Because of their illegal status, they are far less probable to go to the authorities with complaints of unfair treatment. Many strawberry field owners are more than willing to take advantage of this. Strawberry pickers are often overworked, poorly paid, and not treated fairly. Most are Mexicans searching for work so

Mario García’s study of this era could also be considered prophetic to many Mexicans in the mid-nineties as the North American Free Trade Agreement was signed, it sank México’s economy, lands that the Mexican revolution had provided for farmers were gone, and as México was now obliged with treaty to buy produce from the United States. Mexican farmers unable to compete fled México once again in search for a better life to the United States.

With the fast-paced globalization together with the heightening political economic issues of the world, it has brought forth the illegal immigrants to cross the Sonoran Desert of Southern Arizona, or as the anthropologist, Jason De León describes it, The Land of the Open Graves. However, there is more to unauthorized immigration than what meets the eye. Scratching the surface of the case of undocumented migrants reveals that it rooted from the intensifying global inequality and crisis of the world. Accordingly, the author’s decision to vividly depict the brutality beyond words the undocumented migrants had suffered while crossing the borders allows the readers to see the bigger picture behind illegal immigration, preventing further unnecessary deaths of the innocents.

To begin, migrant farmers are not paid fair wages. In Source D, the graph demonstrates that a farm worker will earn only $.30 for every $100. of produce that he harvests. The majority of the earnings are split between the manufacturers and the retailers. This does not leave the farm worker with an adequate salary to feed and clothe his family. Furthermore, with such measly wages, the farm workers cannot live “The American Dream.”

The book Fresh Fruit, Broken Bodies: Migrant Farmworkers in the United States illustrates the fieldwork of the author Seth M. Holmes by explaining the myriad aspects of migrant workers’ lives in the U.S.—from the politics to the social environments to the physical body. By not only studying, but living, the lives of these migrant workers, Holmes brings the reader a view unseen by the vast majority and provides the opportunity for greater understanding through the intense details of his work. The voices of vastly different characters—real people—are captured and expounded on without judgment but with deep consideration for all factors that contribute to each person’s life, opinions, and knowledge. Ultimately, a picture of intersectionality is painted in the colors of migrants, mothers, fathers, children, doctors, soldiers, executives, the poor, the rich, and more.

Acclaimed author, Dale Maharidge, sets out to explore the transition of a small rural town that began as a homogenous community descended from Western European immigrants and how it transformed as immigrants from South and Central America moved in. The relationship between the growing Hispanic population and the established European citizens consisted of mixed feelings. However, through Maharidge’s work, he is advancing the suggestion that the future of this small Iowan town depends on its ability to welcome immigration. Using kairos, Mahridge seizes the historical significance of the strike at Farmland, a meatpacking plant, to show how immigration may as well be Denison’s only hope. The Latino immigrants were willing to perform grueling work

Way before Cesar Chavez was born, the Southwestern United States, where there was a significant amount of agricultural work, was in desperate need of agricultural unions. The life of the average farm worker wasn’t a luxurious one. Working in crops often involved harsh working conditions which were filthy or dangerous and negligible pay.(Source N) With over 3 million farm workers in the United States, 72% were from a foreign

In Holmes’ ethnography, Fresh Fruit Broken Bodies, he gives a detailed account of the everyday struggles and suffering of Mexican migrants who are working in the United States. Examples of the different topics Holmes covers in his ethnography are: migration, health, violence, power, and segregation. Although segregation has been outlawed for decades it is still prevalent in the United States today. Many are still suffering, specifically among migrant workers and low income black or Hispanic families. One news article that relates to what Holmes is saying about segregation in his ethnography is, “More Than 60 Years After Brown v. Board of Education, Segregation Still Exists” by Lauren Camera. The article explains a detailed report of the

Both Fresh Fruit, Broken Bodies and Pretty Modern acknowledge the term class, and the established social hierarchy and physical sufferings that comes from it, in many cultures. According to Schultz and Lavenda, class is defined as “a ranked group within a hierarchically stratified society whose membership is defined primarily in terms of wealth, occupation, or other economic criteria” (312). Ultimately, my goal is to demonstrate that while both ethnographies explore class, they do it in equally important, but different ways. Seth Holmes’ Fresh Fruit, Broken Bodies is an account of the Triqui people and other Mexican migrant’s sufferings in U.S. farm labor camps. Alexander Edmonds’ Pretty Modern is an account of the booming plastic surgery market in Brazil, and the risks women take in order to modify themselves. Class is a rather fixed concept; it’s not easy to move between classes in most societies. While both ethnographies tell the tale of people trying to attain more wealth and a better occupation, the former does it in a way where class is perceived to be immovable, while the latter seems to heavily rely on the notion that you can climb the social ladder.

In the ethnographic text, Fresh Fruit, Broken Bodies, by Seth Holmes, Holmes describes his experience on enduring the living and working conditions of migrant workers. Seth Holmes’ social positions and identities helped bring the ethnography forward by showcasing the stories of Triqui migrant workers and how they suffer in everyday life because of the cycle of suffering. On the other hand, Holmes risks credibility and validity as the ethnographic text is taken from his point of view as a white man rather than a Triqui worker’s. As the author of the ethnographic text, Seth Holmes takes an in-depth look inside the lives of the Triqui workers and the problems they encounter in the face of racism and the social, political, and economic

Since the first human civilization, cheap, exploitable labor has been inherent to the economic system. This was illustrated in The Life of Peasants, one of the provided stimulus materials, in which it was accepted that providing for the upper classes was “the obligation of the servile class”. Ergo, the US can trace its history through the various exploited labor systems, starting with our dependance on indentured servants, to slavery, to our current reliance on undocumented workers.Unfortunately, the cultural progress indicated by the advancements of modern life, have not been paralleled by an alternate method of production. Worker exploitation, especially in agriculture, is conventional and commonplace. In the midst of the 2016 presidential primaries, with illegal immigration a hot topic among all candidates, it is becoming increasingly apparent that the people most often victimized by this system are mexican immigrants. “America’s immigration system is broken” - Hillary “The country has to be able to lock its doors” says Kasich. Trump suggests building a wall. Bernie advocates for comprehensive immigration reform and a path toward citizenship. Regardless of political leanings, our politician’s inciting statements whisper of truth. The immigration system is broken, and there is an overwhelming number of undocumented immigrants in America. An estimated 11.4 million of them (as of 2012 according to the department of homeland

While not taking advantage of the free opportunities given, others risk their lives for just one. Migrant workers try to squeeze into our American society with their goal of making money, not causing harm. According to “Migrant Clinician” Migrant workers are those not native, working temporarily or seasonally in places other than their home land. Most of these workers take the jobs that no one wants to do. Most of the America’s guest workers who are temporarily in the US through the federal H2A program works on farms and are called migrant farm workers. Immigrants seek seeking for a better life some search in a land where everyone is free and treated equal,

In the two texts, “Deportation at Breakfast,” by Larry Fondation and, “Mexican Migrant Workers in the 20th Century,” by Jessica McBirney, the authors use the same topic to develop different central ideas. In the text, “Deportation at Breakfast,” by Larry Fondation The central idea focuses on a normal man who accidentally ends up running a restaurant after the prior owner, Javier, is deported. Then, in the text, “Mexican Migrant Workers in the 20th century,” by Jessica McBirney, the central idea focuses on that for a long time, Mexican migrant workers lived hard lives, working America’s farms,and being treated poorly, while in poverty, despite agriculture depending on them. Both authors use the same topic, however, how they develop different central ideas will be discussed throughout this essay.

In this chapter, the author shared his field research experience working with migrants on farms in Washington States and California. In the course of being a berry picker on Tanaka Brothers Farm in the Skagit Valley, he managed to observe on and deeply communicate with the farm workers with different job positions. He revealed the ethnically segregated farm labor structure, and how it affected the migrant farmworkers’ wellbeing and rights.