empowering farmworkers to improve their living and working conditions since 1981

Giving a Voice to Indigenous Farmworkers in Oregon

Newsletters - Spring 2009 Newsletter

A growing number of farmworkers in the US speak one of the many indigenous languages of Mexico, such as Mixteco, Zapoteco, and Triqui. Many speak Spanish only as a second language, and most no English at all. Since 2004, Shelley Davis and Farmworker Justice have worked with Oregon Law Center, Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noreste, Portland State University, and Salud Medical Center to identify and address the occupational health and safety education needs of indigenous farmworkers in the Willamette Valley. The project, Promoting the Occupational Health of Indigenous Farmworkers, led to the development of a promotores de salud program to raise these workers' awareness of workplace hazards and inform them of practical steps to address them.

The project began with intensive discussions with indigenous farmworkers to identify their needs and concerns. Two overarching issues were uncovered. First, workers felt discriminated against or dismissed because of linguistic and cultural barriers. Second, workers knew they were being exposed to pesticides and other workplace hazards, but were not receiving adequate training to address them because virtually no health and safety materials or training are available in indigenous languages. Concern about losing their jobs inhibited them from taking action to improve their working conditions.

Based on the results of this initial research, Shelley and the other project members developed a program to train promotores who are bilingual in Spanish and an indigenous language to educate their coworkers on pesticide safety and grassroots advocacy. Participants of the training met with Oregon's Occupational Safety and Health Administration and spoke at a national pesticide worker safety forum sponsored by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Starting in the spring of 2009, Farmworker Justice will be partnering with groups in Oregon on another project to assess whether an enhanced pesticide safety education curriculum for indigenous workers reduces their exposure to pesticides, and ultimately, their risk for long-term health effects.