Farmworkers in D.C.- Presente!!

More than 100 farmworkers from around the country are in Washington, DC this week to urge Members of Congress to support an immigration process with a path to citizenship for undocumented farmworkers and others among the 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the U.S. After two days of advocacy visits on the Hill, the trip culminates today with a nation-wide rally for immigration reform.

This morning Representatives Tony Cardenas and Mike Honda of California sponsored a wonderful reception for the visiting farmworkers. Twenty House members attended to show their support for immigration reform that promotes fairness and equality for farmworkers.

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More than 100 farmworkers from around the country are in Washington, DC this week to urge Members of Congress to support an immigration process with a path to citizenship for undocumented farmworkers and others among the 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the U.S. After two days of advocacy visits on the Hill, the trip culminates today with a nation-wide rally for immigration reform.

This morning Representatives Tony Cardenas and Mike Honda of California sponsored a wonderful reception for the visiting farmworkers. Twenty House members attended to show their support for immigration reform that promotes fairness and equality for farmworkers. Members included several children of farmworkers, such as Representatives Tony Cardenas (Cal.), Raul Ruiz (Cal.), Juan Vargas (Cal.) and Democratic Caucus Chairman Xavier Becerra (Cal.), who pointed out the window to the Capitol and told the farmworkers in Spanish, “this is your building.” Rep. Honda (Cal.) spoke about his experience as a child of sharecroppers, “People here sometimes ask me, Mike is it hard working in Congress? And I say no, [hard work] is in the fields. That’s where the hard work is.”

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said, “This is an immigration issue, but it is also a fairness issue about the exploitation of workers who are valued for their hard work.” She then thanked the farmworkers for their efforts, saying “You are making America more American.” House Judiciary Committee members Reps. Lofgren (Cal.), Garcia (Fla.), Gutierrez (Ill.), and Chu (Cal.) spoke passionately, and Gutierrez promised that immigration reform would not leave farmworkers behind. Rep. Doggett (Tex.) promised that they will reject another guestworker program that undermines farmworkers’ wages. Rep. Horsford (Nev.) promised that he will not allow a farmworker program that confers second class status. Rep. Raul Grijalva (Ariz.), who will receive the 2013 Farmworker Justice Award, spoke in favor of immigration reform. Other members who contributed include Reps. Costa (Cal.), Capps (Cal.), Crowley (NY), Tim Ryan (Oh.), Lowenthal (Cal.), and Negrete McLeod (Cal.). 

Rep. Cardenas noted the absence from Congress of long-time farmworker champion former Rep. Howard Berman.  UFW President Arturo Rodriguez closed the event by speaking about the need to pass immigration reform and protect the wages and working conditions of farmworkers who are here now doing the hard work to bring us food.

The reception was full of cheers, energy and chants of “Si se puede” – a great warm-up for this afternoon’s rally. After meeting with more Congressional members this afternoon, the farmworker group was heading to the West Lawn of the Capitol to join tens of thousands of others in a rally in support of citizenship for the 11 million. More information including live streaming video footage is available here.

Representatives from the United Farm Workers and the United Farmworkers Foundation are participating in this week’s events, along with other farmworker organizations including Radio Campesina; Cesar Chavez Foundation; National Farm Worker Ministry; PCUN (Northwest Treeplanters and Farmworkers United); Farmworker Justice; FLOC (Farm Labor Organizing Committee), AFL-CIO; MAFO, Inc.; Farmworker Association of Florida; UMOS; La Unión del Pueblo Entero (LUPE); CATA (The Farmworkers Support Committee); and Alianza Nacional de Campesinas.