In response to the anti-immigrant rhetoric that “undocumented immigrants steal American jobs,” the United Farm Workers of America (UFW) is asking restrictionists and the unemployed to walk the walk…all the way to the farm. Last week, the UFW launched a new campaign, Take Our Jobs, which “aims at hiring U.S. citizens and legal residents to fill jobs that often go to undocumented farm workers.” On the campaign website, the UFW allows applicants to sign up under the “I Want to be a Farm Worker” banner and then sends their information to a state job bank “indicating their interest to work in agriculture.” Comedy Central’s “The Colbert Report” is expected to plug the campaign on July 8.
As the Associated Press points out, while the campaign’s premise may be satirical, the need for immigration reform is serious business. Arturo Rodriguez, president of the United Farm Workers of America, said that farm workers have had enough of the punditry and anti-immigrant rhetoric targeting immigrants for unemployment.
Farm workers are tired of being blamed by politicians and anti-immigrant activists for taking work that should go to Americans and dragging down the economy.
The reality is farmworkers who are here today aren’t taking any American jobs away. They work in often unbearable situations. I don’t think there will be many takers, but the offer is being made. Let’s see what happens.
The truth is that America’s agricultural industry depends on immigrant labor—many of whom are undocumented. According to agricultural labor economist James Holt, less than 2% of the U.S. workforce is engaged in farm work. However, more than 550,000 U.S. farmers hire workers to fill more than 3 million agricultural jobs each year—jobs where workers are often underpaid and work under harsh conditions. Which is why the United Farm Workers is advocating for the Agricultural Job Opportunities, Benefits, and Security (AgJOBS) Act (part of the REPAIR proposal outlined by Sens. Schumer, Reid, Menendez, Feinstein, and Leahy back in April) which would “provide a legal, stable labor supply and help ensure that farmworkers are treated fairly” through an earned legalization program.
All satire aside, the UFW’s “Take Our Jobs” campaign’s take home message is that the continued anti-immigrant rhetoric blaming immigrants for stealing American jobs—besides being untrue—only undermines the larger problems within our immigration system and agriculture industry. Keeping undocumented farm workers undocumented only exacerbates the problems of poor wages and working conditions and results in weak bargaining power for all workers. The UFW is hoping that the realization “that the food we all eat—at home, in restaurants and workplace cafeterias— comes to us from the labor of undocumented farm workers” is enough to motivate the American public to support workers’ rights.
So the next time you hear someone say, “Oh, well, you know, those illegal immigrants are stealing American jobs,” kindly direct him/her to TakeOurJobs.org where he/she can test their work ethic in America’s agricultural fields.
Photo by tpmartins.
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Marylou Amato says:
July 2, 2010 at 2:21 pm (UTC -5 )
Right on! Gardners, restaurant workers, nannies and all types of service workers should pose the challenge to unemployed citizens to take there jobs. Bet not many would take the challenge. Immigrant workers, especially undocumented ones have a work ethic that can not be matched by the “legals”.
Benito says:
July 21, 2010 at 7:17 pm (UTC -5 )
I hope that every American, regardless of where he lives, will stop and examine his conscience about this and other related incidents. This Nation was founded by men of many nations and backgrounds. It was founded on the principle that all men are created equal, and that the rights of every man are diminished when the rights of one man are threatened. All of us ought to have the right to be treated as he would wish to be treated, as one would wish his children to be treated, but this is not the case.
I know the proponents of this law say that the majority approves of this law, but the majority is not always right. Would women or non-whites have the vote if we listen to the majority of the day, would the non-whites have equal rights (and equal access to churches, housing, restaurants, hotels, retail stores, schools, colleges and yes water fountains) if we listen to the majority of the day? We all know the answer, a resounding, NO!
As for the undocumented workers, as was attributed to Ronald Reagan “It’s the Economy, Stupid”. When the economy is good you say let’s all celebrate “Cinco de Mayo, my brothers” but when the economy is down “it’s all your fault, you damn immigrant”. This too will pass, the real problem is the narcos, arms and people smugglers and that’s what the focus should be on.
Today we are committed to a worldwide struggle to promote and protect the rights of all who wish to be free. In a time of domestic crisis men of good will and generosity should be able to unite regardless of party or politics and do what is right, not what is just popular with the majority. Some men comprehend discrimination by never have experiencing it in their lives, but the majority will only understand after it happens to them.
Farmers take their own Spin on Unemploymen says:
July 2, 2010 at 4:44 am (UTC -5 )
[...] Via immigrationimpact. com [...]