COVID-19 in the Central Valley: Let’s not forget immigrant farm workers

Suddenly the COVID-19 crisis disrupted our lives, and we find ourselves struggling to reinvent the way we perform our work. Even before some city mayors mandated us to shelter in place or Gov. Gavin Newsom declared we do so statewide, some organizations and educational institutions were closing and issuing work-at-home directives.

But we are facing a new set of challenges and contradictions as we adapt to these new conditions.

This is especially true for those of us who work with vulnerable communities. How can we follow these directives knowing that sheltering in place might not be an option for most of the people with whom we collaborate? How do we practice social distancing when our goals are to build community and solidarity networks?

Based in Fresno, the American Friends Service Committee Pan Valley Institute has been working with diverse groups of Central Valley immigrants and refugees – including farm workers – for more than 20 years. Recently we reached out to farm worker families and communities to learn about how they are coping with the coronavirus crisis.

Many people told us that they lack critical information about how to protect themselves, their families and their communities from the COVID-19 pandemic. Being essential workers who keep the food chain moving, they must show up for work every day. They put their health and that of their families and communities at risk because they offer essential services to our community. Yet, not all employers are informing these workers about how they can protect themselves or what benefits, if any, they will receive if they get sick or lose their jobs.

Immigrant farm workers are among California’s most marginalized populations. Their employment conditions are dangerous, they experience generational poverty, they are an aging population with an average age of 45, and many have no health-care coverage. Included in the ethnic diversity of immigrant farm workers are Indigenous Mexican farm workers, many speaking languages other than Spanish. This fact is important during the COVID-19 crisis when public health announcements need to reach diverse communities.

The labor of immigrant farm workers is essential to keep the food supply chains functioning. They ensure that those of us who are sheltering in place have food on the table. This population holding agro-industrial jobs, whether in the field or packing house, is also the most vulnerable in the face of the coronavirus public health crisis.

To this we can add concerns some have about their immigration status. Will they be considered in the stimulus package that the White House and Congress have negotiated to protect working people? In addition to not knowing how to protect themselves from the virus, these workers are also facing challenges with child care and home schooling. These challenges are not only because these families rely on the wages of two working parents, but also because of language and education barriers.

As the federal government continues to provide support for workers and families during the pandemic, measures that benefit immigrant farmworkers are also required. We must ensure that cash payments issued include immigrant farm workers, COVID testing and treatment remain free for everyone regardless of immigration status, and work permits are automatically extended.

Farmworkers are on the front lines of this epidemic, making sure all of us have food to eat while we shelter in place. We urge employers and political leaders to do everything possible to ensure the well-being of immigrant farmworkers and their families.