Voice of the Fields - April 2012

FA R M L A B O R I N F O R M AT I O N B U L L E T I N

Voice of the Fields California

April 24, 2012

FREE

Children of the Fields

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oday in America, thousands of children work in agriculture with their parents and with very few labor protections in place, often times these children are forced to sacrifice their health, education and the opportunity for a brighter future.

The Department of Labor statistics continues to refer to agricultural work as one of the most dangerous occupations in the U.S. Children account for about 20 percent of all farm fatalities. More than 10,000 youth between 10 and 15 years of age were injured on farms in 2006. They are also regularly confronted with pesticides, some of which are known carcinogens or cancer causing chemicals. Moreover, children are forced to work ten to 12 hour days in excruciating weather conditions, and labor around heavy machinery or sharp tools.

Additionally, farmworker children do not attend school regularly and may fall behind in their studies. Studies have shown that children of farmworkers are dropping out of school at an alarming rate. It has been suggested that at least half the youth who regularly perform farm work in the United States never graduate from high school.

There are also language and cultural barriers that further hinder their

educational development. Some farm working families are forced to migrate with their parents and are unable to adapt to each new school. This impedes a child’s opportunity to have a better and brighter future.

Living conditions for these children are just as poor. After risking their health and sacrificing their education to work in the fields, farmworker children are living in poverty and without the daily resources like food

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and hot water that so many take for granted. Most of the estimated 3 million people that work in agriculture in the U.S. earn minimum wage or less and have incomes averaging $14,500 per year. Child farmworkers risk their health, education and future to earn an average less than $1,000 per year.

For more information visit the Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs’ website: www. afop.org.

Child Abuse: The Consequences of Abusing Children

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e all go through difficult and stressful times in our lives. We get burdened with work, money gets tight and our children can sometimes add even more stress to our already overwhelming schedule. Because of all of this stress, it can sometimes be easy to take out our frustrations on the ones we love the most, and for some of us this is our children. Having a child to care for isn’t easy, but it is important to remember that your kids are innocent and only want to be loved. If a child is not shown affection by their parents, and instead are neglected or abused, this mistreatment will leave lasting scars.

Some of these scars might be physical. Some scars will heal eventually but others could end in a child’s death.

But the emotional scars from abuse have long lasting effects throughout life; damaging a child’s self confidence, ability to have healthy relationships, and the ability to function at home, at school and at work. Children who have been abused can display:

n A poor self image n Inability to trust and love others n Sexual acting out n Anger and rage n Anxiety or fears n Drug and alcohol abuse n Self destructive or self abusive

behavior including suicidal thoughts

Often the emotional damage to abused children does not surface until adolescence or even later, when many abused children become abusive parents. An adult who was abused as a child could have many problems in their lives, including trouble with physical closeness and touching, intimacy, and trust.

There are four major categories of child abuse: neglect, physical abuse, psychological/emotional abuse, and child sexual abuse.

Neglect: Failure to meet a child’s basic physical and/or psychological needs.

Neglect may occur during pregnancy as a result of maternal substance

abuse. Once a child is born, neglect may involve a parent or caregiver failing to provide adequate food, clothing and shelter; protect a child from physical and emotional harm or danger; or ensure access to medical care or treatment. It may also include unresponsiveness to a child’s emotional needs.

Physical Abuse: An act of another party involving contact intended to cause feelings of physical pain, injury, or other physical suffering or bodily harm.

Sexual Abuse: A form of child abuse in which an adult or older adolescent abuses a child for sexual stimulation. Forms of sexual abuse include asking or pressuring a child to engage in sexual activities, displaying pornography to a child, and actual sexual contact with a child.

Psychological/emotional abuse: This form of abuse is the hardest to recognize and define. It could include name-calling, ridicule, and excessive criticism and humiliation.

It is very important to understand the consequences of these forms of abuse.

If you have a problem with abuse, or know someone who does, please visit this website for more information: www.childabusepreventioncenter.org/.

Gangs and Youth Violence: A Problem For Our Community

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outh gang violence is on the rise in America, and within the Hispanic community gang membership has had a dramatic increase over the past few years. In Los Angeles County alone, there are over 625 Hispanic gangs with the average gang member age at 15 years old. Recent studies have shown that Hispanic individuals make up more than 50 percent of the gang population in America, and that number is growing.

In order to keep your children safe from gang violence, it is important to recognize the signs of youth gang involvement: n Obsession with certain colors and sports teams apparel n Kids may decorate their arms with tattoos that are gang signs or symbols n Kids may use hand signs or their

own ‘language’ to communicate with friends n Kids who begin isolating themselves from their family and instead come to see the gang as a ‘replacement family’ n Hanging out with peers who have a reputation for violence and trouble in the community n Unexplained money and jewelry n Evidence of drug use n A change in personality or behavior n Use of a nickname instead of their given name If you suspect your child might be involved in a gang it is important that you talk to him or her about it. It may be uncomfortable for both of you – they may be scared or unwilling to talk, but let them know that you are there to

listen and support them.

It is also important that you make it clear to your child that they do have a choice about their involvement in the gang, even though they may feel like they don’t. Let them know that they do not have to follow the crowd.

When speaking to your child, you may be more effective if you: n Stay calm and rational, no matter how angry you may be n Listen carefully to what they say without interrupting them n Ask questions, rather than making accusations n Point out the risks and consequences of carrying a weapon such as a knife or gun (many people who are hurt by guns or knives have their own weapons used against them) n Work with them to find alternatives to being in the gang Understand that many kids join gangs because they do not receive adequate family attention. The gang provides love, identity and status; in turn they develop loyalty to the gang.

There are local community organizations and services that can help you. If possible, ask your child’s school for information about these organizations or speak to your local sheriff’s office. For more information about gangs and gang involvement, and how to help a child who has become part of a gang, visit: www.cyoutreach.org/

Art Pimentel: Field of Dreams

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rt Pimentel is the mayor of the city of Woodland, CA. He grew up watching his parents make sacrifices for him and his siblings everyday. His father has been working at the same Woodland farm for 33 years, and his mother has been working at a local tomato cannery for 25 years. Being raised by two parents who had to work long hours, and sharing a one bedroom mobile home with four other people wasn’t easy, but Art says he never felt like he was missing anything, and his parents always did their best to provide him with what he needed. Like most children, what Art needed most from his parents was encouragement and support, especially when it came to his education.

For the first ten years of Art’s life, his parents were seasonal farmworkers. This meant that for three months out of the year, he and his family would pack up and move to Mexico. Because his parents valued education so much, they made sure that while the family was living in Mexico, the kids were attending school.

This was also the case the other nine months of the year. While in California, Art attended Willow Spring Elementary School. When the work for his parents became more stable, the family settled in

Woodland. Mr. and Mrs. Pimentel bought their first home for the family to live in.

When asked if his parents ever brought him out on the fields to work, he said his father had him spend a summer working with him as a “lesson.” His dad wanted to show Art that if he did not stay in school and take his education as far as he could, a life of hard physical labor and 14 to 16 hour days is what he could be facing.

“After that summer,” Art said, “I knew my dad was right, education was the only thing that would open the door of opportunity and choices.”

After graduating from Woodland High School in 1997, Art attended Sacramento State University where he earned his Bachelors Degree in Social Science as well as a Masters Degree in Educational Leadership. While attending college, he was heavily involved in student government, serving as vice president and president over the student body.

After graduation, Art decided to continue in the political field, becoming the only Latino and the youngest member of the city council of Woodland. Art believed he could offer a perspective the city had been missing.

His choice to become involved

in student government and politics after graduation wasn’t something his parents understood. Their impression of government had been formed in Mexico, where those who were in charge, do little to help the people they represent.

However, even while having this negative view, they never stopped supporting Art’s goals to become a prominent figure in California Politics.

Art’s advice for the hardworking farmworkers trying to support and raise a family: “Always encourage your kids to get an education and support them every step of the way.” His parents instilled this in Art, and the success he has experienced so far in his career is a true testament to the importance of an education.

Voice of the Fields California Circulation: 40,000 copies www.LaCooperativa.org Published monthly by: La Cooperativa Campesina de California 7801 Folsom Blvd, Suite 365, Sacramento, CA 95826 Phone 916.388.2220 Fax 916.388.2425 Editor: Marco Lizarraga Produced with the support of the Employment Development Department Voice of the Fields may be reproduced