One thing that I escaped during my months of sequestration is coming face to face with a certain segment of our society. I live among the city’s most privileged and its most impoverished, all in one block. Between the million-dollar homes down the street are canyons occupied by illegal residents, two of whom startled me during my morning walk today. They were coming out of a wooded area as I was rounding a corner, and I jumped. Then I moved on at a quick clip with my arms swinging emphatically, something that they likely mistook for anger or fear instead of a fitness thing.
They had no idea that I’ve been thinking a lot about their plight since reading in Sunday’s Los Angeles Times magazine about the current conditions of many migrant workers in the San Joaquin Valley, birthplace of many fruits and vegetables likely on display at your supermarket. I highly recommend everyone read the excellent piece of journalism by Mark Arax and photographer Matt Black. It may not change your view of illegal immigration, but it should make you think twice about the price paid for cheap produce. It’ll also explain the title of this post. I don’t think I’ll ever bitch about paying 25 cents for an ear of white corn again. And I’ll probably cry the next time I open a box of raisins.
The Summer of the Death of Hilario Guzman (reg. required)
5 comments:
We have that same dynamic here in Monterey County, with swanky Pebble Beach and Carmel mingling with all of the produce and hospitality workers. It's sad there's such a divide.
Do you watch the show 30 Days? There was a great episode about immigration involving a Minuteman and an East LA family. Very moving and sad.
Immigration is a subject I can take both sides on. We live in a strange and political world. I live fairly close to the port of Seattle (the area where in the last year people actually smuggled themselves in ship containers and almost made it . . ) I run past there on some of my long runs and wonder why people are so desperate to live here . . . 'the grass is always greener' I suppose.
Having PMS makes this extra sad. Just so you know.
i'll be watching for the tear-jerking raisins
not trying to make light of the situation
but i know you won't :D
Thank you for telling me about that article. By the time I reached the end, I was in tears.
As you know, I'm deeply dedicated to the sustainable agriculture movement in this country and that includeds treating farm workers like human beings.
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