Tuesday, 4/15/97 Fruit of their labor Students march to combat
social injustice and educate public about farm workers’ rights
By Hector Ronquillo Daily Bruin Contributor WATSONVILLE, Calif.
— Each day, hundreds of farm workers make their way home to mend
their pains after another hard day stooped over to pick the fruits
and vegetables that feed this country. The back-breaking labor that
farm workers endure has historically been of great concern for
students – a tradition that continues today. Here, members from
MEChA, along with approximately 50 other concerned students, took
part in the largest gathering of labor workers and supporters in
U.S. history. The historic march in Watsonville was an opportunity
for many students to take part in a massive effort to show the
agriculture industry that workers and supporters are united by the
desire for social justice undaunted by the opposition. Early
Sunday, UCLA students gathered at Dodger Stadium and boarded two of
the 20 buses there to transport participants from the Los Angeles
area to the march. Immediately upon departure, the mood that would
reign throughout the day was established with chants preaching
justice and equality. Like the great marches led by Cesar Chavez
and Dolores Huerta 30 years ago, union supporters once again
marched to increase wages and job security, provide health
insurance and ensure sanitary working conditions. Farm labor is
among the hardest work in the country, where pickers must often
suffer through 10 to 12 hours picking fruits and vegetables to send
to market. In most cases, pickers live and work in substandard
conditions, creating a struggle between the owners and workers. In
the 1960s, Chavez and Huerta led the charge against the poor living
conditions that burdened workers for too long and established the
UFW – the farm workers’ union. Through peaceful marches and
boycotts, they helped improve conditions for some workers. The
establishment of MEChA later that decade brought a new wave of
activists hungry to contribute their efforts towards the movement.
Many participating UCLA students had parents or relatives who
worked in the fields, making the cause more of a personal struggle,
said Briseyda Zarate, a fourth-year history and Chicano studies
student. Today, the fight for better living conditions remains, and
students continue to take an active role in the labor movement –
contributing to the overwhelming feeling of unity and triumph in
Sunday’s march. "People from all over the state are gathered
together for the common cause of justice and a better life," said
first-year civil engineering student Gabriel Perez. For some
students, the image of farm workers toiling in the fields is an
encounter with the lives of family members who are among the
thousands of laborers working the fields. "My family used to pick
fruits," said Maria Castanon, a fourth-year history and political
science student. "That is why we are here to continue the battle.
We must keep fighting for human rights and justice." After a rally
filled with passionate speakers and musicians, 30,000 activists
marched through the streets of Watsonville, forming a loud cry for
equality. The march in Watsonville demonstrated the students’ will
to combat the social injustices that farm workers face while
educating the public about the benefits of having union support.
Many farm workers are reluctant to organize a union for fear that
they will lose their jobs. Growers often intimidate their workers
by telling them that a union would only make conditions worse for
them. Some growers go as far as to threaten workers with their
jobs, said Betty Murauto, a UFW supporter who worked in the fields
as a child and teenager. Some students have also taken an active
role in educating people by bringing the classroom to a general
public unaware of the conditions that oppress workers. "It feels
good to know that I am helping other realize how much farm workers
suffer because many people are not aware," said first-year
sociology student Monica Hernandez. "I feel like I am contributing
something important to society by making them aware." The passion
and vigor of the thousands of individuals who took part in the
demonstration had a strong impact on many students who witnessed
the reality of the struggle and the power of a unified movement.
"The march helped bring back to reality how much the farm workers
struggle," said Erica Ramirez, a first-year undeclared student.
"Our jobs do not even compare to the horrible conditions that they
have to work under. It makes me appreciate what I have." As the bus
made its way home through the agricultural fields of the Central
Valley late Sunday, one girl in front raised her fist high in the
air – a sign of empowerment – declaring that the fight does not end
with the rally, but rather is one which students must take home
with them. (Above) Liz Espinoza, left, and Everardo Rivera dance to
mariachi music that filled the cool morning air. (left) After a
long day, Dora Cervantez, (rt.) and others sleep on the bus before
it even leaves Watsonville. JUSTIN WARREN/Daily Bruin After the
two-mile march through Watsonville, junior Ruben Garcia naps and
Lorenzo Machado and Belen Montanez enjoy a moment of romantic
intimacy.
Dan Barnhart and a busload of other students grab a few hours of
sleep during the seven-hour bus ride from Los Angeles to
Watsonville.
Before the march, junior Rocio Zamora listened to music and
speakers with as many as other 30,000 people on the Watsonville
High School football field.
JUSTIN WARREN/Daily Bruin Cecilia Fernandez marches through
Watsonville with dozens of other Bruins to support better working
conditions for strawberry pickers.
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4/11/97 – Viewpoint "Unions must democratize our economy"