Monthly Archives: March 2012

Honoring Cesar Chavez

Posted on March 31, 2012 by David Strauss, AFOP's Executive Director

In 1968-69, I remember first hearing about the United Farm Workers (UFW) and Cesar Chavez. Many of my friends were getting ready to participate in the grape boycott and, after hearing about the plight of California’s farmworkers, I had to … Continue reading →

Posted in AFOP, Children in the Fields Campaign | Tagged agriculture injuries, American Farms, Cesar Chavez, Child Labor, Fair Labor Standards Act, food justice, living wage, National Farmworker Awareness Week, Secretary Solis, U.S. Department of Labor | Comments Off

Roots of Change

Posted on March 31, 2012 by Norma Flores López, Director of the Children in the Fields Campaign

National Farmworker Awareness Week is a time to increase awareness on both the difficult conditions farmworkers live and work under, and of what is being done by advocates to help improve their lives. This year’s National Farmworker Awareness Week was … Continue reading →

Posted in Children in the Fields Campaign | Tagged agriculture injuries, Child Labor, Children in the Fields Campaign, National Farmworker Awareness Week, Norma Flores Lopez, pesticides, poverty | Comments Off

Increased Risk of Cancers among Farmworkers

Posted on March 29, 2012 by Valentina Stackl

In honor of National Farmworker Awareness Week, I thought it prudent to examine one particularly significant health issue plaguing the farmworker community: Cancer. A variety of cancers have been associated with work in agriculture for decades. Prostate cancer, for example, … Continue reading →

Posted in Health & Safety Programs | Tagged American Farms, cancer, Farmworker, National Farmworker Awareness Week | Comments Off

Farmworker Youth: Empowered and Activated to Create Change

Posted on March 29, 2012 by AFOP

By Noemi Ochoa, Children in the Fields Campaign Texas Regional Coordinator Farmworker Awareness Week is in full swing, and we can’t forget why there is a national week of action dedicated to farmworkers in the first place. In South Texas, raising awareness … Continue reading →

Posted in Children in the Fields Campaign | Tagged Child Labor, Children in the Fields Campaign, Migrants in Action, National Farmworker Awareness Week, Texas, The Harvest/La Cosecha, UTPA | Comments Off

Stress Can Be a Killer

Posted on March 27, 2012 by Valentina Stackl

Stress has been linked to a variety of physical and mental ailments, such as headaches, depression, cancer, insomnia, skin disease, cardiovascular disease, an under active immune system, and can exacerbate other pre-existing conditions like HIV/AIDS. Many diseases linked to stress … Continue reading →

Posted in Health & Safety Programs | Tagged cancer, depression, Farmworker, HIV/AIDS, National Farmworker Awareness Week, stress, substance abuse, suicide, Valentina Stackl | Comments Off

Farmworker Youth and Advocates Discuss Child Labor at Duke University

Posted on March 27, 2012 by Emily Drakage, Children in the Fields Campaign North Carolina Regional Coordinator, AFOP

Student Action with Farmworkers (SAF) in conjunction with Duke School of Divinity and other community members are celebrating National Farmworker Awareness Week by raising awareness about farmworker issues on campus and in our communities. The Children in the Fields Campaign … Continue reading →

Posted in Children in the Fields Campaign | Tagged Child Labor, Children in the Fields Campaign, Duke University, Emily Drakage, National Farmworker Awareness Week, NC FIELD, Poder Juvenil Campesino, Student Action with Farmworkers | 1 Comment

National Farmworker Awareness Week Begins

Posted on March 25, 2012 by David Strauss, AFOP's Executive Director

Today is the beginning of National Farmworker Awareness Week. This is a very special week for those of us dedicated to supporting and advocating for the estimated 2.5 million farmworkers in our country working to harvest the foods we enjoy … Continue reading →

Posted in AFOP, Children in the Fields Campaign, Health & Safety Programs | Tagged Cesar Chavez, Child Labor, Farmworker, National Farmworker Awareness Week, pesticides | Comments Off

Strawberry Fields Forever

Posted on March 21, 2012 by Valentina Stackl

The dangerous pesticide methyl iodide is finally being pulled from all U.S. markets. Arysta Life Science Inc., the Tokyo-based company that produces the pesticide, confirmed in a news release on Tuesday that it was suspending the sale of all formulations of … Continue reading →

Posted in Health & Safety Programs | Tagged California Strawberry Commission, Farmworker, methyl iodide, pesticides | Comments Off

The American Dream and Immigrant Youth

Posted on March 7, 2012 by David Strauss, AFOP's Executive Director

Young people, of whatever background, who do well in high school, have many options in front of them. Usually, those options begin with selecting the college or university that best meets their needs, hopes, and desires. In the U.S., a … Continue reading →

Posted in AFOP | Tagged DREAM Act, Education, financial aid, immigration | Comments Off

The Fight for Women’s Equality

Posted on March 2, 2012 by Ayrianne Parks, Communications Director, AFOP

As we enter Women’s History Month, it is almost certain that much of the focus will be on how far women have come in securing equal status. While great strides have been made, there is still a long way to … Continue reading →

Posted in AFOP | Tagged Equal Pay Act, Farmworker, farmworker women, HELP New Mexico, Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, poverty, U.S. Department of Labor, Women's History Month, Workforce Development, Workforce Investment Act | Comments Off