California's Homeless Farm Workers

 

 

Sent to you by moya via Google Reader:

 

 

California's Homeless Farm Workers

via RaceWire by Daisy Hernandez on 5/13/10

Homeless Farmworkers in the Central Valley from New America Media on Vimeo.

New America Media's Jacob Simas posted a heartbreaking story and video yesterday about farm workers in Fresno who are creating makeshift homes of tarp and garbage bags in the same fields they once harvested. The fields have been abandoned because of the water shortage in California and the men report that they haven't been able to find other jobs.

Community advocates say it's the first time they're seeing homeless farm workers in this area. The men report that they survive by finding scraps of leftovers in the garbage or sometimes doing yard work in town for $10 or $20. One man built his home in the tree tops of the orchard; another points out that the chicken they're cooking was one they found in the trash.

 

 

Things you can do from here:

• Subscribe to RaceWire using Google Reader
• Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites