Immigration Reform and the Food System

From Latino Advocacy:

Education Call on Immigration Reform and the Food System
International Links Committee of the Community Food Security Coalition
 
Thursday, Sept 22 @ 4 pm EDT  1pm pacific time

Farmworkers have been marginalized within the food movement for as long as there has been a food movement. Besides the lowest wages and poorest working conditions, a crucial issue for a majority of farmworkers concerns immigration laws in the United States. Harsh immigration laws create the conditions which allow for employers to impose the conditions of “modern day slavery” like the Coalition of Immokalee Workers has documented so well. Currently, a number of states have adopted or are considering regressive immigration laws (beginning in Arizona) which would worsen the situation for farmworkers. It is time for the food movement to take on immigration reform as a primary issue, and now is the time to act as federal lawmakers seek to enact punitive laws alongside states that have proposed laws that will also exacerbate the crisis.
 
The call will be moderated by Maria Aguiar, of the US Food Sovereignty Alliance.
 
There will be 4 speakers:
 
Carlos Marentes, Border Agricultural Workers Project – Will speak on the rights and challenges of farmworkers and the tie between food sovereignty and migrant labor, particularly on the border where immigration is such a key issue.
 
Tirso Moreno, Farmworkers Association of Florida – Will speak on regressive immigration laws across Southeastern states (GA, AL, FL) and farmworkers’ rights and dangers of Guest Worker programs.
 
Maru Mora Villalpando, The Dignity Campaign – Will speak about an immigrant-led campaign, including farmworkers, in WA to draft progressive immigration laws and what successful campaigns look like.
 
Cathi Tactaquin, National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (NNIRR) – Will speak on the national debate on immigration reform as it relates to food and farmworkers and regressive state immigration laws.
There will be ample time for discussion, questions, and plans for collaboration around stopping these regressive laws and supporting progressive laws.
 
Call information: 800-704-9804 (International Origination: 404-920-6604); Access Code: 777495#
Please RSVP with tristan@whyhunger.org
 
As a related action to this call, please sign a petition urging Congress not to pass a law which would require all employers to check prospective employees against a government database that would have errors, a process called “e-verify.” TAKE ACTION NOW! Tell Congress to Stop E-Verify.

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