The struggles agricultural workers faced and still are facing during the Covid-19 pandemic are undeniable. However, after watching the film produced by Daffodil Altan and Andres Cedial, I gained a whole new perspective. These farmers' sacrifices throughout this pandemic were incredibly eye-opening.
Everyone talks about the healthcare workers, but no one begins to think about where our food is coming from. These agricultural workers sacrificed their health and safety every day for us and their families' health and safety. They worked tirelessly under unsafe conditions with limited protection or care for their well-being.
Some of these farmers had no choice but to stay and work in these conditions. Yes, they could have walked away. However, who is going to pay their bills? Who will provide for their family and put food on the table? The questions continued.
Some farming workplaces even had their workers sleeping in bunks in small areas, packing a lot of people in cars to travel, and not getting very much personal space. It can be hard to feel safe when you live on top of each other and breathe in the same air constantly.
No one knows these workers' personal lives. Some of them have underlying health conditions. Some of them are the only members in their house who can work. Some can not get another job. The reasons are endless, and these people were very under-respected and merely invisible to the world.
The agricultural industry did not provide masks to these workers, would not make them aware of positive cases in the workplace, and would even refuse their days off if they were ill. As a result, some of the workers were even making their masks with the resources they had to feel a little bit of safety.
Being around each other constantly and traveling from farm to farm made the spread of Covid so much faster from person to person. When one person got infected with the virus, it would be a scary time to wait to see when the next person would get it.
On another note, many of the agricultural industry workers were immigrants. This fact made the workers feel very scared to speak up when they felt sick. They were unsure what would happen to them. They didn't know what to think and endured thoughts of possible deportation when they were only trying to benefit American citizens.
These farmers deserve the same recognition that healthcare workers receive. Yes, the healthcare workers were and are saving lives. However, the farmers are keeping people alive by providing food dispersed around the entire country.
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