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The KUT Longhorn Radio Network Presents: Mexican American Experience Collection

Audio recordings including interviews, music, and informational programs related to the Mexican American community and their concerns in the series "The Mexican American Experience" and "A esta hora conversamos" from the Longhorn Radio Network, 1976-1982.

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PROGRAM INFO

Title:
Migrant Workers And The Situation In The Upper Midwest
Program #
1979-10
Themes:
Politics, Society

Series:
Labor
Host:
Armando GutiƩrrez
Guest:
Carolina Mata
Date:
Feb 9, 1979

Migrant Workers and the situation in the Upper Midwest

Carolina Mata discusses some of the problems facing the migrant community and the programs designed to help them. Mata explains that she has been traveling the migrant circuit since she was five years old and in 1975 she became involved in the North Dakota Migrant Council. She comments on the problems of health and housing for farm workers. She notes that some farmers offer either substandard housing or none at all. Moreover, programs designed to help migrants suffer from a lack of continuity and reliability. She also describes some educational programs for migrant children that help them make up the time lost when they are traveling.

She then describes how her family prepares for the migrant season and a typical work day. She also comments on the situation of children in fields, and speaks in favor of child labor laws and programs that care for children while their parents work in the fields. Mata then discusses the negative impact of automation of migrants.

In her time working in the fields and on behalf of migrants, she has seen little improvements and few tangible results from the many expensive workshops the federal government has organized. She argues that more migrant participation and organization is need to actually change their conditions. She believes many are afraid to complain or speak up because they fear possible retribution.

KEYWORDS

American Crystal Sugar
Automation
California
Child Labor
Contract Labor
Crystal City
Cucumbers
Education
Employment
Farmers
Health
Illinois
Indiana
Jamaica
Mexican Migration
Migrant Camps
Migrant Children
Migrant Circuit
Migrant Council
Migrant Families
Migrant Health Program
Migrant Recruiting
Migrant Stream
Migrant Workers
Minnesota
Nebraska
North Dakota
North Dakota Migrant Council
Ohio
Potatoes
Red River Valley
Seasonal Labor
Strawberries
Sugar Beets
Tomatoes
Training Programs
Wisconsin
 

Center for Mexican American Studies | Department of History | The Benson Latin American Collection

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