Audio

José has been coming to the U.S. since he was twenty-one.  A lot of men from his small town in Mexico do the same because there’s not enough work. José has seen a lot of changes to his community: more houses and luxuries but fewer young men.  Interview in Spanish.

Xochil wants to lead an easier life than her parents who have always worked in the fields. Her parents give her a lot of advice and want her to stay in school. Xochil applied for DACA so that she could continue studying but still worries about finances. Interview in English.

If Israel were American, he'd be retired by now. Instead the seventy-year-old man from Mexico keeps working in the tomato fields. He wishes everyone knew how hard it is to produce all the food you see in grocery stores. Interview in Spanish.

Edgar imagined the U.S. much differently before coming here. His brother had told him stories and shared pictures, but he was surprised by how clean and orderly everything seems. That said, he wouldn’t live here but he recognizes that Mexico and the United States rely on one another.  Interview in Spanish.

Pedro has had a lot of different supervisors. Some have been better than others. He remembers one in particular who called farmworkers "wetbacks." Pedro puts up with it because he doesn't want to compromise his ability to work. Interview in Spanish.

From his alligator boots, belt buckle, and Tejano hat, it’s clear that Alberto loves the countryside and livestock. He went to the U.S. and ended up in South Carolina as a farmworker. Today, he’s unemployed due to injuries incurred in the field.  Interview in Spanish.