Field Notes is a blog where Student Action with Farmworkers students share stories of their outreach, organizing, and advocacy work, and where farmworkers share their own stories and hopes for change, writing in the language they feel most comfortable.
To access our archive of past blog posts, visit our Field Notes Tumblr site here.
A SAF experience that stuck with me
A SAF experience that stuck with me was when we filmed to make a series called “Voces del campo.” The reason it had a big impact and stood out to me was because I was able to be part of a project where I learned how to act and do skits, while also teaching and advocating for farmworker rights.– Juan Ibarra One of my favorite retreats for SAF was last year when we stayed overnight at the camp. We had so much fun with our little fire and we got to know each other more and it was just a…
A Time I Witnessed Courage
I always witness courage when it comes to my father working his tail off.– Jesús Cabrera I have witnessed courage on my soccer team where I see my teammates push each other or sometimes me and it helps so much.– Vicente Guzman When we went to the HKonJ protest in Raleigh last year, I was able to see the courage and power we had as people when we came together. We marched down the streets advocating for farmworkers' rights. It was my first time at a protest and it stuck with me because of the emotions felt through the air.…
A typical day at work
Emily Velazquez When I used to work in blueberries, my typical day would be from 8 am to 10 pm. I was pretty exhausted because I would be standing up all day. I witnessed an unjustice because there would be less hours on my paycheck than what I actually worked. It made me feel sad because I worked all those hours for it to come out all wrong. Also, it was unjust how no one had breaks in between working. And it was extremely cold in the packinghouse. I don’t know to this day how I managed to work all…
Solidaridad + Levante Celebrate NFAW
Tyshenna Phillips In conclusion of National Farmworker Awareness week, SAF Solidaridad interns and Levante youth collaborated to conduct a presentation about the farmworker justice movement in the midst of the pandemic. I was extremely proud of our group for being able to come together and share the information that we have learned with our community. We enlightened our audience about the large role that farmworkers have in our agricultural system – being responsible for most of the fresh fruits and veggies we consume – and some of the issues that have been revealed during this pandemic including lack of sick…
I am a constant state of growing and challenging
Lucy Thames I amA messy mix of assumptions and biases -Learned, unlearned by kin and by society,I am a constant state of growing and challenging:Myself, my sphere, the powers that be. I haveTwo hands to hold another or write a letter,Two ears to listen deep before I speak;Two feet to march or dance or walk alongside,Two eyes to show my mind where justice seeds. I workBehind the scenes, in emails and in spreadsheetsTo unite efforts and create spaces for others to speak.I wonderAt the power, wisdom and energy of community;I wonderWhen decision-makers will find their empathy. I hopeFor a day…
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A fierce advocate
Rachel Wright Junio Who am I? I’m a lot of things. Most notably, I’m a mother, a wife, an educator, an advocate, and an aspiring salsera. I come from a small town in East Tennessee where our claim to fame is the first impeached President, Andrew Johnson. I come from a family of farmers on my mom’s side and a family of blue-collar workers on my dad’s side. Both of my parents worked hard to provide my brother and me with a comfortable life, but still instilled the principles of hard work and discipline by making us pick up dead…
An extremely proud older sister
Selena Ibarra I am Selena Ibarra, first-generation daughter to migrant farmworkers and eldest of 11 children. I was born in Pendleton, Oregon where my parents first migrated from Mexico to pursue the American Dream. A dream that would prove to come with great strife for my family as we struggled with poverty and language barriers. Being the first in my family, I had to miss school when one of my siblings was sick to serve as the interpreter for my parents at doctor’s appointments, although the medical terms were often too complex for me to understand. Graduating high school and…
Establishing New Pathways
Tyshenna Phillips This past year was one of the most unpredictable and uncomfortable time periods in my life. I was well into my last year of college when our everyday lives and routines were drastically shifted due to the pandemic. Despite having to rapidly adapt to the changes occurring, I was able to complete my last semester of undergrad at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where I received my Bachelor's Degree in Sociology.My name is Tyshenna Phillips and I am the first person in my family to graduate from college. I have a total of ten siblings;…
Creating Connection in a Pandemic
Evelyn Archer-Taminger In all my conversations with fellow seminary students, clergy, and many nonprofit workers, the same anxiety is represented again and again: How do we create/maintain community through a screen? In a time in which we cannot see or touch each other, how do we connect? The engagement I have seen through working with Student Action with Farmworkers is remarkable, despite the provisions COVID-19 has laid out. The staff members and fellow student interns work tirelessly to plan online-friendly icebreakers, break out rooms, emotionally engaging presentations, and thought-provoking questions. While I have never met many of my fellow interns…
My Typical Day
America Juarez-Maldonado My typical day at SAF always starts my morning with ease. Every time I start my work or have SAF team meetings I get excited to see some of my mentees and other SOL interns. I open my laptop to start the day, and start planning or message the Levante students that I mentor to see what they need or to advise them. My typical day also varies over time – especially last year as I was advising high school seniors with college applications and scholarships or checking on them to see what else they needed.In advising the…
A Sense of Normalcy
Tyme Nunn As we all know, working during the COVID-19 pandemic has been nothing short of life-changing and strange. My pre-COVID workspace is now confined to the four walls of my on-campus apartment. It is safe to say that nowadays, the word “normal” seems loaded. Like many others, the act of navigating life during COVID has thrown the word normal out of the window. As someone who thrives off of communication and personal connections with peers, SAF retreats and weekly SAF meetings bring me a sense of normalcy that I truly do not think I would have found elsewhere. I…
Shedding Light on my Family History
Omar Alejandro Ibarra I went on my annual trip to Mexico this past December with my family. This time it was an entirely different experience as the matriarch of my big family, my abuelita, passed away from COVID-19 in late 2020. It was difficult to be cheery like we usually were around Christmas, but we enjoyed the time we had as a family. I spent a lot of time talking to my grandpa to keep him company. I had always known he had gone into the U.S. when he was younger to work, but I had never really heard his…
What does it mean to you to be an essential worker?
Roberto, NC Farmworker, 2020 During the pandemic, we’ve worked and contributed with our labor in farm work. As essential workers, we’ve also been worried since we’re also vulnerable because of the pandemic… we keep working, trusting God and helping with our labor in this country. Many of the people in this country know how important our efforts are in the agricultural fields since our work can be seen in the homes of families in the US… in the food and in the Christmas trees decorating each home during Christmastime.
Continue Reading What does it mean to you to be an essential worker?
What do you need to feel safe and be safe?
Roberto, NC Farmworker, 2020 Being in this country that is very different than mine… it’s like a strange country since there’s a different language, a different culture… there are organizations that help me feel safer—such as Vecinos. Vecinos has been here to help with medicine, doctors’ appointments, translations, and even more so during this global pandemic. Vecinos has been very attentive to us farmworkers. Regardless of religion, when I read the Bible, I realize that many people look to God to feel safe and sound from many threats… today it’s the same since the Bible contains a lot of knowledge…
What do you think about when you’re at work?
Roberto, NC Farmworker, 2020 I mainly think of God each day, for many reasons… I’ll mention a few: Thanks to Him I have food on my table; work hasn’t let me down, despite the current situation; my family is safe and I’m in touch with them; and I’m healthy to keep working in this country… these are some of the reasons why I think of God.
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A big reason I joined SAF
Rafael Vasquez Hey, my name is Rafael Vasquez and I am from North Carolina. My mom is from Mexico and came here before I was born. My mom has been working in the fields for a long time and I want to change that. A big reason I joined SAF was to learn how to help other people no matter their background. I like SAF because it teaches me about different types of things.
I want to give back to people who, thanks to them, we have food on our table
Emily Velazquez-Alvarado Hello! My name is Emily Velazquez-Alvarado, I am 16 years old and I attend early college high school. My family is originally from Michoacán and they migrated from Mexico more than 20 years ago. I live with my younger brother and mom. Growing up, I had an amazing childhood because I was always surrounded with people I love. All my hard work I do is to one day pay my mom for always being there for me. School is my priority, I work very hard on all my assignments to get good grades. I love helping people – two…
Continue Reading I want to give back to people who, thanks to them, we have food on our table
How 2020 is going for me
Jesús Cabrera I am from a family of four, and I am the youngest sibling out of two. I have been part of SAF to gain knowledge about farmworker rights and social justice. I am excited about doing more activities with other people and as of right now I am worried about the pandemic affecting the SAF program. (The photo represents an “L” gesture on my hand and represents how 2020 is going for me).
Farmworker Rights
Angel Araiza My name is Angel Araiza. I am from Guadalajara, Jalisco. I moved from Mexico when I was 3. I am excited to work with SAF to spread more awareness of farmworker rights and how they are treated unfairly at times. I am most afraid of farmworkers not getting the rights they deserve.
The more time passes, the more I learn about myself
America Juarez-Maldonado My name is America Juarez-Maldonado, I am a Mexican-American, first-generation college student. I attend the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, double majoring in Environmental Studies and Public Policy. I am a brown girl that represents the mix of what future America will look like in the next years to come. I learned that I am the mix of many– my history, my culture, and my name. This past summer I did the SAF Into the Fields internship and learned more about the farmworker movement which inspired me to continue. My experience this summer taught me that there…
Continue Reading The more time passes, the more I learn about myself
A community that reminds me of home
Tyme Nunn My name is Tyme Nunn and I am a junior at Meredith College in Raleigh, North Carolina. When I chose to attend a college in Raleigh, it was a drastic change from the environment I grew up in. I was born and raised in Hamlet, North Carolina. Being in that type of environment allowed me to be immersed in a rural community which has encouraged me to never take for granted the small-town feel and all of the people within it. When I first came across this opportunity with SAF, I was thrilled to find an organization in…
A Little Piece of My Story
Evelyn Archer My name is Evelyn Archer, and I am so excited to be joining SAF as a Solidaridad Program Management intern. Here is a little piece of my story, my passions, my faith, my fears, and my dreams! I was born in Virginia and grew up in the tidewater area of Yorktown. My family home stands no more than a ten minute drive from the site where Cornwallis surrendered to Washington: a historic event marking the end of the American Revolution. Growing up in an area deeply rooted in such historic events spurred a hunger in me for storytelling…
Food Insecurity + Food Justice
Tyshenna Phillips My name is Tyshenna Phillips and I was born in Greenville, North Carolina. I spent a good portion of my childhood in this area surrounded by many farm animals such as cows, pigs, horses, and chickens. I remember as a little girl being able to go outside with my mom and collect pecans, pears, and plums from the trees in my grandmother’s front yard. As I got older, our access to food swiftly changed. I moved to Greensboro, North Carolina in the midst of my fifth grade year. At the time it was just my mom, my younger…
My family is made up of farmworkers
Omar Alejandro Ibarra My name is Omar Alejandro Ibarra and I am a proud Chicano. I am a first-generation student and son of Mexican immigrants. I was born in Kansas, but I come from the small town of Guymon located in the panhandle of Oklahoma. I come from a town that is mostly Latinx in a very conservative state. A town of immigrants. Just this year the BBC published an article on Guymon called “How Mexicans saved a dying US town.” At first, I was only proud of my town and my people getting the recognition they deserved. It wasn’t…