By: Mari Juarez, SAF's Youth Organizing Director
Looking back at my experience and influences that got me to where I am today really makes me emotional. As a leader myself, I must recognize that I am in my position doing the work that I do because another woman had to step out of her comfort zone and do the unthinkable. The woman who inspires me the most is my mom.
I grew up in a trailer that was right next to the dairy farm my parents worked at. It was walking distance, almost like my backyard. Due to the farm being sold, we had to move, and luckily my parents found jobs at a feedlot ranch. My dad oversaw the ranch and my mom helped with medicine and curing calves. I say this because my whole life I have been around cattle and seeing my parents work, day in and day out. They both have endured some intense things, from mistreatment to extreme weather conditions. Through this, I witnessed resistance and courage from them in trying to advocate for better working conditions. All this plays a huge role in how I became inspired to be involved in farmworker justice. The way I saw my mom was in her work clothes. Everyday. She would leave early in the morning, come back at 6 pm, and still cook dinner for her family. She never stopped working. Even if she was home, the work never stopped because she went from taking care of the cattle to taking care of her family. She didn’t even change out of her work clothes before serving dinner. She never complained and did it all over again the next day – 6 days a week. As I think about women who have contributed to the farmworker movement, all I can do is think about all the moms who have a similar day as my mom. Women make up about 34% of farmworkers in the U.S. and they still go home to take care of their family. We have extraordinary icons who have shaped the farmworker movement and women’s history but to me the biggest honor is the moms, sisters, aunts, grandmas who to this day work in agriculture and come home to be full time providers.
Mari Juarez and her mom in 2001
There is a need, a need for security, a need for survival, and because of that need, women endure the most and deserve justice in the workplace. I became an advocate within the farmworker movement because my mom took care of me. She made sure my dreams felt possible, and that was enough for me. If it weren’t for her, perhaps I would continue the cycle and work on the ranch. I am grateful that so many women before me saw that the rest of us can be part of something bigger and better.
Everything I am, I owe to the women before me.