Rebecca

It is amazing what a difference physically being in a place can have. Landscapes truly shape our worlds, and every time I looked across the fields, open, dotted with tractors and disintegrating barns I was reminded of this. Prior to coming to Newton Grove, I had been involved with farmworker advocacy at UNC through a group called Alianza. I had traveled out to Newton Grove and Benson on several occasions even, and had looked at pictures and heard statistic after shocking statistic about farmworker conditions. Yet nothing ever really made an impact on me the way coming here has. Being surrounded by the schools where migrant children go and read and struggle as well as the rows of sweet potatoes and peppers where workers work all day long has affected me more than any statistic ever could. Seeing the attitude of Father Tony and others who tirelessly work toward justice has revealed to me that this advocacy is a fight without end, but even the fight can be positive, it can enrich lives and become not a political struggle, but simply a personal series of choices, stemming from love. The most valuable thing this trip has taught me is that this group of people I keep learning about as a group and analyzing in terms of their victimhood are not simply an oppressed mass. They are people who live and work and struggle individually. They cannot be defined by shocking statistics or bad policy or horrific pictures and stories. No matter the condition of it, these are their lives, and outward appearances are only a small part of them.

Elizabeth

This week has truly been eye-opening. Though prior to the trip I felt well informed about many migrant worker issues due to our class readings, my experiences this week have made these issues real and revealed their depth and complexity. Meeting and making connections with the women in the migrant tutoring center and the children at EFM helped to make all of the readings personal and reinforce that real people are living a life I can barely comprehend. Throughout the trip I often felt overwhelmed by the layers of issues that seem to make up each of the topics we focused on whether education, housing, or pesticide use. However it was inspiring to meet so many people who have committed their lives and careers to helping migrant workers. Father Tony at EFM, Carmen and Lisa Marie at the migrant education center, Ana at Toxic Free NC, and the leaders of FLOC are all exceptional people and completely devoted to bringing about change. I think that visiting our legislators in Raleigh on Wednesday really showed us all our own potential to create change. Just by passing on information to state legislators I felt I was making an impact. It seems many of the injustices faced by migrant workers are tolerated because of a general lack of awareness and indifference. The public needs to not only be educated on these issues but to be continuously confronted with them until changes are made. I feel spreading what we’ve learned on this trip is perhaps one of the best ways we can apply our experiences and stay involved in this issue.

Portia

So the final day of our journey has come. During the course of this trip I have developed a closer relationship with everyone having shared this educational experience with them. I am so glad that I was able to spend my spring break with such a great group of people. Our compassion for the struggle of the farm workers brought us together but now we will continue on our own different paths trying to right the wrongs that these people are experiencing. The trip has really opened my eyes to the struggle that the farm workers face as they pick the fruits and vegetables that we eat everyday. I was always aware that Hispanic and Latino men and women worked in the fields during the summer months because I grew up in the country where I lived next door to tobacco fields. As a child I watched the crop dusters, spay pesticides on the fields right next door to my house and it never occurred to me how dangerous those chemicals could be for the farm workers as well as for myself. After talking with Toxic Free NC I became more aware of the harmful health issues plaguing farm workers who come into direct contact with these pesticides such as chronic cancer. After talking with the state legislatures on Wednesday I realized that our lawmakers are just as oblivious to the struggle of the farm worker as I was. If the people who have the power to make change are unaware of what is going on how can we expect change to ever occur? As I pack to leave tomorrow I am taking back with me the impact that awareness can have in our everyday lives. All those summers ago, when I saw those men and women working in the fields, I was not aware of how they were being made work more than 20 hours a day with little to drink or eat or how they were being made to live isolated from the community in the migrant camps I was not concerned about the hardships they faced because I was not aware of them.. Padre Tony took us to see some of the migrant worker camps this afternoon and I was completely astounding to see these single wide trailers that looked as though they should be condemned by the government. The idea of 40 people inhabit ting these trailers, was heart throbbing because it was apparent that there was definitely not enough room. It was such a sad sight to see and to imagine these people coming in from a hard day’s labor in the fields and not even having a soft comfortable mattress to sleep on, an indoor shower to wash off the pesticides from the fields, or even a spacious kitchen to cook their dinner. It was hard to believe that such a place as this could exist in a country that prides itself on equality and fair treatment for everyone when these people who provide so much to us all are being treated in this way. I really want to make people aware of what I have experienced on this trip because that is the best way to gain support for the issue to initiate change. I believe that awareness is the first step to solving this problem.

Caroline

Going on this ASB trip was such a great decision. Honestly, I kind of wish I were still in Newton Grove. There's something incredibly peaceful about the endless, empty fields of eastern North Carolina.

First of all, the trip was very fun. I made a lot of new friends and am excited about hanging out with them here on campus. We all are very different people, but those differences made the group dynamic that much more interesting and hilarious.

More importantly, the trip taught me a lot. I think those experiences are still teaching me, in fact...I'm still working them out in my head, trying to see what to make of it all. In a way, it was overwhelming to see how intertwined the problems are -- when you see a middle school Latino boy struggling with his multiplication tables, it's just the tip of the iceberg. You have to think about how often he has to move with his family from farm to farm, the language barrier he faces at school, the terrible working environment in his crowded and dark trailer, etc, etc. How can a boy like that make it through to graduation? and, if he does, what prospects does he have for the future? All these interlocking problems and questions can seem insurmountable.

But then you see someone like Father Tony who works so hard to make life better for the farmworkers in his area. Then it seems worth it to go ahead and make what difference you can. Tutoring someone for an hour is better than nothing. Informing people about the dangers of green tobacco sickness is work in the right direction. Progress comes piece by piece.

Christina

Although I was aware of the issues facing farmworkers on a surface level before this trip, through this experience I have realized the depth and complexity of these problems. This trip put faces on what was before merely stories composed of typed words on a page. I was especially touched by a woman that I tutored at the Migrant Education Program on Tuesday. For the first hour, we stumbled through the concepts of verbs and nouns without much of a connection—there was only a sense of frustration that I couldn’t convey to her the information effectively and she couldn’t seem to grasp it. We finally paused and began to talk—she told me how she had kids in Mexico who she hadn’t seen in years and how she was embarrassed that she couldn’t speak English after living here so long. We spoke for a while and once we began the lesson again edge of frustration was gone – for some reason after our brief small talk the rest seemed easier. Not only did meeting and speaking to this woman put a face on the struggles of a migrant living here, but it solidified how essential education is. If this woman learned English she could help her kids with schoolwork and the cycle so often present in these situation would have a chance of breaking. Further, this trip has opened my eyes to the extent of poverty and barriers facing the migrant demographic that I was largely unaware of. As cliché as it sounds, it solidified how lucky I am to have all of the advantages that I do and that I want to serve others in some capacity throughout my life. Additionally, the attitude that Father Tony at EFM had toward service really inspired me. He has a certain authenticity and empathy that he carried. He is connected to the community in a grandfatherly way that seems to bring a bit of comfort in the midst of tough circumstances. The issues I have learned about on this trip will definitely remain with me, but I was most affected by individuals—by the struggles of the woman I tutored and by the example of servitude Father Tony presented.

Brigitte

I sit and wonder as I type this final blog on how much I have changed since the beginning of this trip. I reflect and analyze every moment since we arrived in this church that lives in the middle of nowhere. I begin to wonder about what lies ahead and find myself thinking, what’s next? What do we do now? I know the first couple of days back are going to be difficult because everyone is going there separate ways, how do I re-assimilate back into our college culture? The experiences I have share with everyone else can be described or encapsulated by words. Yet, some how I must do this. Some how I must find a way to express the altruism and compassion I have seen from not only the members of this trip but of mothers, fathers, farmers, workers, church members, teachers even children. It goes beyond blogs and PowerPoint and I wish I could somehow exchange the emotions I have felt so someone else could understand.
I know that we have planned to go back again in May when the farmers arrived. We might even make a trip earlier than that. Father Tony has been such an extraordinary host and I only hope that his goals of helping the migrant workers become a reality. There is so much work to be done and I’m so glad that there is motivation and dedication from such a small group of people. We spoke about how many organizations are born as a result of this trip. I do not want to create another small group. What I hope to achieve or take part in is the melding of all groups. Each one has focused on one particular issue, but if combined the resources and process of getting things done will make tremendous amounts of progress.
I’m glad I went on this trip and met and got to know the people in my group. We all are so unique yet all seem to understand and appreciate our differences. This trip is nothing that I expected but has given me more than I ever planned to take back. In one short week, I have seen a change. And once again my faith in humanity has been restored. However, there are still many things to overcome and much we that we all have left to do.

I hope who ever has read this will ask themselves not “what do we do?”, but “how do we do what needs to be done?”. And I’ll do the same.

Olivia

Well today was the last day of our trip and we’re heading back to Chapel Hill tomorrow. I’ve had a great time getting to know the rest of the girls and most of all learning about the Episcopal Farmworker Ministry and farmworker issues. I honestly had never thought about farmworker issues prior to having discussions in class and attending the trip. I’ve realized that there are probably a lot of students at UNC who have no idea where their fruit, sweet potatoes, and peppers are coming from let alone that the workers picking them are being treated unfairly and some are even living in inhumane conditions. After going on this trip, I plan to educate my friends and family about the issues that farmworkers face, just an hour away from Chapel Hill. There are plenty of organizations working to help farmworkers but I believe there just simply isn’t enough educated support out in the community to help volunteer and advocate for farmworker’s rights. I believe that many of the issues that groups like FLOC (Farm Labor Organizing Committee) and Toxic Free NC are trying to address will eventually be taken seriously and fixed but it’s going to take a lot of time and hard work. These groups need supporters to help lobby for their positions and fund their boycotts in order to make a difference.
Another thing that I learned on this trip that will stick with me is how intertwined all of the Latino issues are, from illegal immigration on the national level to ESL programs in local elementary schools. After helping tutor for a day with Lisamaria, who works for Sampson county schools, it was sad not only to see how behind some of the children are with their schoolwork but the conditions that they live in. No matter how much effort Lisamaria puts in to tutoring all of these children, there is only so much she can do and often times that just is not enough. I think the most important thing that I will take away from this trip is understanding how all of these issues relate. Even though it may seem as though we, as students, can’t really make a difference in changing such large issues we actually can help by starting from the bottom or more local issues, like tutoring at local schools, and slowly work our way up by educating our friends about these issues and getting more support. Eventually, with time, these farmworker conditions and education systems will improve.
Overall, I really enjoyed the trip. I’ve learned a lot this week and definitely plan on sharing my knowledge and getting involved with groups on campus that continue to work for and support similar issues.