Service Learning Blog 3

Service Learning from November 17, 2011

Activism:

On this day our group met up with Lariza, our service coordinator.  We wanted to review our project with her, and wrap up our experience.  She gave us more information on YAYA and the National Farm Worker’s Ministry, and told us how appreciative the women of AMA were for our assistance.  Lindsey, Carmen, and I are each very excited to see the play once it is ready to be shown, and we hope it is a great success.

Reflection:

The information Lariza gave us covered issues women face as a farm worker.  Lariza said they were the most exploited workers in the country, even more vulnerable than the men.  In the fields, women will wear baggy clothes and wear bandannas over their faces to prevent sexual harassment.  90% of women farm workers in California see sexual harassment as a serious problem.  Women are afraid to report sexual encounters for fear of losing their jobs, being turned in to immigration authorities, or being separated from their families.  Women working in the field are also susceptible to serious illnesses because of the pesticides they are constantly exposed to, which can cause infertility, miscarriages, and birth defects in their children, which is an example of reproductive injustice (p. 214).  The government could prevent this discrimination by creating and enforcing laws to protect the women workers, their health, and children, however they continue to let the injustice happen to save money and create less hassle for the businesses that employ these women. 

While there are some laws against these heinous crimes, they often go unheeded because it is easy for the employers to get away with it.  “In 1979 the UN adopted the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women,” but the US has yet to adopt it (p. 271).  We have acknowledged that the violence and sexual harassment of women must be stopped, but we have done nothing to stop it.  Sociologist Michael Kimmel said, “sexual harassment fuses two levels of power: the power of employers over employees and the power of men over women” (p. 266-267).  Without the eradication of inequality, oppression, and injustice these crimes against women will unfortunately continue.

Reciprocity:

To hear Lariza speak of how much we helped and meant to the women of AMA was moving and rewarding, but I think the experience and the opportunity to help them was enough in itself.  Lariza told us more about the play, detailing each specific scene and how it will give farm workers more knowledge about the pesticides they work with and their dangers.  The first scene is a group of farm workers talking to bugs about the dangers of pesticides.  The second scene is about preventing the pesticides from being brought into homes, with suggestions such as washing the farm workers clothes separately from others, washing off and changing clothes before hugging your children.  The third scene discusses how pesticides affect reproductive and women’s health.  The final scene covers pesticides in the home, giving information such as how many pesticides are in bug spray and cleaning supplies, and how to prevent the necessity of using them too often.  I truly hope many people come to see the play and are able to learn about the harms of pesticides, and how to prevent the many illnesses that are caused by pesticides. 

Word Count: 561

Work Cited:

Kirk, Gwyn and Margo Okazawa-Rey.  Women’s Lives: Multicultural Perspectives.  Fifth ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2010.

Youth and Young Adult Network of the National Farm Worker Ministry.  www.nfwm-yaya.org

Service Learning Blog 2

Service Learning from October 23, 2011

(I’m so sorry this is being posted so late!)

Activism:

On this day Lindsey, Carmen, and I went to Seville and finished our work with AMA and NFWM.  Lindsey and I finished painting our set, and put further details on it to make it truly spectacular.  Carmen and other volunteers from AMA worked together to make posters with information of the Poison Control Hotline, recycling information, and more information that the audience who comes to see the play may need.  Once again, the time flew by and before we knew it we were faced with our finished products.  We are very proud of what we have accomplished, and we were sad to have our project end so quickly.  We hope to go back to Seville to see the production if we’re able.  We plan to meet up with Lariza (our coordinator from NFWM) sometime soon to review our project and see if there’s anything else we can do. 

Reflection:

This past week during our Environmental Scavenger Hunt, we learned about women’s impact on the environment, and how women are working to prevent more destruction to the environment.  This is precisely what NFWM and AMA are working to do with their project.  These groups are concerned with the harsh chemicals that large produce corporations are putting into the environment.  The groups are working to promote environmental justice (p. 541) for the workers and families that are constantly exposed to the chemicals.  Through the play the groups have created, they are teaching the workers and their families the truth about the chemicals and the illnesses that can come from them.  I admire their work very much, and I’m very grateful to have been a help to their cause.

Reciprocity:

What stood out to me the most this week during our time in Seville were the three members of the AMA Youth Group that came to help us create signs.  These three girls, ages 20, 18, and 10 are family, the two oldest are sisters, and the youngest is their cousin.  We asked them about their work with AMA, their lives, their goals, etc., and this led them to tell us their heart-wrenching story.  The two sisters lost their mother in a car accident when the older sister was seven, and then lost their father to cancer just a couple of years ago.  To see these girls bravely tell their story to us -a group of strangers at the time- was incredible.  The strength and fortitude they have shown at their age is inspiring.  Even though they have suffered a tremendous amount of loss, they are still optimistic and hard-working girls.  They are striving to make a good life for themselves by finishing school, working, and going to college. 

These girls blew me away and made me ashamed of myself.  Just earlier that week I had called my mom (again) to complain about the rising gas prices and my car’s terrible gas mileage.  I would need more than just two hands to count how many times I have complained about trivial things within the past month alone.  While my life has not always been a bed of roses, I have no reason to complain about my petty problems while there are people who are truly suffering every day of their lives and are just trying to survive.  I am so glad those girls came in and told us their story.  It helps put life in perspective, and teaches us to count our blessings.

Work Cited

Kirk, Gwyn and Margo Okazawa-Rey.  Women’s Lives: Multicultural Perspectives.  Fifth ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2010.

My friend posted this in her blog, and I thought I'd pass it along.  I feel like it goes along with our readings this week about the slut walk and women's sexuality.