Defending the Lives of Farmworkers and the Salton Sea

Elisa Guevara leads protests over rent hikes and high rates for undrinkable water “We’re a forgotten community. We’re invisible,” she said. “There’s hardly any housing for farmworkers, so park operators can rent us dilapidated trailers. Workers go without electricity and a sewer system, or live with contaminated water.”

Braceros Organize After Death of Farmworker

A farmworker’s death in Washington prompted his fellow braceros to put their livelihoods in jeopardy by going on strike and risking deportation. The death pushed the workers into an action unprecedented in farm labor history. When they were fired for protesting, they joined the new union for farmworkers.

Hidden Crisis of Homelessness on Tribal Lands

Large U.S. cities are known for high rates of homelessness. The housing emergency on tribal lands is hidden, but just as devastating. Housing shortages and evictions have created a quiet crisis of homelessness for Native Americans. The Trump administration plans to slash housing funding to Native American tribes.

Historic State Fair Exhibit Recognizes Farmworkers

“We wouldn’t be here without the work of farmworkers,” said State Senator Ben Hueso. “The legislature now includes members who worked in the fields themselves, or have family who did, who know what it’s like to work in 100 degree heat, to suffer the hardest conditions and work the longest hours.”

Tenants Alarmed at Mistreatment by Redwood Gardens

Redwood Gardens has received many complaints from residents about hazardous conditions, barriers for disabled residents and a deterioration in the quality of living conditions. As Miriam Berg said, “Once again we ask that HUD intervene and either remove CSI from managing this place or bring them to heel!”

Post-Traumatic Stress After 1,460 Days in a Tent

How does it feel to be free from homelessness? It’s like a soldier coming home from war and being forced to cope with a life that has changed forever. Like veterans, homeless people suffer from post-traumatic stress. In both cases, help is hard to find — and people die in both cases.

Fighting for the Sanctuary Workplace

The Trump administration has put the idea of sanctuaries on steroids — spaces free from the threat of raids and deportations. As immigrant workers and unions look for creative ways to counter anti-immigrant onslaughts, they’re adopting the sanctuary framework to deal with the dangers faced on the job.

A New Way of Seeing

Homelessness is about discovering that your lifelong friends and family, the very people you thought were truly supportive, are suddenly very leery of you.