By Sarah Levesque, Sustainability Director for Northwestern University Dining
Each year we celebrate National Farmworker Awareness Week (NFAW) in March, a time to honor the significant contributions farmworkers make to our daily lives.
Tomás and the Library Lady
This year, NU Dining is calling attention to farmworkers by helping promote The Wirtz Center for the Performing Arts at Northwestern University's production of "Tomás and the Library Lady," filmed and available for weekend streaming between March 12 and 28. The performance tells the true story of American educational leader and author Tomás Rivera, the son of migrant farmworkers, as he gains access to education through the help of a librarian. The bilingual production includes dialogue and songs in both English and Spanish and is recommended for young audiences (children aged 5-12) and those young at heart.
COVID-19 has taken its toll on farmworkers
Another reason this year is unique is our ability to look back and see the outcome of the COVID-19 pandemic on some of the most vulnerable populations in our country, farmworkers.
While farmworkers didn't suffer the same levels of unemployment during 2020 as other industries did, they are on the front lines of our food system during a pandemic. Many are unable to access social safety nets that others have taken for granted during this past year including unemployment insurance and stimulus checks from the federal government.
Farmworkers already work in dangerous conditions on a daily basis: spraying toxic pesticides and herbicides, working in extreme heat, with the threat of sexual violence and harassment, and for some, deportation. COVID-19 exacerbated these conditions and added the concern of catching a deadly virus as farmworkers do not have the privilege of working from home.
On top of all of that, many farmworkers cannot access federal unemployment, stimulus checks, or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits due to immigration status in most states. Some states such as California have passed legislation to grant access to these resources for farm workers and undocumented persons, but most states have not.
Please take time to sign the petitions and read some of the resources below to learn more.
Help Illinois Farmworkers by visiting the Farmworker and Landscaper Advocacy Project
Connect with other students raising awareness for farmworkers at with Student Action with Farmworkers
Tell Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to protect farmworkers during COVID-19
Or send him a letter
Send a letter to Congress advocating for farmworkers in the next Cares bill:
Learn more from the Student/Farmworker Alliance
Learn more from the Farm Labor Organizing Committee (FLOC)
