Published by United Farm Worker

California Town Declared LeukemiaCluster

Jennifer has cancer, andalthough she is in remission,her parents fear she willhave a relapse.

Fowler the average is I in 227.Jennifer's father, Dan, believes that

the city, county and state have done littleto help Fowler's children. He believesthat pesticides and fertilizers have con­taminated the water supply.

City officials insist Fowler's water issafe. "How can they say it's safe to have1 part per contaminant per billion, or 10'parts, or 40 parts?" Dan asked. "Noneof this is based on health data. Theybase their information on what is okayfor a 165-pound, 25-year-old male. I'mnot 25. And my children aren't. Whatdo these contamination levels mean to ababy or a child?

"The people 1 really feel for are thefarm workers. Those peo'ple are goingout in those fields and getting hit everyday and so are their children."

Jennifer's illness is not the onlytragedy the Shepherds have experienced.Pat had two miscarriages and a still­birth before she had Jennifer. TheShepherds have since moved fromFowler, but when they were there, theylived across the street from a vineyard

W hen the media in Fowler, Califor­nia reported there were two cases

of children with leukemia in the town of3,000, Pat Shepherd, the mother of two,became concerned.

"I remember hearing about the casesand counting my blessings that mydaughters, Danille and Jennifer, werehealthy. Shortly after that, Jennifer wasdiagnosed with cancer, with leukemia,"Pat said.

Jennifer may seem like an unlikely vic­tim of pesticide poisoning. The six-year­old girl does not have farm workerparents. (Her father is a barber.) Jen­nifer's only connection with agricultureis that she had the misfortune to live in atown surrounded by fields. Of four chil­dren diagnosed with cancer between1981 and 1984 in Fowler, Jennifer is thesole survivor.

Fowler is the latest California town tobe designated a "statistically significantcancer cluster" according to state offi­cials. Fowler has 3,500070 the expectedrate of cancer. The national average ofchildren with cancer is 1 in 8,000; in

Managing Editor.

Armando Garcia

Editor.

Cesar Chavez

Writers:Marvin CortnerFr. Ken IrrgangKimberly K Lawson

Associate Editor.

Rev. Chris Hartmire

~Arturo RodriguezArturo MendozaOscar MondragonBen Maddock

Magazine of the UnitedFarm Workers ofAmerica, AFL·CIOLa Paz, Keene, CA 93570®~±~11

Volume 3, Number 10

Food and Justice

November 1986

PhotOllrapher.

Victor Aleman

National Executive Board:

President:Cesar ChavezSecretary·Treasurer:Peter VelascoFirst Vice-President:Dolores HuertaSecond Vice·President:Frank OrtizThird Vice·President:David Martinez

Production Director.

Paul Chavez

FOOD AND JUSTICE (ISSN0885-0704) is published monthlyfor $5 per year by the United FarmWorkers of America, AFL·CIO, OldHighway 58, La Paz, California93570. Second·class postage ispaid at Keene, California.POSTMASTER: Send addresschanges to FOOD AND JUSTICEP.O. 62, La Paz, California 93570.'

EDITORIAL

ThankSgiving Day is upon us again - a national holi­day of thanksgiving services, family get-togethers,

and t.urkey, potatoes, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin piepOUrIng out of the Horn of Plenty.

But behind that familiar scene is another shamefulone that still persists after' 27 years: Edward R.Murrow's "Harvest of Shame," a TV documentary onthe miserable lives of migrant farm workers first shownon Thanksgiving Eve in 1959.

The irony shocked Americans: The very people whoharvested the food for Thanksgiving feasts werethemselves too poor to put food on the table to feedtheir families.

Little has changed. Just a few years after Murrow'sfi~m,. in 1965, we began our first grape boycott. AfterwInnIng that, we had to start another boycott in 1973.Now, in 1986, it's the same old story. Growers haveonce again forced farm workers to begin a boycott of allCalifornia table grapes to regain their rights to free andfair elections, good-faith bargaining by growers andprotection from the poison of pesticides. '

But there's a big difference in this boycott. Nowgrowers are so recklessly saturating crops with deadlypesticides. that re~idues on food make the Horn of Plentyas potentially pOIsonous for consumers as working withthem in the fields is for farm workers.~rowers are no longer feeding people - they're poi­

sonIng them.Twenty-seven years later, Murrow wou1d be as

ashamed and as proud of a new film we have produced"The Wrath of Grapes," as he was of "Harvest ofShame" - ashamed that farm workers are still abusedbut proud that the peril of pesticides to them and con­sumers is being exposed. y

23

Dan and Pat Shepherd believe that Fowler's water is contaminated and that this con­tamination is responsible for their daughter's illness.

and a well."Many nights they were spraying

pesticides," Dan said. "And I wouldwake in the morning with my eyesswollen shut."

Although Jennifer has been in remis­sion since August 1984, the Shepherdsconstantly fear she will have a relapse.The Shepherds hope that no other chil­dren will share Jennifer's experience.

Dan said, "I want people who readthis magazine to know they are not safe.Just because you are white, middle-classor educated does not mean you are notat risk of being contaminated - it doesnot mean your children are not at risk."

Christopher Guerra was not as luckyas Jennifer. He died of leukemia inApril, 1984; he was 12 years old. He wasHelen Gu~rra's youngest child.

Helen lived in Fowler since 1952, butshe moved after Chris died. "I justcouldn't bear the memories," she said.

Helen said her son began feeling ill inthe summer of 1982. When the doctortold the Guerras that Chris had leuke­mia, the family was stunned. "Iasked,'Why my son?'" Helen said."Then I thought, why should fourchildren get sick? This is not a largetown. There has to be something in thewater. "

The state is sending the leukemia vic­tims' parents questionaires about their

4

lifestyles. H~len does not believe thesewill help much. "What do these childrenhave in common?" she asked. "Theyhave different cultures; they eat dif­ferent foods. The only thing they have in'common is the water they drank and theair they breathed."

Helen said her son died a slow, pain­ful death. "I just hope no other childgets sick like Chris did," she said. "Iwish people would be more aware of thepesticides and what they do. It hurts somuch to lose a child. They suffer somuch.

"I want to tell people: beware ofpesticides. Avoid them. Love yourchildren, because they could be gone oneday." YHelen Guerra lost her youngest son toleukemia.

Boycott Actions Across the U .8. - And a

Near Miracle in Canada

I t wasn't exactly a case of changing table - "filled with the forbiddenwater to wine at the wedding in Cana fruit," she said. She quickly informed

_ but close. President Albert, who in turn called forAt a dinner meeting of district the Hilton manager. Albert loudly

presidents of the Ontario Secondary demanded, for all to hear, that theSchool Teachers Federation at the grapes be removed immediately: "TheHilton Hotel in Toronto on October 3, OSSTF supports farm workers and theirLupe and Maria Martinez, UFW boy- table grape boycott!"cott organizers in Canada, were invited "The heat generated by the anger ofto make a presentation on the table Albert and the district presidents hadgrape boycott. Present were 130 district those grapes turning into raisins fast,"presidents representing 36,000 Canadian said Lupe Martinez. "Within minutesteachers, headed by Rod Albert, presi- the manager had all the chefs anddent of the federation. waiters and waitresses come out of the

Martinez explained the boycott, kitchen, collect the grapes in plasticshowed the new boycott film, "The bags, and throw them in the garbage. ItWrath of Grapes," and asked for the was a beautiful sight," Lupe said.teachers' support. The presidents voted The OSSTF voted to join the UFWunanimously to endorse the grape Solidarity Membership program with aboycott. monthly contribution of $200 to the

Then the near miracle. As the various boycott, and all the delegates purchaseddishes were served, Maria noticed that and wore boycott buttons. "That was aamong them were fruit baskets for each beautiful sight, too," Lupe said.

UFW supporters and officers of OSSTF: (from left to right, seated) Fay Savage,secretary for provincial executive; Jim Head, vice president; Rod Albert, president;Ruth Bauman, vice president; Burt Cottenden, treasurer; (from left to right, stand­ing) Graham Carr, executive officer; Dorris St. Amanda, executive officer; KimMcCulloch, executive; and Morris Richardson, general secretary.

Cesar Chavez leadssupporters on a picketline in lIouston.

Photo by Craig Hartley.

"The Houston Post"

Texas

Rebecca Flores Harrington, UFWdirector for Texas, reported that contin­uing boycott actions were highlighted bythe four-day visit of UFW PresidentCesar Chavez to three Texas cities inmid-September. In Dallas, Chavezattended a state-wide Peace and JusticeConference and showed "The Wrath ofGrapes" film to the more than 300participants.

In San Antonio the next day, Chavezparticipated in a Mass celebrated byArchbishop Patricio Flores at the SanFernando Cathedral. Archbishop Floresendorsed the boycott, and after theMass, Chavez met with farm workers,seminarians, and parishioners. OtherSan Antonio boycott endorsementscame from State Representatives TommyAdkisson, Frank MadIa, and GregLuna.

In Houston, Chavez walked with sup­porters on a picket line in front of Ran­dall's Food Market. Afterward, Chavezaddressed several groups and showedthem "The Wrath of Grapes." Thegroups included the Houston MetroMinistry, representing 100 different con­gregations; the Jewish Federation ofGreater Houston; the Gay PoliticalCaucus; the Houston Central LaborCouncil; and students at the Universityof Houston.

6

Among the many who endorsed thegrape boycott in Houston were BishopJoseph Fiorenza; State RepresentativesRoman Martinez, Larry Evans, AIEdwards, Erwin Barton, Harold Dut­ton, Senfronia Thompson, DavidPetronella, Debra Danberg, Paul Col­bert, and Ron Wilson; and City Coun­cilman Ben Reyes.

Michigan

Artie Mendoza and the boycott staffin Michigan accompanied Chavez on atwo-day trip to the University ofMichigan in Ann Arbor and WayneState University in Detroit in lateSeptember. Chavez first met with theUFW Support Group headed by Presi­dent Roberto Frisancho. At an after­noon reception, Chavez was introducedby Ann Arbor Mayor Ed Pierce to uni­versity officials and students and to localcommunity and political leaders.

Chavez also participated in a HewlittFoundation seminar on conflict manage­ment and met with local labor leadersbefore making a major speech and filmpresentation at the university'sRackham Amphitheatre in the evening.

Chavez then went to Wayne StateUniversity in Detroit for a reception andluncheon meeting with labor leaders. Healso met with officials of the WalterReuther Library, the depository forUFW archives.

St. LouisDolores Huerta, first vice-president of

the UFW, and Frank Ortiz, director ofthe Chicago-based Midwest Boycott,were invited to St. Louis to promote theboycott at the three-day Sixth NationalMembership Meeting of the LaborCouncil for Latin American Advance­ment (LCLAA) in late September.Huerta addressed the more than 300delegates and then introduced "TheWrath of Grapes." The delegatesreacted to the horrors of the pesticidemenace depicted in the film with a ring­ing endorsement of the table grapeboycott and a donation of $1,500.

"It's amazing how little most peopleknow about what pesticide poisoning isdoing to farm workers, townspeople,and consumers," Huerta said, "butthey're stunned and angry after they seethe film."Mid-Atlantic Boycott

The Mid-Atlantic Boycott office inNew York City reported that labor net­working is proving to be an effectivestrategy in spreading the news about thetable grape boycott. Boycott DirectorArturo Rodriguez said that Thomas VanArsdale, president of the New York CityLabor Council, recently sent out a letterto affiliates asking local labor leaders tocontact major stores and demand thatthey take table grapes off their shelves.

"This action by Van Arsdale really putsteeth into an endorsement of the boycottmade earlier by the council," Rodriguezsaid.

Rodriguez also said the UFW Solidar­ity Membership program is proving a bigboost for the boycott. Gold Eagle mem­berships have been subscribed to by theNew York Metro Postal Union and theUnited Federation of Teachers, Local#2.

"But it's not just the financial helpwe've been getting," Rodriguez said."We've been given office space, free useof phones, and all kinds of materials byseveral unions." He cited several indi­viduals and unions who have madesizable contributions: Bettye Roberts,president, and Bob McEnroe, executivedirector, of the American Federation ofState, City, and Municipal Employees,District Council 1707; Vito Pitta, presi­dent of the. Hotel and Motel TradesCouncil; Beverly Gans, director ofUnited Auto Workers Sub-Region 9A;Barry Markman, vice-president of thePublic Employees Federation; Enio Car­rion, president of the Hispanic LaborCouncil; George Boncoraglio, presidentof the Civil Service Employees Associa­tion, Local 1000, Region 2; and DavidDyson, director of the Union LabelDepartment of the Amalgamated Cloth­ing and Textile Workers Union. Y

The United Federa­tion of Teachers,Local #2 present theirGold Eagle SolidarityMembership to Ar­turo Rodriguez, boy­cott director. Fromleft to right are: Ed­win Espaillat, vicepresident; ArturoRodriguez; SandraFeldman, president;lrv Hershenbaum,UFW staff; andGeorge Altomare,American Federationof Teachers.

7

GUEST COLUMN

Pesticides and ToxicContamination

Penny Newman

9

Penny Newman is the Chair of CNAand lives in Glen A von, near Riverside,California. Michael Picker is the Execu­tive Director of the TCA.

these chemical dependent industries.Unless we act, they will continue to .pollute our food, homes and work­places. Ultimately, our fight is the sameas the farm workers' - for justice andfor our children. By continuing to workand fight alongside each other, we willfinally win. Y

By Penny Newman and Michael Picker

I t's not only that the problem of tox­ics is getting worse - we're finally

finding out what's already in our air,water and food. California recentlyrequired that drinking water be testedfor synthetic chemicals. One of the firststudies under this new law shows thatone in every four drinking water wellshas been contaminated.

One of the toxic pollutants threaten­ing my home is the deadly pesticideDDT. When the Environmental Protec­tion Agency finally banned DDT, it stillallowed a company to make it to selloverseas. But the hazardous wastes frommaking it remain in this country andthreaten our communities. My familysuffers health problems because of thisirresponsible behavior.

Where pesticides are concerned, youcan run, but you can't hide. So we arefighting back. Our group, ConcernedNeighbors in Action, began in 1979 byfighting for the cleanup of the String­fellow A::id Pits. We are now unitedwith other groups in the Toxics Coor­dinating Project, a network of morethan 100 organizations and leaders con­cerned about toxics in the workplace andenvironment.

Recently, the TCA joined CesarChavez and the UFW in demanding thatthe EPA enforce a worldwide and totalban on the pesticide Dinoseb, whichrecent tests have shown causes birthdefects. Shortly after, the EPA bannedits use and sale in the U.S. but stillallows it to be sold overseas.

We are all becoming the victims of

]

I

1

I n 1970, the UFW was successful in Lightstone, California Rural Legalgetting DDT banned in fields covered Assistance Foundation; Dr. Don Villa-

by UFW contracts. It took the Environ- rejo, California Institute for Ruralmental Protection Agency (EPA) two Studies; and Michael Picker, Toxicsmore years to ban this pesticide Coordinating Project.nationwide. Dinoseb has contaminated ground

In 1984, the UFW demanded the ban- water in three states (California, Newning of five deadly pesticides as part of York, and Massachusetts) and has beentable grape boycott. The EPA was again found to adversely affect the eyes, lungs,unconscionably slow. On October 7, the skin, liver, kidney and brain. It has alsoagency finally banned one of these been found to cause severe birth defectspesticides - Dinoseb. and male sterility.

"We know that with the California EPA spokesperson, Al Heier, wasDepartment of Food and Agriculture asked why the agency banned Dinoseband the EPA, the primary concern is not now. He said it was because the EPAhuman health and safety," Cesar received data linking Dinoseb to birthChavez said at a press conference in San defects. Heier said it took awhile to getFrancisco shortly before the ban was this data. This is an understatement.announced. Dinoseb has been in use for almost 40

Chavez was joined at the conference years.by representatives from five environ- Heier said that growers and manufac-mental and farm worker advocacy turers can appeal the suspension andgroups. Calling for the immediate, cancellation of Dinoseb.world-wide ban of Dinoseb were: Dr. Chavez commented, "It is time thatMarion Moses, National Farm Workers public health and not agribusiness pro-Health Group; Karen Synder, Natural fits be the priority in decisions regardingResources Defense Council; Ralph pesticide use." YDemanding the world-wide ban of Dinoseb at a San Francisco press conference are:(from left to right) Karen Synder, Ralph Lightstone, Cesar Chavez. Dr. MarionMoses. Michael Picker, and Dr. Don Villarejo.

EPA Finally Acts: DinosebBanned

A Story Too Often Told

California Governor's VetoAngers McFarland Residents

11

A4cFar/and has 400% the expectedrate of cancer. A study to find out

• why is "premature" according toDeukmejian.

four of the city's six wells have nitrateconcentrations above state standards.

Senator "Shocked"

"Fiscal integrity" was the reasonDeukmejian gave for his veto of the$125,000 appropriation. "I was shockedby the veto," said Sen. Walter W. Stiern(D-Bakersfield), author of the bill. "Itwas such a minuscule amount ofmoney." He was also disgusted becauseMcFarland research could have been usedfor 84 other rural communities withwater that the Health Services Depart­ment says does not meet the state'sdrinking water standard for nitrates.

Teresa Buenthello was almost as mys­tified as angry about Deukmejian'sstrange sense of values. "The lives ofkids are more important than money,"she said, "and 1 can't help but wonderhow many more children like my littleTresa will have to die before he'll sign abill like that." ...,.

, 'I couldn't believe it when 1 foundout [Republican Gov. George]

Deukmejian vetoed that bill," saidTeresa Buenthello, whose four-year-olddaughter, Tresa, died of cancer twoyears ago. Tresa was one of 13 childrenwho have been diagnosed with cancerand one of six who have already died inrecent years in McFarland, one of twotowns known as "cancer clusters" (seepage 3) in California's agriculturally richSan Joaquin Valley.

What infuriated Buenthello, othercancer victims' parents, and the major­ity of the 6,000 residents was Deukme­jian's veto of legislation that would haveprovided money to determine why somany children are dying of cancer in thesmall town.

Health experts are convinced the highrate of cancer is being caused bypesticides and nitrate-containing fer­tilizers leaching into the water systemfrom surrounding agricultural fields.Nitrates have been linked to cancer, and

A4ayra Sanchez M thethirteenth A4cFarlandchild to contract cancer.

daughter to improve."Now, Mayra is completely helpless.

She cannot walk, talk or do anything forherself. Her parents feed her through atube in her stomach.

Like many other McFarland parentswith sick children, the Sanchezes blamethe town's water. Esmeralda believes thewater is contaminated. "Some days thewater is so filthy, we cannot take ashower," she said. "Sometimes thewater smells like bleach. It is disgusting,and 1 think the town should clean thewater up."

But town and state officials are nothelping. Even if something was donenow, it might be too late for Mayra.

Esmeralda said, "We try to have faiththat she will improve, but we don'tknow. Sometimes we don't even know ifour daughter recognizes us. When wecall her name, she turns toward us, butwe just don't know.""'"

10

W e have told this story before.A child in McFarland, California

becomes ill. The parents take the child toa doctor and are told their son ordaughter has cancer.

Mayra Sanchez, 6, and her parents arethe latest McFarland family to gothrough this heart-breaking experience.Mayra was diagnosed as having a braintumor, an illness which makes her thethirteenth child to be diagnosed withcancer in McFarland since 1981.

Alejandro and Esmeralda Sanchezsaid their daughter was a normal childthe first five years of her life. Butspecialists who have been treating Mayrado not believe she will ever be normalagain.

"The doctors don't think Mayra willrecuperate," Esmeralda said. "Eventhough they say this, we have seen someimprovements. But we might see thembecause we are so desperate for our

Pesticide Drift

Contaminates

Workers and

Grapes

The pesticide applicator told Maria Gomez, a farm worker, that he was not sprayinga harmful chemical. Gomez' doctors would probably disagree.

12

I nsecticide drifting from an orangegrove poisoned 59-year-old Maria J.

Gomez and 10 other farm workers pick­ing and packing table grapes in a vineyardon the Marko Zaninovich ranch nearPoplar, California on September 5.

The incident involves negligence andlying by two growers, a slow countyinvestigation, questionable state residuetests and possible grape contamination.

The Incident

"The sprayer told us in the morningthat he was using something to improvethe color of the oranges and not anythingdangerous," said Gomez, a grape packerfrom Earlimart and a 25-year employeeof Zaninovich. "Most of the crewbelieved the sprayer because he wasn'twearing protective clothes. I had mydoubts because the chemical smelled likea skunk and the oranges were too small."

Spraying in the orange grove, ownedby ANR Pistachio Company, continuedall morning. After lunch, the sprayerreturned but with protective gear - clothgloves and what amounted to a surgicalmask. Gomez said this is when the crewstopped believing the sprayer's story.

About 2 p.m., workers started gettingsick. Instead of moving the crew, onesupervisor, who also became ill, told theworkers to hurry - that they had tofinish and get out of the area.

"We still had at least 60 boxes ofgrapes to pack," said Gomez, "and wehad full trays on the ground. It didn'tmake much sense to hurry."

"By this time, I had a bad headache,nausea, eye irritation and sweating," saidGomez. "My face went numb. I startedseeing black spots and I passed out. Thenext thing I remember is waking up in theDelano Medical Center - at 3:40 p.m."

The doctors' reports show that Gomezand the other workers (who came to thehospital at the end of their shifts) hadindeed been poisoned. The chemical wasactually Supracide, a dangerousrestricted-use organophosphate and asuspected carcinogen. It can kill workerswith prolonged exposure and is illegal for

use on grapes.

The Investigation

The Tulare County AgricultureDepartment didn't start its investigationuntil September 9. Its notification camefrom neighboring Kern County officialswho heard about the incident from"unofficial" sources in Delano. TheTulare County Health Department hasno record that the Delano Medical Centerever reported the poisonings as requiredby law.

"Of course the grapes/ were sprayed. I should

know, I was in thevineyard packing them. "

- Maria Gomez

For its part, the 'California Departmentof Food and Agriculture did not test thegrapes for residue until September 11 andthen its samples came from boxes thatZaninovich workers said were "set aside"for inspectors at the company's Delanowarehouse. After testing, the CDFA offi­cials declared the grapes "residue free"and legal.

Curiously, only one of the state's testswas sensitive enough to detect Supracideresidue levels below .05 parts per million,the Environmental Protection Agency'stolerance for this chemical on most pro­duce. The other tests all had sensitivitiesof .165 p.p.m. In addition, the EPA onlyuses a safety factor of 10 to set thistolerance rather than the normal 100.

"Zaninovich is no fool," said Gomez."The company could easily have changedgrapes or switched labels." Gomez alsosaid that company officials told workersthat it "dumped" the sprayed grapes.State officials say the grapes are still inthe warehouse. Zaninovich either lied toworkers or to government officials.

"I wouldn't eat those grapes," saidGomez, "and consumers should knowthat the grapes with the Supracide onthem are SUNVIEW brand Thompsonseedless." Y

13

For the Children's Sake

many more have gone unreported ­took place on September 6, 1985, when aschool bus on its way to the San LucasElementary School was engulfed in acloud of pesticides from a crop-dustingairplane spraying a tomato field withtwo fungicides and the highly toxicinsecticide, Monitor.

Bus driver Isabel Espinosa said thespray was so thick "I had to turn on mywindshield wipers." Several of the 32children experienced difficult breathing,stomach pains, and headaches.

All Wallace Marvin, assistant agricul­tural commissioner of Monterey County,could say was that crop-dusting aircraft"are supposed to keep the material[pesticides) on target."

The second bus incident, this pastSeptember, resulted in the spraying of 25school children at a rural bus stop on theway to King City schools. They wereenveloped in a spray drifting from ahelicopter applying a mixture of thepesticides Phosdrin, Diphan, Metasystox­R, Methamil, and RetamiI. Y

School Buses SprayedWith PesticidesT WO instances of school buses

sprayed with pesticides by crop­dusting aircraft near Salinas, Californiaduring the past year are frighteningexamples of how the plague of pesticidepoisoning affects not only farm workers,townspeople, and consumers but theirinnocent childreq as well:

• Children of farm workers workingin sprayed fields are born withoutarms and legs and suffer similarsevere birth defects.

• Children in rural communities aredying of cancer from pesticides andfertilizers contaminating drinkingwater.

• Children riding to and from schoolare victims of pesticide poisoningfrom aircraft spraying crops.

• And only God knows what fate liesin store for children yet to be bornof fathers and mothers who haveeaten food with pesticide residuesbefore conception and duringpregnancy.

The first of the two reported bussprayings - it's anybody's guess how

Pesticides drift over the nation's highways and towns posing a potential threat tomillions.

In the family's frontyard amid junked carsand other refuse, theCastro children play.

Remegio Castro (far right) with his wifeand four of his children in front of theirhome. From left to right are: Jorge,Darlene, Josefina, Veronica, Remegio,and Ricardo.

Even at the best of times, it can besaid the Castros suffer. They live indeplorable conditions and subsist onbeans and tortillas. Ironically, it is they,and thousands of other such laborers,who provide food for the people in thiscountry.

"I just want to have enough work anda decent place to live," Castro said. "Idon't expect luxury. I just want to havethe basics of a normal life - for mychildren's sake." Y

14

R emegio Castro is a farm worker, afather and a husband. He is also

disheartened."This is not the way I want my family

to live," he said. Castro is referring tohis home, a trailer in Lindsay, Califor­nia, which contains nothing more thantwo bedrooms and a kitchen. The fam­ily's "front yard" is a dirt lot litteredwith tires and obsolete appliances. Forthis, Castro pays $175 a month rent."This is not the kind of place I want toraise my children in," he said.

But Castro does not have a lot ofchoices. "No matter how hard I work,"Castro said, "I still can't seem to makeends meet. Sometimes I want to buymeat for dinner, but if I do, there mightnot be enough money for food nextweek."

Castro works for various labor con­tractors; he takes any available job. "Ina good week, I make $150 for seven daysof hard labor. Out of this, I pay rent andbuy food for my family," he said.

At times there is no available work forCastro. "Sometimes I go three monthswithout a job," he said. "I will do anyjob, but sometimes there is nothing."

Castro was asked how the family sur­vives during these long stretches. Hereplied, "We suffer."

"Trapped Children," one of 6 originals by Nora Mendoza

NEW - Farm Worker Greeting Cards

Since its inception in 1965, EI Taller Grafico (The Graphics Workshop), inpartnership with contributing artists, has provided assistance in raisingfunds for the United Farm Workers' Los Ntnos Campesinos program.

To mark its 21st Anniversary, EI Taller Grafico is offering for sale alimited edition of greeting cards by artist Nora Mendoza of Detroit,Michigan.

Proceeds from the sale of these cards will assure the continuation of theLos Niiios Campesinos program.

YES Send me sets of 12 cards (2 each of 6 pictures, blank inside,with envelopes) for the introductory price of $5.75 per package.

I enclose a checklmoney order for _

My address is: I

01SAMUEL B TRICKEY723 NW 19TH STGAINESVILLE FL 32603

Mail to: United Farm Workers, La Paz, Keene, CA 93570.

.