Holmes and His Work

    Growing up Hispanic in a predominantly white city came with some downsides. One of these downsides was the ongoing one-sided discussion of why we need a wall built to “keep all the Mexicans out.” Jokes underlined with hate against “illegal immigrants” and that the only reason they cross the border is to smuggle drugs and commit crimes in the U.S. shows a horrible side of this country. The book, Fresh Fruit, Broken Bodies: Migrant Farmworkers in the United States, by Seth M. Holmes, is a first-person ethnographic which shows the audience why migrant workers are suffering. This take on migrant farmworkers is a new one, for all that’s said about migrant workers is that along the lines of “stealing our jobs.” This book was written by Holmes because he wanted to showcase that social inequality leads to injuries being afflicted upon the bodies of migrant farmworkers. He believes that through collective action, we can fight policies and ideas that cause the suffering of migrant workers. Holmes states, “... my Triqui companions experience their labor migration as anything but voluntary. Rather, they have told me repeatedly that they are forced to migrate in order for themselves and their families to survive” (Holmes 17-18). Not only are migrants forced to come and work in the U.S., but they are also treated horribly. This is a wonderful book that shows the audience why and how to make changes in the policies and ideas that create this horrific treatment of migrant farmworkers. 

A Migrant Worker Picking Strawberries

    One of the reasons this book is so great is the care that Holmes shows for the workers he observes. In one instance, Holmes mentions Crescencio and how the care that his doctor's provided him was so horribly given. Cresencio would get headaches because of hurtful and racist words used by his employers. These headaches only went away when Cresencio drank heavily. The doctors, hearing this, believed that Cresecncio started to beat his wife and kids because of excessive drinking. It states, “Without being able to explore all the possible therapies for severe headaches, the physician retrospectively advocated incarcerating people like Crescencio” (Holmes 134). Holmes, although his tone is always that of an observer, is taken aback that the doctors would assume Cresencio would beat his wife and that "people like him" need to be incarcerated. Because of the way Cresencio looks, and the work that he does, he is treated cruelly by his employers and the doctor. There is no escape, or so it may seem.

    Looking at this title and reading Holmes's work, we can see that the bodies of these migrant workers are broken along with their spirits. Their bodies are used over and over again until one’s back cannot bend or until a knee gives out. This needs to change. Without this work, we would have never known how migrant workers are treated by people and policies. Holmes states, “In order to bring about political and material change regarding such issues as immigrant rights and worker rights, then we must engage in struggles over the manner in which immigrant workers are presented and perceived” (Holmes 190). When immigrants have no choice but to leave their home and work in another country to support their families, they should not be treated like an animal. They should not be called “illegal aliens” and given racist remarks on why they are better at picking strawberries because they are “lower to the ground.” These workers deserve care and a life where their bodies aren't subjected to horrible pain.

Here is inside the life of one migrant worker:

Works Cited:

Holmes, Seth M. Fresh Fruit, Broken Bodies Migrant Farmworkers in the United States. Univ. of California Press, 2014.

Rodeo: A Mix Between Cultures

    In the radio program Latino USA, I listened to the episode titled Rodeo. Originally broadcasted on April 7th, 2017, it was put on Latino USA on April 1st, 2022. I listened to this episode on April 5th, 2022. I chose this episode because we are currently learning about colonialism and the intersecting of cultures. Well, a rodeo is just that. It was part of Mexican culture before it merged into American culture. In this episode, we learn about the Tucson Rodeo Parade and how it is a mix of both Mexican and American cultures. Some people think that it is the most American sport, while others, as we see the producers interviewing people at the rodeo, say that it is more Mexican than American. In fact, being a "cowboy" was first done by Mexicans in the 1500s. It then started to spread to the USA in the 1700s as vaqueros started to teach their skills to others. This episode explained in great detail what the rodeo was all about. One interviewee stated, "The rodeo is not about color. It's about an animal, a man, trying to compete" (Latino 8:48-8:57). I enjoyed listening to the culture and history of how cowboys came about. What I didn't like, however, was the obvious sexism rooted in being a cowboy. When explaining the six events of the rodeo, they used the term "cowboys" in all but one. In this one event, instead of stating "cowboys," they explain that a woman comes in to do this event. This to me means that in the previous events, the cowboys were only men. Hopefully, in the generations to come, there will be more women included in more events. 

A Vaquero on his Horse

    The article titled "Rodeo: From Custom to Ritual" by Beverly J. Stoeltje also talks about the rodeo and how it is a mix of both American and Mexican cultures. She covers the rise and fall of the cowboys and their traditions mixed in with the economics of it. What I like most is she explains why we have performance rodeos today by stating, "The American public developed such a fascination with the cowboy that a stage and audience for cowboy performance was available even when cowboy work was not. So it was that the cowboy began to perform his skills for an audience" (Stoeltje 247). This connects to the episode as it explains why hundreds of people come to see cowboys. Both the episode and article show the history and blending of Mexican and American cultures. It is this connection that I chose this article as it goes into great detail on why we are so fascinated with cowboys. 

    Both of these works show the effects of colonialism. The article goes through how the rodeo entered the USA as a result of the Spaniards. It states, "By the thirties, when rodeo form crystallized, the western United States was sufficiently settled that it could begin to look back over its recent past and honor it with cowboy reunions and celebrations of heritage" (Stoeltje 254). From the introduction of rounding up animals through the Spaniards all the way to today, of honoring heritage. We learn later on in the episode that the rodeo isn't just an event, it is a religion to some. My theme of religion ties into this episode as the culture of what it means to be a cowboy. To live and breathe being a vaquero, the Mexican word for "cowboys." It states, "Rodeo is an essential part of their lives, so much so they call it their religion" (Latino 16:28-16:33). Learning about the rodeo gave me so much pride in my heritage. It not only shows how cultures spread and intermingled, but the importance it has on many as some center their lives on being a cowboy. 

Here is a video explaining more about vaqueros: 

Works Cited:

Latino USA, 13 Mar. 2022, www.latinousa.org/. 

Stoeltje, Beverly J. “Rodeo: From Custom to Ritual.” Western Folklore, vol. 48, no. 3, 1989, pp. 244–55, https://doi.org/10.2307/1499741. Accessed 6 Apr. 2022.