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Children of Migrant Workers: Exploring the Issues

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Children of Migrant Workers: Exploring the Issues Social Studies and the Young Learner 19 (2), pp. –12 ©2006 National Council for the Social Studies Children of Migrant Workers: Exploring the Issues Lynne Bercaw, Susan Colby, Linda Pacifici, Sandra Oldendorf, Robin Groce, and Eric Groce After a long, hard, and hot day in the field, under the implacable rays of the Father of Life, my muscles ache and my bones hurt and crack as though they were crystals breaking. I’m dirty, thirsty, and hungry. My body is so tired and sore that I fear it might crumble like an old building being torn down. Oritz, in S. B. Atkin, ed., Voices from the Fields. Scholastic The topic of migrant workers is either an “undocumented commonplace among headlines in the worker” or an “illegal alien.”) the emigration of one million Mexican national news, but such workers have We define a “migrant worker” as a workers and their families across the been part of the United States economy person who moves (within a country or border. Today, immigrants (legal and for at least seventy-five years, as can be across borders) in order to find employ- undocumented) from Mexico number seen in decades of enrollment records ment. Often, migrant workers follow sea- about 20 million.4 in K-12 schools.1 Migrant students have sonal jobs, like harvesting crops. Many been, until recent years, a concern for migrant workers in the United States Challenge and Change schools closest to the US-Mexican bor- today are immigrants from Mexico. The opening quote hints at the physical der, but children of migrant workers are The first wave of immigration from hardships that migrant workers com- now part of the social fabric across the Mexico began with the Mexican monly endured. The language barrier; country—there are almost one million in Revolution from 1910-1930. The harsh segregation in housing and education; our schools today.2 economic conditions and severe political lower wages; extremely difficult physical Teachers can help their students, both unrest at that time left all but the wealthi- labor; and other prejudicial hardships migrant and non-migrant, understand est Mexicans desperate for a new life. conflicted with the dream of a new and the experiences of this ever-growing Initially, many of these Mexican more prosperous life. Each wave of immi- population, and thus aid in disman- immigrants took jobs working for the grants across the decades has confronted tling stereotypes and building a stronger railroad, in mining camps, and on farms, the challenge of acculturation: learning democratic citizenry. especially in the Southwestern United about the culture, language, values, and First, we must define a few terms.3 For States. The Great Depression and traditions of the majority. At the same the purposes of classroom discussion, drought left many Americans homeless, time, immigrants introduce elements of we define an “immigrant” as any person both immigrants and U.S-born citizens, their culture of origin to their new com- who has come to the United States from forcing them to migrate from place to munity. another country. (Depending on where place, seeking work in the fields harvest- Mexican immigrants began organiz- the speaker stands on the controversial ing crops. ing to obtain the same opportunities issue of immigration, one who enters the During World War II, demands for as mainstream Americans (for educa- United States without permission from factory laborers along with a rapidly tion, voting rights, and employment) the federal government could be called growing U.S. agricultural industry fueled in 1929, when The League of United 8 Social Studies and the Young Learner Latin American Citizens was founded that is alive and relevant to children and Core Literature in Texas. Since then, many organizations their world. For example, stereotypes We chose relevant, quality literature that have worked to improve the process of can be deconstructed when students was appropriate to the theme and level integration into mainstream American are immersed in personal stories and of reading difficulty. We used a variety society and influence public policy. facts that accurately portray a specific of sources in selecting books.7 Prominent figures and organizations culture. For this unit, we chose Esperanza include: Cesar Chavez and the United This unit aligns with the curricular Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan as the pri- Farm Workers, the Chicano Movement, thematic strand CULTURE; TIME, mary text. This novel chronicles the life the Mexican American Youth Organi- CONTINUITY, AND CHANGE; and of Esperanza, a young girl whose father zation, the Mexican American Legal PEOPLE, PLACES, AND EnVIRONMENTS.5 is an affluent rancher in Mexico. In a Defense and Education Fund, and the In addition, this unit is aligned with tragic series of events, Esperanza’s family National Council of La Raza. goals outlined in many state curricula. loses everything, and she and her mother The growing number of Mexicans For instance, in North Carolina, it aligns migrate to the United States in hopes of entering the United States as undocu- with fifth grade social studies curricu- escaping dire poverty. Here, Esperanza mented workers is an increasingly con- lum goals: experiences the harsh circumstances troversial issue. • The learner will apply key geo- of migrant workers as they follow the graphic concepts to the United harvest. During her personal journey of Current Issues States and other countries of self-understanding, she transforms from With this increasing immigrant popula- North America. a comfortable rancher’s daughter to a tion, issues arise from conflicting politi- • The learner will analyze political strong independent woman. cal, religious, economic, and ideological and social institutions in North There are several other novels that points of view. U.S. legislation has, over America and examine how these can be used for literature circles. The the years, alternately helped or hindered institutions respond to human Circuit is an autobiographical account of opportunities for immigrants to work and needs, structure society, and influ- a migrant family as they move from one become citizens. For example, in 1986 ence behavior. labor camp to another harvesting crops. the Immigration Reform and Control • The learner will examine the roles Francisco Jimenez, the author, describes Act, also known as the Amnesty Act, various ethnic groups have played his experiences as a member of a migrant provided opportunities for some illegal in the development of the United worker family and his struggles to assim- immigrants to become permanent legal States and its neighboring coun- ilate into school. In Spirits of the High residents, while also limiting the num- tries. Mesa, the reader learns of Flavio and bers of new immigrants coming into the • The learner will trace key devel- his attempts to balance his native home United States. In the 1990s the U.S. gov- opments in United States history life with the modern world. My Name is ernment instituted Operation Hold the and describe their impact on the Maria Isabel is an account of a young girl Line and Operation Gatekeeper, among land and people of the nation and whose classroom teacher naively tries to other programs, to slow the influx of its neighboring countries.6 change her student’s name to “Mary.” immigrants and tighten border security. The policy controversies surrounding Picture Books the lives of the migrant workers and their Picture books can be used to families continue today. further students’ understanding of the people, places, and issues An Integrated Unit of Study in the unit. In Harvesting Hope, This unit of study integrates language the reader follows the life story arts and social studies for the fifth grade of Cesar Chavez, learning of his classroom. It explores the issues faced commitment to raise the quality of by children of migrant workers through life for the migrant worker. In Going various literature, both fiction and non- Home, Carlos and his family return fiction, historical and contemporary. to their native Mexico for Christmas. History is about significant issues and The reader follows the family as the questions that involve people, their cul- generational differences unfold dur- tures, and their choices in the past and ing the course of the trip. in the present. Using literature to talk about the past and social-cultural issues Nonfiction moves social studies from the study of Nonfiction resources provide back- dates, names and places to something ground information for this unit. These Joe Cepeda/Scholastic November/December 2006 9 resources provide factual information neither a city nor a town. It was a lowing questions: and authentic perspectives to the les- farm worker labor camp owned by • What are the challenges that a child sons. Nonfiction books for this unit Sheehey Strawberry Farms. Tent of a migrant worker encounters include two compilations of autobio- City had no address; it was simply given this family value? graphical accounts and two nonfiction known as rural Santa Maria. It was • How has this value changed across texts. Voices from the Fields: Children on Main Street, about ten miles east generations? of Migrant Farmworkers Tell Their of the center of town. A half a mile • What will this value mean for a new Story and We are Americans: Voices east of it were hundreds of acres of generation of sons and daughters of the Immigrant Experience offer an strawberries cultivated by Japanese educated in America? insider’s view of the immigrant experi- sharecroppers and harvested by • Compare and contrast this family ence. The Mexican Americans and The people from the camp. Behind Tent value with your family values. Mexicans provide juvenile readers with City was dry wilderness and a mile the historical and contemporary context north of it was the city dump. Many Literature Circles for this unit, covering a variety of topics of the residents in the camp were After reading Esperanza Rising as a in a child-friendly format.
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