One of the most active organizations that works with migrant farmworkers,
besides the UFW, is CRLA (California Rural Legal Assistance). They have a
website and their main admin office is in San Francisco. They have a
legislative advocacy office in Sacramento, which is staffed with attorneys
and lobbyists. They also have field offices throughout California. There
is a woman in the Sacramento office named Juanita Ontiveras. She is the
administrative assistant, is a member of the UFW, and was an anthropology
student at CSUS back in the early 70s. She is a wealth of information and
can get you hooked up. If she's not there, ask for Clara. Tell them you
are my friend, and if they don't remember me, tell them I worked for
Benjamin.
There is also a little ethnography book that was published by Stanford some
time ago about migrant workers in San Diego county. I'm sorry, but I don't
have the book anymore and I don't have the title.
I'd love to help out in any way possible on this. :)
Trish Fernandez
Pacific Legacy
Sierra/Central Division
3081 Alhambra Drive, Suite 208
Cameron Park, CA 95682
530.677.9713, ext. 24
-----Original Message-----
From: HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Ron May
Sent: Monday, August 16, 2004 12:53 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Migrant farm worker camps
Mark,
Charles Bull, President of Recon Environmental Consultants (San Diego,
California), recorded migrant worker camps in agricultural fields in
Encinitas, San
Diego County, California about 25 years ago. I think he might have recorded
some down in the Otay area as well. At the time, it was pretty amazing that
he
would record those camps and I was impressed with his interest. I think they
have a website for Recon. Of particular interest were huts made from wooden
pallets that were stacked to look like random storage, but in fact held a
number
of workers over night.
My own experience with the camps is that they are cardboard huts and tunnels
under the dense chaparral. Sanitation is appalling and yet they thrive in
those camps. The trash accumulation is in greater density than hobo camps I
have
observed from the Great Depression era, though I have never seen an
inventory
to compare. I would think the volume and consumer selection differences
between
Hispanic immigrant worker camps, Asian agricultural camps, and other
itinerant worker camps would be fascinating.
Ron May
Legacy 106, Inc.
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