FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 5, 2013
Media contact: Mónica Ramírez, 561-676-3202, monica@cdmigrante.org
Farmworker Women Join the Immigration Conversation
A delegation of more than 60 farmworker women leaders and advocates will meet in Washington, D.C. from April 6 through the 10, 2013 to educate members of Congress about farmworker women’s unique concerns related to the United States’ broken immigration system, including issues related to family separation, discrimination against internationally recruited women workers, and the current anti-immigrant sentiment that exists in the United States. The women are members of Alianza Nacional de Campesinas (National Farmworker Women’s Alliance, in English; Alianza de Campesinas). Members will be traveling from Florida, Arizona, California, Maryland, New Mexico, New York, Oregon and Texas to participate.
“This is a very important moment in history,” said Mily Trevino-Sauceda, President of Alianza Nacional de Campesinas. “Farmworker women are often left out of the conversation about topics like immigration and workers’ rights. We are convening in DC to make sure that we have a chance to educate people about farmworker women’s concerns.”
Alianza de Campesinas members will also meet with federal agency officials, students and members of the public to educate them about the most pressing concerns impacting farmworker women and their families. The delegation will address gender violence against female migrant workers, employment abuses, immigration concerns, pesticide exposure, other health priorities and safety issues.
“We have been organizing for months in order to make this important trip,” said Diana Bustamante, Delegate to Alianza de Campesinas. “Even though it is difficult for many of our members to miss work, find child care and travel to DC, we feel that we have a responsibility to ourselves, our families and our communities to inform the general public about the plight of farmworkers in the U.S.”
Members met in D.C. in October 2012 to officially launch Alianza de Campesinas. In addition to identifying immigration as one of their priority areas, members are also concerned about economic justice, equality, health and safety for all U.S. agricultural workers.
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Alianza Nacional de Campesinas was formed in 2011 after many years of conversations with farmworker women around the United States and in Mexico. Alianza de Campesinas‘ mission is to unify the struggle to promote farm worker women’s leadership in a national movement to create a broader visibility and advocate for changes that ensure their human rights.
The organization is comprised of current or former farmworker women, along with women who hail from farmworker families. Members represent the following organizations: Campesinos Sin Fronteras, Centro de los Derechos del Migrante, Inc., Colonias Development Council, Farmworker Association of Florida, La Mujer Obrera, Organización en California de Líderes Campesinas, Pineros y Campesinos Unidos of Oregon (PCUN), the Rural Coalition and Tierra del Sol Housing Corporation, among others. In addition, several key groups have been instrumental in providing support and planning for Alianza de Campesinas‘ delegation to DC, including Earthjustice, Farmworker Justice, Georgetown University, the Rural Coalition, representatives of the US Department of Agriculture and other federal agencies.