tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130421352415377273.post1428247218427714064..comments2024-03-26T03:46:04.937-07:00Comments on Books in Northport: Mexican Workers, American JobsP. J. Grathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12693462910472164289noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130421352415377273.post-86791479494209170682019-02-16T09:02:39.272-08:002019-02-16T09:02:39.272-08:00Thank you, Keith and Dawn, for contributing to the...Thank you, Keith and Dawn, for contributing to the discussion. I remember migrant labor in my childhood neighborhood, too, as it was about half houses and half asparagus fields.<br /><br />Personally, I hate the idea of importing all our food and living on nothing but circuses!P. J. Grathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12693462910472164289noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130421352415377273.post-34946771635862381222019-02-15T17:23:59.351-08:002019-02-15T17:23:59.351-08:00When I was a kid, in the late 60s and early 70s th...When I was a kid, in the late 60s and early 70s there was a doctor in town developing cantaloupe. One summer dad who was a friend of his, volunteered my brothers to help weed. They both said the rows of cantaloupe seedlings was endless. They lasted one day...probably not even one entire day.<br /><br />A couple of years ago I was visiting central California where, it seemed, every single vegetable, nut, fruit and grain was growing. I saw fields of heads of lettuce being harvested by rows of people, hunched over following a truck, tossing heads of lettuce up to a guy riding in the back. It was all photogenic but I knew that those people in the fields were making virtually nothing for a hard days work. And I knew that the reason I could afford to purchase relatively cheap produce was at the cost of these people working so hard. And something in me wanted to find out more, but another part of me didn't want to know. And I felt guilty about all of it.<br /><br />Dawnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00824027366993286152noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130421352415377273.post-38461660365925249672019-02-15T13:54:20.539-08:002019-02-15T13:54:20.539-08:00Pamela. Our ( certain parts of the American publi...Pamela. Our ( certain parts of the American public) hatred of the immigrants is so profound that they would rather continue to think that food shows up at the grocery with no involvement with the gathering process. They can not bring themselves to see the path ahead is one of less fresh food grown in this country. The alternative as you point out is to import it. I never cease to be amazed at being able to buy 10# of potatoes for less than $2.00. Will that hold true when they come in container ships from wherever We enjoy reasonable food costs at the expense of many hard working immigrants, legal and illegal. A wise government would see this and fix it by making cross border transit to work in the fields and orchards a simple matter as it was prior to 9/11. I for one am appreciative the labor expended by these hard working people. In the summer, as I drive past the strawberry fields on Horn Rd. and see the legal migrant workers picking the crop in the morning that will be on our table later that day, I know I wouldn't do this job (if I was young enough) for they are earning. Thanks for this subject on your blog.<br />A grim future...https://www.blogger.com/profile/04542116421397203065noreply@blogger.com