oped on afl-cio and immigration

Michael Hoover hoov at freenet.tlh.fl.us
Thu Mar 30 09:46:51 PST 2000



> What are proposals S1814 and 1815? And, what was the bracero programme of
> the 1940s?
> Angela

US Senate Bill 1814/Agricultural Job Opportunity Benefits & Security Act would facilitate & expand use of 'temporary' agricultural workers such as 'non-immigrant' Jamaican sugar cane workers who 'contract' for seasonal harvesting work in South Florida (check out Stephanie Black's 1991 documentary *H-2 Worker* for look at this type of program).

US Senate Bill 1815/Farmworker Adjustment Act/would 'grant' documented status to current undocumenteds via contract labor system.

US operated Bracero Program from early 1940s to mid 1960s. Ostensibly initiated as WW2 measure to deal with US agricultural labor shortage, agreement with Mexican government provided US with guaranteed low-wage work force via contracting system. Controlled by post-WW2 US agri- business, braceros were subjected to slave-like labor camps. Several million such workers - many of whom were dispossessed campesinos - were 'recruited' into program over its two decade existence (check out The Farmworkers Website: http://www.farmworkers.org/ for more farmworker info including stuff on Farmworker Association of Florida (FAWF) that I've had connections to since late 1970s). Michael Hoover



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