22nd Annual Day of the Farmworker (Dia Del Campesino)
Each day, hundreds of migrant farmworkers leave their homes in Mexico to work the fields in Southern Arizona. For the past 22 years, their hard work has been recognized at the Annual Dia Del Campesino (Day of the Farmworker) event and resource fair. This year’s event was held in San Luis on Saturday, December 3.
Campesinos Sin Fronteras (Farmers Without Borders), a Southern Arizona non-profit, organizes the annual event with help from key community partners, including DES. The event kicked-off at 3:00am in order to give the workers a few hours to enjoy a warm breakfast of menudo, coffee and doughnuts before reporting for work at 6:00am.
Months of planning ensured the event met the needs of the farmworkers, while also adding some fun to the agenda. Colleagues from the Arizona Department of Economic Security (DES) Division of Employment and Rehabilitation Services (DERS) showed their gratitude to Arizona’s farmworkers by volunteering.
After a two-hour wait to cross the border, farmworkers put in a full day. Others leave their families for long periods of time to come work in the U.S. on a temporary visa from the H-2A program. When new workers come to Arizona, the DERS Migrant Seasonal Farmworkers (MSFW) Program conducts orientation, informs them of their pay, and advises them to keep track of their hours and how much they’re getting paid. The Program also facilitates housing inspections for H-2A workers to make sure their housing meets Department of Labor standards.
There are more women and older adults in the fields now than ever before. “Nowadays younger workers want to do other things,” said MSFW Outreach Program Supervisor, Cyndie Lopez. “Older people are doing the work because that is what they know, or because it is what their family has always done.”
DERS colleagues, who generally work in a warm office, experienced the bone-chilling winds at the outdoor affair that the farmworkers endure on a daily basis during the winter season. Clothing was collected months prior to the event during a DERS division-wide donation drive and from local churches. Staff sorted, carried, packed, organized and handed out free warm clothing to attendees.
There were live performances from a mariachi group and Zumba dancers. A lucky few won raffle prizes that included new bicycles, a dining room table and chairs, couches and more. Community providers and DES colleagues spoke with guests about available resources on site for the workers, such as flu shots, dental care and other healthcare services.
The people of Southern Arizona believe these workers deserve a day of recognition, and rally around them each year. The Annual Dia Del Campesino is a great way to say “thank you” to the farmworkers for their hard work and perseverance in maintaining and cultivating Arizona’s crops.
By Jillian Seamans