Michigan’s UFW Foundation celebrated five years of advocating for farmworkers' rights on August 28, at the Kalamazoo Community Foundation in downtown Kalamazoo.
The celebration wasn't just for advocates. The organization invited around 40 farmworkers to celebrate alongside it.
But when State Organizer Daniel Oropeza took to the stage, he told attendees that none would attend.
"It was confirmed that they were going to show up from all over, not just Kalamazoo. Look around. You don't see one current farmworker."
Oropeza continued, stating that while work conflicts certainly played a role, he believed fear of deportation also factored in.
"That gives you the mentality, that gives you more of an understanding that it is real. It is not just listening, going online, checking the news, that a lot of people that look like me don't want to go out."
Michigan UFW Foundation Director Amanda Villa also spoke on the issue, adding that this fear has also affected other UFW Foundation events, including their "Know Your Rights" and heat safety informational sessions.
“We have seen a decrease in attendance of our farmworkers, but we have shifted from doing info sessions at public places and making them more of a house meeting. So, we go where they are. We can go to the camp, the church, where they feel more comfortable.”
But Villa added that the UFW Foundation will never let this fear stop their work.
“To be completely honest, we have lived in fear the majority of our lives and it's not the first thing that's going to break us down. So, it's just a matter of how we prepare, how we bring calmness to this chaos.”
And for those workers who couldn't attend, Villa reminded them to not lose hope.
"I want them to truly understand that there are organizations that are fighting for a better tomorrow and we need them to be present, to be open to educate themselves and to always know that there is dignity in the work that the farmworkers do."
Michael Symonds reports for WMUK through the Report for America national service program.
Disclosure: Daniel Oropeza volunteers at WMUK.
