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It’s been five long years since we have had the chance to come together. That’s understandable - we have had to endure the worst of a pandemic that raged through our communities. Many people had the privilege to shelter in place, working remotely from the comfort of their homes. But farmworkers could not. Our offices are the fields. Adding insult to injury, our employers often lied to us, telling us that the disease was not a big deal, while our government took us for granted. We were called “essential workers” but treated as if we were disposable.
But now we are back! Not just to hold meetings in person, but going to D.C. - our nation’s capital - to speak truth to power. That is what our Convivencia is about, planning and learning from one another, as we meet with representatives from around the country to tell them what our communities deserve.
And that is what we did. On April 15th and 16th we conducted twenty workshops facilitated by campesinas and staff from our member organizations with more than 130 participants in person and 30+ virtual. During these workshops campesinas shared about the challenges and needs they face. They also provided Alianza with recommendations of future work to move forward our four priority areas.
For two days, from April 17 to 18, we met with our elected representatives, as well as agency officials from the USDA and other government agencies to tell them that farmworkers must be treated with respect and dignity. Members traveled from around the country, sacrificing time that they could have been spending with family and working, to press politicians on what needs to change to make a more just food system.
Afterall, that’s what we are all about - making campesinas visible, which means going to places where we have been denied access to demand our rights!
And the Convivencia was not the only activity that kept us busy these past few months. Our critical work distributing relief payments through the USDA program continues, as our members continue to educate the public about challenges related to pesticide exposure and heat stress.
You don’t need me to tell you about this work, and all the other critically important things Alianza is up to - read on!
Abrazos,
Mily Treviño-Sauceda
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Farmworkers must be included in the next Farm Bill! | |
The Farm Bill is the key legislation in the United States that governs every aspect of the food system. Every five years, politicians and movements meet to make a new law. The bill includes resources for food programs and land access. But, farm workers are not among its hundreds of pages! By design, we have been excluded for too long. For this reason, this year, Alianza said enough is enough! Not only during the convivencia, but in other events, our people have participated in round tables and advocated about our needs. Also, we have engaged with key allies - like Senator Padilla- to introduce legislation to advance our own interests. The law includes initiatives to improve communication between government and workers and new ways to involve workers in creating programs. | |
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Alianza Nacional de Campesinas brought together more than 130 farmworker women in person and more than 30 virtually for its fifth National Convivencia (convening) in Washington D.C. from April 15 to the 18, 2023.
Over the course of three days, we generated recommendations and shared solutions about the exploitative and unfair working and living conditions that farmworker women are forced to endure.
Our convivencia is not simply a conference. Instead, by coming together, we communicate, reach agreements on complicated issues, and make recommendations for future work. Working together within our cultural context, over the course of a few days has always been a core element of Alianza's work, allowing our members to confidently share their experiences with each other. Building relationships ensures that our work moves in the direction that farmworker women need and deserve.
Members participated in 20 workshops focused on Alianza's four priority areas, which include ending gender based violence, environmental justice; including eliminating the use misuse of pesticides, ensuring labor rights and promoting a comprehensive and inclusive immigration reform with a pathway to citizenship. Other workshops focused on the place of farmworkers within the 2023 Farm Bill, and how to address health, nutrition, and poverty challenges that exist within the farmworker community.
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Participants engaging in conversation in workshops. | |
On Monday, April 17, participants met with Congressional representatives and senators in more than 50 legislative visits to discuss issues and legislation related to Alianzas four priority areas. | |
Participants with Representative Salinas. | |
Participants with Senator Booker. | |
Our convivencia historically concluded at the United States Department of Agriculture building. With the support of Maria Goldberg, Farmworker Coordinator at USDA. Silvia Fabela, The Honorable Xochitl Torres Small, Dr. Lisa Ramirez, Margo Schlanger, and Dr. Penny Brown Reynolds expressed their gratitude for our work and welcomed Alianza during the opening preliminary before representatives from the U.S. Department of State, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Department of Labor and other notable federal agency representatives joined us for a roundtable session. | |
Participants in the courtyard at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. | |
Welcoming and participant sign in table. | |
A full report of our Convivencia is coming soon! | |
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Our Farm and Food Worker Relief Program webpage is now live on our website!
Here you can find information on what is needed to apply and a list of areas covered by Alianza and our partners. Information on this page is specific to Alianza Nacional de Campesinas. Other USDA's Farm and Food Workers Relief Program (FFWR) grantees may have different requirements.
| USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender. Read the full statement at www.usda.gov/non-discrimination-statement | |
On #InternationalWomensDay we celebrated the resilience, strength and power of farmworker women. Our membership shared photos all day on social media showing their strength and raising their voices. We all know the key role that farmworker women play in the agricultural and food systems of our nation and in their families. However, they are often systematically exposed to violence in and out of the workplace, immigration threats, wage theft, and dangerous exposure to pesticides. Farmworker women, and girls, DESERVE to be treated with dignity and respect. | |  |
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On March 25, the first day of Farmworker Awareness Week, we commemorated our national campaign, #CampesinasDePie (Campesinas Rising), in collaboration with VDAY, to raise awareness and work to eliminate the countless forms of violence faced by farmworker women and girls in the United States and around the world! All day our membership shared on social media the different events they held.
Stand together with brave and strong farmworker women to demand an end to violence, in the fields, at home and wherever else it occurs!
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This year we joined the global Denim Day campaign to stand up and wear denim jeans as a tool to combat victim blaming, raise awareness and educate others about sexual violence.
For the past 24 years, Denim Day has been commemorated on a Wednesday in April in honor of Sexual Violence Awareness Month. The campaign began after a ruling by the Italian Supreme Court in which a rape conviction was overturned because the judges considered that the victim's jeans were too tight and she had to have helped her rapist take off her pants, which implied consent. The next day, the women of the Italian Parliament were dressed in jeans in solidarity with the victim.
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This May Day, farmworker women across the country stood up and celebrated their contributions to the workforce as we continue to advocate for equal pay and better working conditions. | |
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Did you know that Farmworker Appreciation Day is on August 6th? This year, we chose to extend the celebration for an entire week, spanning from August 6th to August 12th. During that week, our member organizations shared photos and videos across social media platforms to spotlight the crucial role we hold within the food system. Our work is indispensable, and it's time we receive the recognition and treatment we rightfully deserve!
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 |  | Elvira Carvajal is a pioneer, Co-founder and National Organizer of Alianza Nacional de Campesinas, Inc. Elvira, originally from Michoacán, Mexico, began working in the agricultural fields of Mexico at the age of eight along with her father. She immigrated to California with her family in 1980. In 1981 she moved to Florida and together with her husband raised a beautiful family. Unfortunately Elvira lost a pregnancy while working in a nursery due to the type of work she was doing. She began volunteering with the Farmworkers Association of Florida (FWAF) in the late 1990s in the Homestead, FL office and rose to be the Area Coordinator. Elvira is a herbalist and shares her ancestral wisdom with her community and all of us. Her passion for helping her community leads her to interact daily with community members, conduct pesticide health and safety trainings, address cases of wage theft and workplace harassment, report cases of pesticide exposure, help families affected by immigration detentions/deportations, and more.
|  | Check back in our next newsletter for more ‘Tea Time with Elvira’ Recipes and Recommendations! | |
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In March we invited our membership to participate in a poetry (or writing) contest highlighting the efforts and bravery of women. At Alianza we know the importance of using art as a form of expression and resistance. Poetry awakens the senses through words and the creation of beauty in language. It also cultivates imagination and memory.
You can click here to watch our webinar where all the poems are read by the writers.
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Days like "World Environment Day" remind us that there is a climate crisis that threatens the future of humanity. It also reminds us that there are communities fighting to stop the crisis. Our Mother Earth project held a webinar together with four of our member organizations, Líderes Campesinas, PCUN, Campesinos Sin Fronteras and Rural Coalition, where they shared knowledge and techniques that they are using in their community gardens.
Our members are creating solutions to the climate crisis, and these solutions come from the communities that contribute the least to the crisis. Every small step we take to disconnect from the activities that contribute to the problem is a step towards a healthier future for our planet and future generations.
The information shared in the conversation is an example of the exchange of knowledge necessary for our communities to build alternatives from an extractive economy, which is the root of the climate crisis.
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Campesinas Rising to Prevent Heat Stress! During the week of July 17-21 we shared tips and information that came directly from our membership on:
🤔What is heat stress?
🥵 First symptoms
⚠️ Warning signs
🖐️Prevention measures
✊ How to take action?
Take care of yourself! Check out the graphics and share to raise awareness about heat stress.
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Join Alianza in support of the Asunción Valdivia Heat Illness, Injury and Fatality Prevention Act!
This bill is named after Asunción Valdivia, who died in 2004 after picking grapes in California for ten hours straight in 105-degree temperatures. The bill would direct the Department of Labor’s (DOL’s) Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to establish a permanent, federal heat standard, for both indoor and outdoor workplaces. The standard would ensure workers have paid breaks in shaded or climate-controlled spaces, and are provided water, and appropriate emergency response and transportation for those who experience heat-related illness.
You can read the full bill text HERE.
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Campesinas Fighting to end Gender Based Violence! | |
With the support and sponsorship of VALORUS, Alianza had the privilege of participating in this year's National Sexual Assault Conference® (NSAC) held in San Francisco, California from August 22 to 24, bringing together over 2,000 dedicated advocates and activists committed to ending sexual violence. | The theme for this year, "Equity in Action," provided a platform for participants to forge robust partnerships and develop strategies that will fortify our collective efforts to combat sexual violence. | |
During the conference, Alianza spearheaded a session focused on 'NACES,' a pioneering project launched in collaboration with Futures Without Violence (FUTURES) and Lideres Campesinas. This initiative aims to address the adverse health effects of ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) and toxic stress within California's farmworker communities through education, screening, and responsive measures. | |
Furthermore, Alianza and FUTURES introduced a valuable tool known as the "Health, Healing, and Healthy Relationships" safety card. This resource can be utilized by healthcare professionals, support staff, advocates, and survivors alike to disseminate information about both healthy and unhealthy relationships, their impact on overall health, and available support resources. | Additionally, our member organization, Lideres Campesinas, led a session emphasizing the significance of raising awareness about the unique needs of farmworker women. They also outlined opportunities for collaboration with local community-based organizations and governmental agencies. Alianza and Lideres Campesinas also participated in a meeting with cleaning workers from groups Ya Basta, The Maintenance Cooperation Trust Fund (MCTF) and Service Employees International Union (SEIU) from California. Where we learned from each other's strategies and discussed how to continue collaborating and supporting each other in our struggles. | |
ATTN: If you or someone you know is experiencing sexual assault, you can seek help by calling 1-800-656-4673. Click HERE for more information and resources. For cases involving sexual assault in the workplace you can also contact the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) (1-800-669-4000) | National Human Trafficking Prevention Summit | Mily, Alianza’s Executive Director spoke on the 'Perspectives on Human Trafficking Prevention within the Migrant Worker Community' panel at the National Human Trafficking Prevention Summit. | |
"It's 2023 and we [agricultural workers] are still not part of the Fair Labor Standards Act...it was passed in the 1930's and it says ALL industries EXCEPT agricultural workers...making our communities vulnerable to human trafficking and exploitation ." | |
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The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Administration for Children and Families hosted the National Human Trafficking Prevention Summit on August 3-4, 2023 to bring together leaders across federal, state, tribal, local, and territorial governments; business, industry, and other private sector entities; nonprofits and NGOs; and philanthropic, faith‑based, and research organizations to inspire and galvanize a collective effort to prevent human trafficking.
You can watch the entire session here or below.
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Work Surrounding Tropical Storm Hillary | |
Tropical Storm Hillary left numerous farmworkers in Southern California struggling with power outages, impassable roads, food insecurity, and unemployment due to extensive damage to fields caused by mud and water. In response, Alianza, in collaboration with Food Forward, Polo's Pantry, Water Drop, Desert Healthcare District, VIM, and other notable groups, stepped up and coordinated emergency distributions of food, supplies, and water to provide relief to more than 1,700 families. | |
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Climate change has exacerbated the difficulties faced by farmworkers, placing their livelihoods and well-being in jeopardy as extreme heat is increasingly common, and natural disasters destroy workplaces and homes.
Alianzas executive director, Mily Trevino-Sauceda, and Melissa Acedera, director of Polo’s Pantry teamed up to speak with KCWR about the work we have been collaboratively doing to respond to the needs of our community.
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KCRW 89.9FM | Music, NPR News, Culture Los Angeles | Tropical Storm Hilary made life harder for farmworkers. How to help? | | | |
We continue our monthly food distributions in Coachella Valley and Santa Maria. Our distribution efforts in these communities help feed our farmworker community, and provides for more than 1600 families with an average of 4-5 members per family. A special thank you goes out to Polo’s Pantry, Food Forward and everyone else who helps make this distribution possible! | |
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Upcoming work:
October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month and the start of the Mandilitos Campaign!
The Mandilitos project was initiated in 2008 by Alianza founding member Organizacion de California de Líderes Campesinas (Lideres Campesinas), who has been organizing efforts to raise awareness and help end violence against campesinas for over 30 years.
We will continue to plan trainings for our member organizations on gender-based violence, health & safety including: heat stress, pesticides, COVID19, as well as policy and advocacy trainings on our four priority areas. For more information you can send an email to: alianzanacionalcampesinas@gmail.com
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Our best wishes to all
member organizations and their families!
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Alianza is eligible to receive Donor Advised Funds. | |
The Mission of ALIANZA NACIONAL DE CAMPESINAS (National Alliance of Farmworker Women) is to unify the struggle and promote leadership of campesinas in a national movement to create major visibility and advocate for change that ensures their human rights. | | | | |
