How have you been?
Hola Todxs! Hope you have had a restful and productive last few months. As you know, our work at Alianza never stops!
Since our last newsletter, we have been very busy, from our continuous work in food drives and leading conversatorios, to receiving a $48.2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) through the Farm and Food Workers Relief Grant Program (FFWR).
Just look at all that we are accomplishing!
Our Madre Tierra project has made continuous advancement, with our dedicated members sharing ancestral knowledge in growing traditional foods, working together on how to heal the land and our food system from exploitation. In November we began our political information sessions for the members of the Mother Earth Project. The aim of the sessions is to help them make connections between their local work in community gardens and home gardens, with a broader movement towards climate justice through a just transition from agribusiness to agroecology.
Meanwhile, Alianza members are continuously presenting at conferences and forums! Alianza is on a roll!
Soberania Alimentaria, Ya!
When we are not growing our own food and learning how to do so from one another, we have been turning our sights on ending gender based violence. During domestic violence awareness month, we held our annual Mandilitos campaign and hosted conversatorios during Sexual Assault Awareness Month to bring awareness to the issues that farmworker women face in and out of the fields. We also fought to bring to the public’s attention how the infant formula shortage was particularly hurting our own farmworker families. CNN and the Washington Post took notice! Meanwhile, we’ve also had to mourn the untimely deaths of 53 migrant workers who passed away crossing into the United States in July. This awful event, similar to too many others that preceded it, reminds us of the deeply unjust, flawed immigration system that has divided families for far too long. This system takes the lives of innocent people and reminds us of the need to keep the struggle alive.
In the face of so many injustices, our members show their resilience. Whether it's working in the fields in extreme heat, or caring for their family members, Alianza members show their strength daily as they fight for their rights. Our projects make us stronger, growing hope in our communities as we grow the food to feed a nation. We cultivate resilience with our children and loved ones, as we fight to empower our communities.
So, I look forward to continuing this work with you all in the next few months. Please, now, take a moment to read more of what we have been up to and what we plan to do moving forward.
¡Viva las campesinas! ¡Viva!
Abrazos,
Mily Treviño-Sauceda
|
|
[You can click on any image to enlarge it] |
|
100+ mph winds have left hundreds of farmworker families on the western shores of the Salton Sea without electricity, work, and struggling to find food for weeks now. Alianza has been on the ground delivering groceries and home cooked meals to our nation's essential workers. Donate to our emergency fund so we can continue to provide much needed supplies such as lamps, blankets, food and water to our community. |
|
Pesticides do not belong in our food! |
Alianza applauded Representative Nydia Velazquez’s introduction of the Banning All Neurotoxic Organophosphate Pesticides from our Food Act (The BAN OPs Act) on August 8th 2022. Farmworkers have long-suffered the consequences of being exposed to this deadly pesticide. Alianza, alongside our member organizations and allies, have been advocating for Congress to stand with farmworkers and their families in banning the use of organophosphates in our farm and food systems. Read our full press release HERE. Now that a new Congress is in session, this legislation most likely will be reintroduced - stay tuned to further developments and how you can get involved!
|
|
|
Check out our Op-Ed published by Civil Eats |
|
Op-ed: The End of Roe v. Wade Makes Reproductive Health...
The recent decision by the U.S Supreme Court to overturn Roe vs. Wade is the latest in a series of attacks on the women who plant, harvest, and pack much of the food we eat. I've worked as a farmworker myself and have been supporting...
Read more
civileats.com
|
|
|
|
|
|
As a farmworker women led organization we were devastated and angry as we learned of the overturning of Roe v. Wade. We knew Black and Latinx women, particularly farmworkers, would suffer disproportionately from the impact of Dobbs v. Jackson. Our Executive Director, Mily Trevino-Sauceda had this to say: “Forcing farmworker women to carry unwanted pregnancies is cruel and a violation of their human and civil rights. Farmworker women have to fight for their bodily autonomy everyday in and outside the workplace. This decision adds to the barriers already in place that prevent farmworker women from accessing reproductive healthcare”. Alianza defends, and will continue to passionately advocate for reproductive and healthcare justice. You can read our full press release here
|
|
Check back in our next newsletter for more ‘Tea Time with Elvira’ Recipes and Recommendations! |
|
Meet our Board President! |
|
Hello, my name is Emma Torres, Board President of Alianza and Executive Director of Campesinos Sin Fronteras, a founding member organization of Alianza. As a former migrant farmworker I know all too well the challenges that our community faces. Since 1984 I have been working as a community health worker/Promotora de Salud and farmworker advocate. Ever since Mily and I met in 1991 we knew that a farmworker women movement was necessary in order to move our migrant community forward. Over the past decades Alianza and Campesinos Sin Fronteras have been able to collaborate on many projects that prioritize the health, safety and human rights of our farmworker community. It is my honor to serve as the Board President of Alianza and I look to the future with great positivity and hope as we continue to advocate and serve our community. |
|
Photo Credit: Saul Martinez for The Washington Post |
|
Farmworkers, especially farmworker women, were struck unproportionately by the formula shortage that left parents scrambling to find food for their children. Alianza, along with our partners, quickly implemented infant formula as part of our monthly food distributions in the coachella valley and worked with major news outlets such as CNN and Washington Post to bring awareness to this issue.
|
|
Food distribution in Santa Maria, CA |
|
Food distribution in Coachella Valley, CA |
|
Food distribution in Santa Maria, CA |
|
We continue our monthly food distributions in Coachella Valley and expanded into Santa Maria as well. Our distribution efforts in these communities help feed our farmworker community, many of whom do not have access to the food that they help grow. Our distribution 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! |
|
Last summer, Alianza, along with a nationwide coalition of farmers, ranchers, fishers, workers, and advocates, called on the White House to find real solutions to hunger in many of our communities. Working with allies such as the Rural Coalition, Slow Food USA, Farm Action, National Family Farm Coalition, North American Marine Alliance, Slow Fish North America, One Fish Foundation, HEAL Food Alliance, World Farmers, Inc., and the Family Farm Defenders, we collected input from over 160 community stakeholders from some of the most vulnerable communities across the country during a listening session that was held on June 30. Some of our findings were featured in this comprehensive report that helped guide the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, & Health. Check it out!
|
|
Enough with the Violence! |
|
ATTN: If you or someone you know is in a domestic violence situation, you can seek help by calling 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) Click HERE for more information and resources. You can also always reach out to our member organizations
|
|
Futures Without Violence (FUTURES), Lideres Campesinas, and Alianza Nacional de Campesinas together developed the No More Adverse Childhood Experiences (NACEs) pilot project to respond to the health impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and toxic stress that exists in farmworker communities in California. Our work initiated in Kern and Riverside counties where we conducted NACEs 'train-the-trainer' training based on the resilience and strength with members of Lideres Campesinas who provided the educational training to farmworker community members. Currently, our organizations have established a collaboration with one community health center that administers a patient survey with ACEs questions and serves farmworker communities.
|
This experience will increase opportunities where rural women can collaborate with clinics to inform how clinical responses on adverse childhood experiences may be addressed with farmworker patients, develop partnerships with community health centers to improve access to health care and clinical responses with respect to culture and language, and evaluate the impact of these efforts and make recommendations for other health providers. This is an important opportunity to develop relationships with community leaders and inform state-level practices for responding to unresolved trauma in adults and toxic stress. |
|
|
|
For years, Alianza Nacional de Campesinas has raised awareness among rural communities on ending domestic and sexual violence against farmworker women and girls (campesinas) through education, prevention, and advocacy efforts. We continued this work through the whole month of October, with our Mandilitos (Little Aprons) Campaign and by uplifting the voices of survivors during sexual assault awareness month in our conversatorio and on social media.
|
|
Mandilitos Exhibit by Líderes Campesinas Soledad Committee and the Soledad Police Department |
|
Mandilitos Exhibit with Líderes Campesinas Fresno Committee |
|
Mandilito Design from Líderes Campesinas Huron Committee |
|
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. |
|
Alianza has been featured prominently in many news outlets. Here are some of the headlines this year:
|
|
"Migrant farmworkers crossing border searching for baby formula" - NewsNation Prime |
|
|
|
We celebrated National Farmworker Women’s Health Week by sharing messages from campesinas about their health and the importance of looking after it in order to increase public consciousness and understanding of the health risks farmworker women face.
|
|
|
|
Last year we partnered with our ally organization, National Farmworker Ministries, during their Harvest of Justice 2022 to call out child labor in agriculture. We invite you to watch this video that shares the harsh realities of children working in agriculture.
|
|
Recovering from the Pandemic |
|
Alianza USDA FFWR Kickoff- Photo Credit: Jose Quintana |
|
We also held a variety of webinars on issues that our membership of farmworker women wanted to hear more about. They can be watched at any time at the links below. Check them out! |
|
and we continue collaborating with universities, passionate students and ally organizations across the country to spread awareness about the issues that campesinas face.
|
|
Healing From The Root: Campesinas Fighting Climate Change |
Alianza partnered with a group of students from American University to share how Campesinas are collectively and individually fighting climate change, policy changes that we are pushing for, and share testimony directly from Campesinas. |
|
|
|
|
The Power of the Collective: Campesinas Movilizando |
The College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences at Cal Poly hosted 'an evening with Mily Treviño-Sauceda on The Power of the Collective!'. Alianza and Lideres Campesinas were able to present a teatro showing the hardships that Campesinas face.
|
|
|
Campesinas Helping to Create a Safe and Healthy Mother Earth |
Alianza had the honor to take part in the 2022 conference for the Women, Food & Agriculture Network where we hosted a workshop sharing the success of our Mother Earth Project.
|
|
|
Rural Coalition Winter Forum |
|
It was an honor to be able to attend Rural Coalition's Winter Forum in January where Alianza gave a training on the Farm and Food Workers Relief Grant Program (FFWR). We are excited for the future and will continue working with the Rural Coalitions alliance of farmers, farmworkers, indigenous, migrant and working people determined to keep fighting until our community is treated with dignity, respect, and are granted the human rights they deserve. |
|
Marisol Saucedo, Alianza FFWR Training at Rural Coalition Winter Forum |
|
Group photo of Alianza FFWR Training at Rural Coalition Winter Forum |
|
Anna Obregon, Alianza FFWR Training at Rural Coalition Winter Forum |
|
The Morralitos Campaign started in 2009 by our member organization, Líderes Campesinas, to raise awareness about the harm that pesticides cause to farmworkers and their families. This year the campaign was held from January 15th to February 15th. Thousands of farmworker women from across the country, along with their families and communities, designed and exhibited colorful Morralitos (small satchels). The Morralitos are decorated with images and messages that express the concerns of farmworkers about pesticide exposure, share important health and safety information, and demonstrate the toxic impact of pesticides. |
|
Morralito Designs from Líderes Campesinas Tulare Committee |
|
Morralitos Exhibit from Líderes Campesinas Sonoma Napa Committee |
|
Morralito Design from Líderes Campesinas Merced Committee |
|
On February 9th we hosted our yearly conversatorio (webinar) #EstadoDeLaCampesina in response to the Presidential State of the Union address. Centering the voices of farmworker women, while also inviting allies to this event, we discussed how the President’s vision of the country coincides with how we want to forward critical changes in terms of reducing pesticide exposure, ending gender-based violence against women and girls, protecting worker rights, and building a just and humane immigration system. Click HERE to watch. You can read our full press release here.
|
|
On February 14th Alianza was able to participate once again in the #OneBillionRising global Campaign to eliminate gender based violence against ALL women and girls. Farmworker women not only experience gender-based violence at a disproportionate rate when compared with other groups, but also have to endure exploitation by employers and grueling work conditions. Often cases go unreported because of fear related to immigration status and other threats. Farmworker women from across the country, along with their families and communities, hosted gatherings, virtually and in person, to uplift the voices of survivors, share important information, and protest gender-based violence. |
|
This year marks the 25th anniversary of V-Day. In honor of this milestone, Alianza had the opportunity to share a seminal moment in the V-Day movement. You can read the condensed version of our story, along with other powerful stories of women in the movement, published by The Guardian here. Click here to read the full piece.
|
|
|
|
In November of 2022 our immigration working group started La Hora de Inmigración (The Immigration Hour) to provide information on immigration rights, policies and related issues that our membership wants to learn more about.
|
|
|
Latinas earn 54 cents to every dollar a white non-hispanic male earns, according to the American Association of University Women. Last year #LatinaEqualPayDay fell on December 8th, meaning that latinas have to work almost two years to earn the same amount of income that a white non-hispanic male earns in one year.
In comparison, in 2021, #LatinaEqualPayDay fell on October 21st and it was estimated that Latinas earned 57 cents to every dollar earned by white non-Hispanic male. This means that the wage gap for Latinas has widened, with some groups within the latinx community facing even wider pay gaps. On December 8th, Alianza held a social media storm to share why closing the wage gap now is not only necessary, but a key stepping stone in affording Latina women equal rights. Farmworker women play a key role in feeding and sustaining our families and communities, and need to be awarded the same labor protections that workers in other industries are.
|
|
Upcoming work:
We just had our National Convivencia (convening) in Washington D.C. Stay tuned for a special edition of this newsletter with more information on the convivencia!
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
|
|
Our best wishes to all
member organizations and their families!
|
|
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.
|
|
Alianza Nacional de Campesinas
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
