Low Wage Life Project Topic Proposal

Living in Salinas, I am accustomed to, nearly to the point of desensitization, the sight of the farm workers in the fields, picking strawberries, lettuce, or other seasonal crops. As I sped by them on the highway, I hardly ever took time to observe the workers, instead just glancing over them like they were a permanent fixture in the landscape. I always knew that these people were low- wage workers, but their existence has always been impersonal to me—they live on the other side of town and their kids attended different schools—but when I have thought about them, I was curious about their stories. With a little bit of research about my original idea of writing about farm workers, I discovered a bright spot—children who are farm workers. Although the industry is not huge, it is still large enough to make it into the ranks of the top jobs for youths. The industry and its affects have not been largely recorded and the studies and surveys that have been recorded are not highly publicized since employing children in agriculture is a bit taboo because of the dangers of pesticides and machinery. I think, though, that despite the lack of current literature on the topic, these children have a story to tell. Most of them are behind in school, if they aren’t dropouts, and live without a parent in their household. Their low- wage work is not easy, and must take a toll on their young bodies. Because of their low- wage and/or emancipated status, these children often cannot access adequate healthcare. Their low-wage work, with no opportunity to advance, is locking them into a lifestyle, often one of poverty, which is nearly inescapable. Through my next project, I hope to shed light on the life of the low- wage child field worker, with a focus on the ones in California.