Heather Edelblute

Lilli Mann

Heather Edelblute and Lilli Mann received Latino Migration Awards to implement a lay community health advisor program focused on depression in women impacted by migration in a sending community in Guanajuato. The manuscript they and others developed from this work was accepted for publication in the Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health.

Their paper can be read below:

“Promotoras Across the Border: A Pilot Study Addressing Depression in Mexican Women Impacted by Migration” (Heather B. Edelblute, Sandra Clark, Lilli Mann, Kathryn M. McKenney, Jason J. Bischof , Christine Kistler)

Congrats, Heather and Lilli!

Anthropologist Patricia McAnany at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship to support her research.

McAnany is the Kenan Eminent Professor of Anthropology in UNC’s College of Arts and Sciences.

The John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, based in New York City, appoints fellows based on prior achievement and exceptional promise in research and artistic creation.

McAnany’s proposed book project is “Heritage without Irony: Transcultural Dialogue at a Busy Intersection.” As an archaeologist, she has conducted field research and cultural heritage programs throughout the Maya region, and she co-founded the UNC program, InHerit: Indigenous Heritage Passed to Present. Maya cultural heritage is situated at the busy intersection of archaeological practice, local community and remains of the past. One of the challenges of heritage conservation is building new knowledge communities that bridge the chasm between local and global. In her book, she will approach these lines of intersection from historical, ethical and philosophical perspectives.

The foundation awarded 175 fellowships to a diverse group of scholars, artists and scientists across 56 disciplines and from 85 academic institutions. The candidates were chosen from among a group of almost 3,000 applicants. Many Nobel, Pulitzer and other prize winners are fellowship alumni.

College of Arts and Sciences contact: Kim Spurr, (919) 962-4093, spurrk@email.unc.edu

“This will allow us to explore new projects that directly enhance people’s lives,” said Louis Perez, director of the institute and the J. Carlyle Sitterson Professor of History, “among other areas, we are considering projects in the natural sciences, information technology and medicine.”

The new grant has already benefited UNC marine biologist John Bruno’s graduate students, who spent time recently with a marine biologist from the University of Havana. Perez said he is also trying to foster relationships between UNC and Cuban cancer researchers, as well as connecting other medical professionals with each other.

UNC’s Cuba Program is dedicated to the study of past and present Cuban culture. It began in 2008 with a grant from the Christopher Reynolds Foundation which funded an international conference, “The United States and Cuba: Rethinking Engagement.” Since then, the program has organized conferences and speaker series; sponsored guest scholars and artists; and showcased Cuban visual culture through exhibits and theatrical performances. Additional ongoing support is provided by the College and the Office of the Provost.

Perez’s teaching and research interests include 20th century Latin America, the Caribbean and Cuba. His publications include On Becoming Cuban: Identity, Nationality and Culture (1999), To Die in Cuba: Suicide and Society(2005), Cuba in the American Imagination: Metaphor and the Imperial Ethos (2008), and Cuba: Between Reform and Revolution (2010).

For more information on the Christopher Reynolds Foundation, visit http://www.creynolds.org.

http://global.unc.edu/news/grant-to-institute-for-the-study-of-the-americas-will-expand-collaborations-with-cuba/

Post taken from UNC Global

Oral Histories in Action: A father is interviewed by his three children at the HiFest festival in High Point.

The Latino Migration Project added more oral histories to the New Roots digital archive this past weekend at the HiFest Festival of Cultures in High Point for the Building Integrated Communities (BIC) initiative.

The goal of the project was to catalog and preserve the stories of migrant,  immigrant and non-immigrant families residing in High Point.

It was an incredible experience to hear the amazing stories of High Point residents.  Be sure to check back to hear the full interviews.

HiFest was hosted in collaboration with the High Point Human Relations Commission, a BIC partner organization directed by Alvena Heggins.

Liz Willis is a senior at UNC Chapel Hill and a APPLES Global Course Guanajuato alumni. She now serves as the TA for the course.

We had a chance to sit down with Liz Willis, the Teaching Assistant for the upcoming spring break trip (just a few days away!) to Guanajuato, Mexico for APPLES Global Course Guanajuato.  Despite the bustle of finishing off school work and making final preparations for the trip –  Liz  (now a Senior at UNC) took time to reflect on how she became interested in migration in the first place.

Liz’s first engagement with immigrant rights came through a fairly ubiquitous source: Spanish language class.  Rather than restricting her participation in the classroom, Liz wanted to take her newly found Spanish skills and apply them, an opportunity that presented itself through study abroad experiences in Puebla, Mexico and Quito, Ecuador.

After getting back Liz was “looking to use newly acquired Spanish skills to contribute to [her] community.” Already drawn to community-based projects, she quickly connected with groups such as Alianza, LINC, and the Know Your Rights committee, getting involved in ESL tutoring and advocacy, in particular by raising awareness about the legal avenues available to immigrants and recruiting lawyers to speak communities in North Carolina.

With her background in community development, it was no surprise that Liz was drawn to the APPLES Global Course Guanajuato.

“I saw the application and thought it would be a good fit because it lets you work with a community here and also go and visit a community in Mexico…it gives you a deeper education, a community-based education.”

“[the trip] was incredible…I learned so much and really felt connected to the communities there.”

Liz cited the longstanding relationship between Dr. Hannah Gill, the Guanajuato course instructor, and the communities in the Bajío region as one of the most positive aspects of the trip. “I felt I was contributing to continuing the relationship and building a relationship between communities.”

Upon returning to the US, Liz continued seek opportunities to broaden and develop her understanding of US migration. Using oral histories, she partnered with the Human Rights Center to investigate topics deeply relevant to her community of Chapel Hill-Carrboro, such as day laborers and immigrant rights.

When the opportunity to join APPLES Global Course Guanajuato again as a Teaching Assistant presented itself, Liz applied right away.  As teaching assistant, she is helping plan the logistics of the trip as well as helping students in the course develop their projects.  Empowering students to learn more about the issue of immigration is something Liz has gotten more and more involved with the years, working across campus to raise student awareness about immigration issues and help them gain “a global perspective.”

In her words, this perspective allows students to “understand that migration story doesn’t start in the United States, that it starts in Mexico and it starts in these communities.”

This global perspective has a profound impact on how Liz views her work and future. After graduation, Liz is planning on returning to Quito, Ecuador to work with Columbian refugees and continue to develop a global perspective on immigration, asylum, and policy issues. Upon returning to the U.S., she plans to attend law school to pursue advocacy work with local immigrant communities.

We wish Liz all the best on her future work and look forward to meeting the next cohort of APPLES Global Guanajuato Course alumni!

As we receive and share the gift of food with others this holiday season, let us remember the people who put food on our tables. 

With the holiday season underway, it is easy to get “wrapped up” in gifts. We give presents to friends and loved ones, some of us spending hours online or at the mall carefully choosing that perfect something for someone. Ironically, we spend almost no time unwrapping the presents we receive. In a similar fashion, many labor tirelessly for hours to prepare incredible meals for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and other holiday gatherings. In the end, the meals quickly disappear from plates, leaving stomachs full and satisfied. The gift of food is rarely ever wrapped in pretty paper and bows, but it is nonetheless wrapped in bags and put in cardboard boxes. The gift of food is not only carefully prepared for cooking; it is first carefully prepared for market or storage. The gift of food is handpicked in the harvest, cultivated, and, first and foremost, planted. Most importantly, the gift of food comes from those who are a big part of our lives, but who unfortunately remain anonymous and forgotten, if they are ever remembered at all.

One day after Thanksgiving in 1960, Edward R. Murrow, a prominent American journalist, presented Harvest of Shame on CBS prime time. The documentary treated the plight of a “forgotten people”: migrant farmworkers. Harvest of Shame revealed migrant workers’ terrible living and working conditions, including the health, social and labor injustices plaguing the United States’ agricultural system. It spawned a lot of public attention, which ultimately resulted in some changes to farmworker regulation rights and policies. Over fifty years later, Harvest of Dignity, a documentary made possible by Minnow Media in partnership with Student Action with Farmworkers (SAF), demonstrates that little has actually changed; migrant farmworkers are facing many of the same conditions today as those documented in 1960.[i]  As signified by the re-appropriated and revised title, where there was shame, now there is dignity, but not because there is anything dignified about working conditions of agricultural labor. Rather, it is a harvest of dignity because migrant farmworkers unflaggingly labor to bestow upon us the gift of food, even in spite of their day-to-day plight. The mission of both of these documentaries is to make farmworkers more visible to the general public. Sadly, these individuals still remain relatively invisible, especially in the state of North Carolina.

Farmworkers in North Carolina

While Harvest of Shame’s showcase of migrant farmworkers was national in scope, it did feature North Carolina, possibly because it was Murrow’s home state. Similarly, North Carolina becomes the centerpiece of Harvest of Dignity. Commissioned by SAF (Student Action for Farmworkers), the recent documentary includes interviews with local advocates and farmworkers in North Carolina. With 22% of the state’s income deriving from farm labor, agriculture makes a significant contribution to the economy (about $10 billion a year). Unfortunately, workers in the state earn 35% less than the national average, a disparity that may be due to the migrant farmworker demographic. The North Carolina agricultural workforce is now largely comprised of Latinos (95-98%) from Mexico and Central America, in contrast to 50 years ago when African Americans were the predominant group. While some hold an H-2A classification work permit, many are not legally authorized to work.[ii] As the Southern Poverty Law Center points out, “undocumented immigrants exist in a shadow economy,”[iii] as they are subject to harsh living and working conditions and rarely speak up out of fear of possible deportation. Even those who do have legal working permits rarely speak up because they are dependent on their employer for their visa. Violations of human and worker’s rights include lack of provision of proper safety equipment, sub-standard housing, unfair compensation, and even sexual abuse, but these experiences largely remain in the shadows.

Farm labor is one of the most dangerous occupations in the country, with the fatality rate for workers seven times higher than for workers in private industries, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

Farm labor is one of the most dangerous occupations in the country, with the fatality rate for workers seven times higher than for workers in private industries, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. The quality of life for farmworkers diminishes in the midst of adverse weather conditions, pesticides, dust, fungi, etc. The fact that many North Carolina crops like sweet potatoes, apples, bell peppers, cucumbers, and other fruits and vegetables require hand labor means that workers have greater risk of exposure. With the holiday season in full swing, Christmas trees can be added to the list. Wilmer, a farmworker in the state interviewed Harvest of Dignity, has planted, fertilized, cultivated, sprayed and picked—all at the cost of immigrants’ health. “I think the chemicals have harmed me some,” says Wilmer, “but my brothers, I have brought them to the emergency room because of the tobacco, because of the chemicals they use.” Wilmer’s brothers may very well have experienced green tobacco poisoning, or nicotine poisoning, through the skin. Elaine Bartlett, from the Episcopal Farmworker Ministry, reports that 24% of workers in tobacco fields are poisoned at least once in the growing season and that they can absorb the same amount of nicotine in 36 cigarettes daily.[iv]  There continues to be a great need for education for farmworkers insofar as the prevention and/or treatment of the health hazards in agricultural work. What complicates matters even further is the lack of medical treatment; in North Carolina, only 20% of farmworkers receive health care. It is no surprise, then, that the fatality rate for farmworkers in the state is higher than the national average.

“Asleep on the hay”: Farmworkers deserve better living conditions

 In Harvest of Shame, Murrow notes the extent of “bad” housing: “Flies, mosquitoes, dirty beds and mattresses, unsanitary toilets, and lack of hot water for bathing.” Before 2007, housing laws in North Carolina did not even require farmers to provide workers beds with mattresses. Accordingly, huge amendments were passed to the Migrant Housing Act in 2007 with the successful campaign efforts of the NC Farmworker Advocacy Network that started in 2003. While the North Carolina Department of Labor (NCDOL) sets standards for migrant housing, the state still suffers from inadequate housing, which creates additional health and safety risks for farmworkers who already face hazardous working conditions. A recent study by the Center for Worker Health at Wake Forest University School of Medicine reveals that the “bad” housing Murrow characterizes troubles today’s North Carolina migrant workers; the study is ostensibly the most extensive investigation in the Southeastern U.S. pertaining to farmworker housing.[v] Of the 183 camps inspected, there were multiple violations of the North Carolina Migrant Housing Act found in each camp, which included roach, mice and rat infestation; non-working toilets and showers; contaminating drinking water; and problems related to fire safety[vi].

Child labor: farmwork robs children of their youth

In North Carolina, nearly 5 out of 10 farmworkers disclosed that they could not afford the cost of food for their families, sometimes themselves. Unfortunately, financial desperation leads children to work alongside their parents in the fields. In 2010, Human Rights Watch, an international organization focused on human rights, conducted research in a handful of states, including North Carolina, to evaluate farmworking conditions for children.[vii] Based on more than 140 interviews with current and former child farmworkers, the study revealed that working conditions have serious consequences for children in regards to health and education. Like adult farmworkers, children, face extreme temperatures and pesticide exposure, the latter of which is very problematic because their bodies are still in development. Further, many children work with sharp tools and heavy machinery without sufficient safety measures. Research also disclosed that employers do not protect children by giving them basic health needs on the job: “Many children said that their employers did not provide drinking water, handwashing facilities or toilets” (Human Rights Watch). Shockingly, the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) does not protect children in agricultural occupations the way it does children working in other industries,[viii] and even the feeble protection it does provide rarely receives enforcement. Because the FLSA also does not cap how many hours children can work outside of school hours, child agricultural workers often struggle with their education. They have difficulties concentrating on both school and work, and thus education becomes secondary to meeting financial needs for themselves or their families. It is no surprise that farmworker youth often drop out of school and fail to continue their education. Sadly, this hazardous line of work forces children to grow up too quickly and jeopardizes future educational opportunities.

The Gift of Dignity: Effecting change for farmworkers

Hazardous working conditions, putrid housing, and child labor—these are all injustices that the people who work for our food face on a daily basis. Far more research has been conducted in regards to migrant farmworkers and the problems of the agricultural system in the United States that could not be related in this blog. There are a vast number of minor troublesome issues that create larger problems. Agriculture, however, largely suffers from a structural problem that cannot and will not be fixed in the short term. Indeed, Harvest of Shame brought national awareness for the plight of migrant farmworkers and facilitated advocacy, but over fifty years have passed and not enough has been done to ensure human rights and protection for them.

“The migrants have no lobby. Only an enlightened, aroused and perhaps angered public opinion can do anything about the migrants. The people you have seen have the strength to harvest your fruit and vegetables. They do not have the strength to influence legislation.” Speaking directly to the American nation, these were Edward Murrow’s closing words for the documentary in 1960. Murrow clearly points to the need and power of “enlightened,” “aroused,” and “angered,” voices to effect change on behalf of migrant farmworkers. Migrant farmworkers are the often-silenced voices we do not hear and the marginalized individuals we do not see. They are mistreated, exploited, injured, and unrecognized. It is vital that we promulgate the respect and acknowledgement migrant farmworkers deserve by making them visible through awareness efforts, educational means, and advocacy work.

As we receive and share the gift of food with others this holiday season, let us remember the people who put food on our tables.

About the author:

María J. Obando is an intern with the Latino Migration Project. She is a graduate student in English and Comparative Literature at UNC-Chapel Hill. She is interested in 20th century multi-ethnic literature, particularly how Latinos are represented in drama. Her focus on dramatic texts includes their historical, cultural and literary contexts as well as their performative aspects.

Cassandra Daniels (left) and Alvena Heggins (right) were recipients of the Institute for the Study of the Americas’ 2012 Sharon S. Mujica Community Service Award.

Alvena Heggins and Cassandra Daniels have been awarded the 2012 Sharon S. Mújica Community Service Award. This award is given annually by the Institute for the Study of the Americas to individuals who have demonstrated extraordinary commitment to Latin American and Latino communities in North Carolina. In addition to their decades of public service, they were recognized for their contributions to Building Integrated Communities, an initiative of the Latino Migration Project in partnership with municipal governments in North Carolina.  The program aims to bring together local government officials and immigrant leaders to create comprehensive immigrant integration strategies in order to improve public safety, promote economic development, enhance communication, and improve relationships.

Since 2009, Mrs. Heggins and Mrs. Daniels have effectively brought together diverse stakeholders who represent immigrant communities with local government leaders to create comprehensive integration plans in their respective cities of High Point and Greenville, where they serve as the Directors of Human Relations Commission and Council. They deserve recognition for all that they progress they have made in this process, which includes spearheading new community and government initiatives aimed at developing more inclusive, empowering communities and developing action plans to guide efforts in the future.

Past recipients of the Sharon S. Mújica award include Jerry Markatos, Jane Stein, Florence Simán, and Ilana Dubester. Ms. Daniels and Ms. Heggins received their awards on December 8, 2012 at the fifth annual Faculty Dinner of the Institute for the Study of the Americas at the Fed Ex Global Education Center in Chapel Hill.

For more information: In-Herit Passed to Present 

For the first time, Latinos are the largest minority group enrolled in four-year colleges and universities, according to the non-partisan Pew Hispanic Center Report released in August 2012. With the enrollment number surpassing two million in 2011, Latino students account for 16.5% of the 18- to 24-year-old students nationwide. In two-year colleges, Latino students also reached a record share of 25.2% of the total student enrollment. The rise in Hispanic population is one significant factor that contributes to these numbers. According to a Pew Hispanic Center analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data, more than 12.4 million Latinos attended public schools pre-K through 12th grade in October 2011, making up 23.9% of total public school students enrolled across the country. The demographic trends suggest that these students will make up a large share of public high school enrollment as they progress through kindergarten and elementary school in years to come.

SLI tutors latino high school students and helps them prepare for college.

In addition to the increase in the Hispanic population overall, the report finds that the increase in high school graduation rates among Latino students warrants equal attention. Today, more Hispanic youth are eligible to attend college than ever, due increased high school and General Education Development (GED) degree rates. In 2011, Latinos ages 18 to 24 who graduated from high school achieved a milestone for Hispanic high school completion at 76%. In short, the rise in Hispanic population growth, coupled with greater eligibility for Latino students to attend college, has resulted in the noteworthy minority on college campuses. The growing community of educators working towards improving graduation rates and college access here in North Carolina, a state with one of the fastest growing Latino populations in the nation, has enthusiastically welcomed the findings of the Pew Report. Innovative programs like the student-led Scholars Latino Initiative (SLI) at UNC-Chapel Hill, for example, mobilize 100 volunteers annually to provide more than 8,000 hours of service in order to help Latino high school students realize their dream of college attendance.
The Pew Hispanic Center Report certainly presents a momentous milestone for Latino students, and it provides a positive forecast for higher education among the Latino youth population. But, there is still much work to be done in order to maintain this strong Latino presence. Although the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics (Snyder and Dillow, 2012) shows new highs for Hispanic students who receive associate and bachelor’s degrees, the number of degrees conferred still falls short of their non-Hispanic student counterparts. Sung praises aside, the recent report seems to gesture at the concern for college retention and completion. Indeed, there are many considerations regarding the increase of Latino student enrollment in colleges and universities that directly affect whether students will successfully finish their studies. These under-represented students, many of who are the first in their family to attend college, have particular needs that often extend beyond the educational domain.

Latino voices are nuanced and multiplicitous–they speak about migration, family, and culture, among other things. Generally, Latino youth’s narratives intersect with daily educational pursuits. Both individual and collective narratives serve to remind our education system about the need to consider Latino students’ personal backgrounds and how they may impede academic potential and success. A profitable plan of action that acknowledges and well serves the Latino presence in higher education will accommodate students’ needs. Before productive changes in universities can be implemented, however, educators, faculty and staff alike have a responsibility to learn about Latino students’ narratives, many of which center on the migration experience.

In North Carolina, there are several endeavors that make these narratives more easily accessible. Directed by Associate Professor Mimi Chapman, PhD, in UNC-Chapel Hill’s School of Social Work, and developed with Robert Colby, Ph.D., the “Yo Veo” project wonderfully tackles the need to inform North Carolina educators about Latino youth’s personal stories. Of particular interest to this project is how these stories, especially those concerning the migration experience, impact academic performance and students’ mental wellness. In fact, the project’s inception came as a response to the question, what do we do and how do we allow for productive change when a large number of Hispanic youth unexpectedly enter our classrooms? Although “Yo Veo” and its corresponding training for teachers using photojournalism is happening at the grade-school level, this is precisely the same question college educators and administrators need to ask.

In the same vein, The Latino Migration Project (LMP), a program of the Institute for the Study of the Americas and the Center for Global Initiatives at UNC-Chapel Hill, creates and advances knowledge about the Latin American experience. In January 2010, LMP and UNC-Chapel Hill’s Oral History Program launched a collection of oral histories on issues concerning (im)migration to North Carolina and Latino communities. UNC-Chapel Hill students in courses relevant to this line of research continue to conduct interviews for the collection, which include the voices of immigrants, professionals who work with immigrants, educators, students (first and U.S.-born second generations), policy-makers, and community leaders. Although this project tackles the Latin American community more broadly, many of the archived oral histories provide a cogent context for which to better understand the Latino college student. These interviews certainly showcase migration experiences as well as the subsequent effects of migration–many of which may manifest as cultural barriers that impede Hispanic academic success. These oral histories are but a starting point as far as strategizing how to better serve the rising population of Latinos on college campuses nationwide.

Unfortunately, quantitative data often provides a limited and two-dimensional portrayal of Latino students. Productive change will only unfold if we learn about these students through their individual and collective narratives. We cannot guarantee that every student will succeed in higher education, but we can make sure that their narratives influence the development of educational policies and practices that will best serve their collegiate academic pursuits.

The full Pew Hispanic Center Report can be accessed at http://www.pewhispanic.org/files/2012/08/Hispanic-Student-Enrollments-Reach-New-Highs-in-2011_FINAL.pdf.
For more information about SLI, visit http://cgi.unc.edu/sli
For more information about Dr. Chapman’s project, visit http://global.unc.edu/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3408&Itemid=105
Collection of oral histories in North Carolina on the issue of migration can be found at http://isa.unc.edu/lmp/oral-histories/

About the author:

María J. Obando is an intern with the Latino Migration Project. She is a graduate student in English and Comparative Literature at UNC-Chapel Hill. She is interested in 20th century multi-ethnic literature, particularly how Latinos are represented in drama. Her focus on dramatic texts includes their historical, cultural and literary contexts as well as their performative aspects.