Billionaire Agribusinessmen in the US and New Immigrant Farmworkers from Mexico - Essay Example

Introduction According to Fred Krissman, the history of undocumented migration of many Mexicans and of other nationalities constituting the minorities in the United States of is not largely due to the widespread lack of employment coupled with poverty in their motherlands nor was there any documented volume of migration due to the lack of human rights securities. Rather, Krissman strongly stressed that the networks that facilitated the migration of these workers created a solid infrastructure for the continued supply as well as raising the demands for these immigrant workers. Knowing the present economic structure and the availability of these workers, this created a rift between the owners of the industries who is literally addicted to using “cheap” and illegal (undocumented) workforce and to the requirement of the American commoners to security. In this article, we will deal into the major issues strongly intertwined with illegal undocumented migration such as labor and unemployment issues (i.e. workforce rights’ violations) and illegal drug trade both in the United States and Mexico; furthermore we will also look into the government interventions and the changes it has extended to the labor sector not only to resolve the pressing conflicts between American and Mexican (as well as other minorities) workers but to entirely “improve” and restructure the present labor condition of the United States. Issues During the post-World War II period, the United States government invested millions of dollars in agriculture reform and sponsored many farms to improve their technologies such as irrigation system and development of farm machineries. It was also during this period from 1942 to early 1960s that the United States encouraged these workers from Mexico, China, Japan and other parts of Asia to migrate in the U.S and work in their farms for cheap labor. Along with these workers are their families therefore starting up a steady enormous volume of migrants to reside along the agricultural lines of California and Washington. With the increasing number of migrants, the competition for labor between them and the native Americans became steeper to the point where unjust labor practices were implemented to curb, streamline and permanently impede the surge of migrants into key agricultural cities in America. These practices involved massive lynching of migrant workers from their job with barely justifiable reasons, deportation due to lack of appropriate documents and permits, lack of work benefits – all conditions are almost similar to the circumstances Black Americans are experiencing. These iniquitous employment practices perpetrated by the billionaire-owners of these businesses received resistance from these workers, demanding fair practices, and increase in wage (which returned an average of $5,500 annually). Limited response were gathered from the employer’s side, hence the call for government intervention was further lobbied. In partnership with the exceedingly affluent industry-owners as well as the government, these migrant workers were confronted with an even bigger battle to prevail. The government who hired and have encouraged these workers to stay and labor in the United States in the first place agreed to draft laws and provisions that will protect the labor rights of these workers. In the years that follow, despite the promises laid by the United States government there is very less (if there is any) improvement in the labor conditions of these workers, lynching continued at an unmonitored level, bogus requirements were set for every migrant worker at unreasonable prices and no labor protection protocols were implemented. Consequently, the United States being the largest and the most profitable market for black trade saw the immense prospect of using these migrants into their illicit business transactions and coupled with their high supply (availability of unemployed migrants) and their dire need of monetary resources, these migrants became the perfect vessel of illegal drug and arm trades. As the years pass, more and more migrants particularly Mexicans were involved in illicit drug deals posing threats to the Americans further swelling the conflict against these minorities resulting to numerous human rights violations, deaths and other minor forms of hostilities. In the present days, drug trafficking and illicit trade identified to spring up from Mexico is the focal raison dêtre for the ballooning tensions in the United States-Mexico borders and erroneously labeled as a “low” intensity campaign of the United States armed forces using state-of-the-art weapon investments. Implications of this “intense” border wars includes the costs a Mexican would need to pay to cross the borders and very less on the control of drug and arm trade chiefly monitored by American black market traders. Discussions The issue of the unfair treatments that escalated to violence between immigrants registered and unregistered alike revolves around the division of the labor market that is occurring within the American industrial sector. Looking at into the equation on the origin of the years of conflict is fairly straightforward and of highly economic in nature, immigrants were hired to perform manual labor in the blooming industries in the United States of America such as the textile and the agricultural industries of California and Washington, which in turned fuelled economic growth and development. The development means the further increased in the cost of living augmenting the demand of work and this is where the conflict along with the economic stimulations steamed up. A lot can be drawn from this situation with its hundred years of history filled with bloody struggles and pursuit for reform, first is the obvious lack of government intervention to pacify and address the much needed employment restructuring. The American government has been constantly criticized for the $10B military expenditures diverting a huge portion of the country’s funds in preventing these immigrants from crossing the borders instead of focusing and giving enough attention in stimulus financial support of the many industries in the country and provide jobs for its citizens. Secondly, the image of these ”immigrants” has been closely related to narcotics, drug trades, crimes and violence, and thus creating a very unconstructive implication calling for more hostilities and resistance at both ends of the spectrum. Having provided these above-mentioned factors, the focus of those highly concerned in the issue not only of the government but also with the various labor unions in the United States, the owners of the industries and those who drafts and passes bills and laws must narrow down into empowering industries to generate employment, although it is not as simple as that. Conclusions Based from the readings gathered, we can draw several implications as to the reasons and the results caused by the undocumented migration of manual labor workers from Mexico as well as from China and other parts of Asia. Our attention is shifted to the various interlaced issues that have remained in the backdrop of and were considered as the key factors that fuelled workers’ migration. These dynamics which can also be considered as results are well recognized and documented practices of billionaires and by other multinational companies such as the huge discrepancies in the costs of production and its market value suggesting on the degree of despicable labor practices – one of the conditions and an important aspect of capitalism and a major driving force in perpetuation of globalization. A significant example of this is Wall Mart’s labor practices where extensive exploitation of the natural resources is maintained in order to keep their prices low but at the same time they void certain labor rights such as health insurance, all to stay at the top of market competition. Works Cites Krissman, Fred. (1997). Comparing Apples and Oranges: A Look at the Similarities Between Farm Worker-Unions in Washington and California. Krissman, Fred. (1994). History of Shame on Our State. Santa Barbara News-Press. Krissman, Fred. (2003). Our Border War. San Diego Union-Tribune. Krissman, Fred. Immigrant Labor Recruitment: U.S Agribusiness and Undocumented Migration from Mexico. Immigration Research for the New Century. Read More