Fair trade is typically understood as an alternative market system that aims to right historically inequitable terms of trade between the geopolitical North and South and foster more direct producer/consumer linkages. We suggest that a more expansive application of the term "fair trade" to encompass agro-food initiatives within the North and South…

Children working in agriculture have always been a part of the rural culture and work ethos of the United States, especially on the Great Plains. Many teenagers still detassel corn or walk the beans in the summer months to earn spending money or money for college. But what about the children who work as migrant laborers in commercialized…

The study's purpose was to compile descriptive information about a small band of Algonquin Indian seasonal agricultural workers from Quebec, Canada who migrate annually into Ontario County, New York to work on the fur and poultry farms. Although these Indians have worked in the State since 1945, no "serious" study had been made which…

This article is adapted from "Chew Heong v. United States: Chinese Exclusion and the Federal Courts", written by Lucy Salyer, associate professor of history at the University of New Hampshire, for inclusion in the Federal Judicial Center's project, "Federal Trials and Great Debates in United States History." In 1882, Congress…

Illegal migrants are a nonentity in the United States, and, to a certain extent, many prefer it that way. They exist in society's netherworld, living under their own code of survival by whatever means they can, since the alternatives are less inviting. Mostly, they struggle. People take advantage of them at every opportunity because they are…

During the 1978 agricultural season, migrant farmworkers and their families occupied 2,079 rental units at 26 migrant housing centers provided by the Office of Migrant Services. Supportive services at the centers included day care centers for children two to five years of age, a few infant care facilities, and access to medical serivces,…

During 1974, the Rural Manpower Service provided a comprehensive program of service to all agricultural workers and employers in both rural and urban areas. This program was accomplished through employer relations and applicant registration programs, placement services, promotion of training programs, counseling and testing programs, collection…

The Rural Development Center (Salinas, California) trains farmworkers in the business and science of farming. The nonprofit program provides a rigorous course in agronomy, farm management, organic certification, and produce marketing to primarily Mexican American farm laborers, followed by a 3-year "apprenticeship" on leased land, and…

The Statue of Freedom stands at the very top of the dome of the Capitol, where Congress meets in Washington, D.C. The dome, with its statue, is a symbol recognized all over the world. Thomas Crawford, an American sculptor, created the Statue of Freedom in clay in a studio in Rome, Italy. A plaster model was cast in five major sections and shipped…

Effective February 1976, the Rural Manpower Services Department was integrated totally with the Placement Department, thus removing any rural/urban separation of services. This new concept allowed the provision of equal services to all segments of the work force. Continuing emphasis was placed on providing manpower services to rural residents with…

The report presents data on the demographic, social, and economic characteristics of persons 14 years of age and over who did hired farmwork during 1975, and summarizes the pertinent changes and trends in the size, composition, earnings, and employment patterns of the hired farm working force. Information is given on the Spanish-origin, white,…

An astounding construction feat of Chinese Americans was the work done on the western section of the transcontinental railroad. The groundbreaking ceremony for the new line took place in Sacramento in 1863, but up until 1865, less than 50 miles of running track had been laid, and this was over relatively level land. The construction superintendent…

An important revival in art education seeks to provide adolescents with art projects that are culturally and politically relevant to their lives. Stimulated in part by both a postmodernist attitude and the attention to visual culture, such projects address content that is meaningful to students' families, their futures, and their society. These…

In this article, the author reflects on the events that took place in the year 1972. The author was a junior at the University of New Mexico back then, refusing to eat or buy grapes and lettuce, picketing grocers who did not carry United Farm Workers of America produce. He and his buddies cast their votes against granting Richard Nixon a second…

An overview of the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 summarizes legislative developments prior to passage of the bill, describes major elements of the legislation, discusses the activities of the National Council of La Raza in monitoring implementation of the law, and emphasizes the necessary role of the network of Hispanic…