FLOC Fights For Immigration Reform
Baldemar Velasquez, President and Founder of the Farm Labor Organizing Committee, speaks about FLOC's campaigns for Immigration Reform at the 2009 National AFL-CIO Convention.
In recent years, we have seen a visible increase in new immigrants in the U.S. There have traditionally been immigrant neighborhoods in most large cities across America, including Irish, Germans, Italians, and also African Americans and Appalachians who have moved to new areas in the country. After World War II, suburbs began developing around the country, and many ethnic neighborhoods melted away. Until recently, immigration ceased to be a visible issue. In the 1990s, however, a new wave of immigrants became visible, as economic globalization, new social conflicts, and other forces after the end of the Cold War increased the rates of migration all over the world. Hispanics are the largest and most visible of these new immigrants in the U.S., but people have come from every region in the world seeking to support their families and to realize new opportunities.
Popular reactions to these new immigrants have also been emerging in recent years. Some responses have been positive, as new neighbors have been welcomed into jobs and communities. But there have also been negative reactions, particularly after the attacks of September 11 2001. After the Civil Rights Movement, it was no longer acceptable in America to express hate and racism... but now it seems OK to be hateful and racist against immigrants. Myths and misinformation are clouding understandings, the voices of prejudice and discrimination are becoming louder, and anti-immigrants are forming vigilante groups and pushing policies that are punitive and oppressive.
FLOC has stood for social and economic justice since its beginnings. Our members are largely immigrants making important contributions in producing foods for Americans. In recent worker conventions, they have raised the issue of the prejudice and discrimination directed against them, and have called on the union to defend immigrant rights.
In response, FLOC has developed our Immigrant Rights Campaign, with the primary goals of:
- Organizing the immigrant community to have their own voice in all areas of their lives
- Organizing support networks for immigrant rights (see National Coalition for Dignity and Permanant Residency)
- Policy advocacy to achieve:
- Legal residency for immigrants permanently working and living in the country
- Reunification of families separated by international borders
- Full human, civil, due process, and working rights for all immigrants
- An ongoing process for addressing these issues with future migrant flows,
including the free flow of workers between countries having trade agreements
In addressing the immigration issue, FLOC President Baldemar Velásquez states that the system is designed to benefit corporations and their investors at the expense of workers. He has proposed a Freedom Visa where workers have the same rights as corporations to cross the borders between countries that have trade agreements in the search for economic well-being.
In 2007, President Velasquez testified before the US Congress Committee on Education and Labor regarding H.R. 1763, the Indentured Servitude Abolition Act of 2007. Rep. Miller, chairman of this committee, has said that "unscrupulous foreign labor contractors lure workers to the United States with promises of a better life and decent wages in exchange for thousands of dollars in fees. Instead of good jobs, workers wind up trapped in oppressive employment, often unable to repay their debts to recruiters or find other jobs. This is nothing short of a form of modern-day slavery, and it must end." In his testimony, Baldemar recounted the problems of H2A workers represented by FLOC, and the efforts by FLOC to clean up the corruption and extortion in the recruiting process, which resulted in the murder of staff member Santiago Rafael in FLOC's office in Mexico. He called for reforms to help make the use of "guest workers" a positive experience for all concerned. Read his full testimony here.
Get involved in the movement to create fair and just treatment of all immigrants in our society.
Also see: Manifesto of Immigrants in the United States, and
Manifesto of International Immigrants
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FLOC members march through Toledo Ohio at the National Convention in 2009