When you are sitting at the table and you all are passing around food and filling up your plates, have you ever thought about where your food comes from? Beyond the grocery store, have you ever thought about whether your food was imported or packaged or processed?
Some people answer the question by saying farms, which is correct. But have you ever thought about who harvests and picks the food on farms?
Well if you haven't, then this is a good time to really think about it. Most of us don't know who is making it possible for us to buy and to eat our food.
Have you heard of migrant workers? Migrant workers are often undocumented workers who come to America for a better life. They expect to have a decent job, but instead many find themselves working hard and long hours in the worst conditions, and some don't even get paid minimum wage.
I know you're probably thinking "Wow, that's terrible" but you haven't even heard the worst part.
Have you ever wondered about the ages of the people working in these conditions? Along with their parents, children are also working from as young as 6. I have two sisters and two stepsisters, who are 7,12 ,6, and 13. I can't believe that anyone my sister's age would have to go through this. That's like imagining my youngest sister working in a field without being able to play and go to school.
A field should be a place were children play, not where they have to work. How come no one has spoken up for them? Migrant workers often can't speak up for themselves because they don't want to lose their job, they cannot speak enough English to share their opinion or because they are afraid of being deported. Once they are here they may not have another place to go.
How come the government hasn't looked into this? Why are we allowing this to happen? Our food system, our migrant workers and their situation seems crazy, why aren't we doing anything to stop it? Why are children getting sick and sometimes dying from exposure to pesticides? Why are children being forced to work in the fields and yet they don't even have decent homes to live in? What is the world coming to when 6-year-olds have to work in the field to help their families out?
I am 15 years old and I work at the SEEDS educational garden. When I heard this, I felt confused and sad. To think that there are people of my age working in these terrible conditions just makes me want to inform the world about what is going on in our country.
When I sit down with my family on Thanksgiving Day and look at all the delicious things on our table, like mashed potatoes, collard greens, turkey, sweet potato pies, string beans and strawberry shortcake, I will think about where it all came from and how hard families have worked in the fields just so we can sit down and eat.
If you are interested there are many ways to help out such as writing to politicians, joining organizations that support migrant workers and their rights, and taking the time to inform others and the world about what is really going on.