Abstract

POSADAS SEGURA, Florencio. Agricultural Workers and Subjectivity in California. Migr. Inter [online]. 2014, vol.7, n.4, pp.205-234. ISSN 2594-0279.

This paper explores the problem of the subjectivity of agricultural workers, based on the hypothesis that they regard their living and working conditions as poor. Fieldwork was used to show their knowledge and opinions on their working and living situation in the San Joaquin Valley, California in 2007 and 2008. It was found that agricultural workers' views are based on the subjectivity and reinterpretation of their objective working and living circumstances. It was concluded that agricultural workers say that their conditions are appalling because their labor, social and human rights are not recognized or respected; the U.S. economic, social and political crisis is detrimental to them and the Free Trade Agreement between Mexico, the United States and Canada (NAFTA) could only benefit them through an immigration reform.

Keywords : agricultural workers; subjectivity; living and working conditions; California; Mexico.