Latina farmworkers' experiences: Maintaining dignity in an oppressive workplace
Maira A. Areguin, Abigail J. Stewart
Abstract
Abstract Farmworkers in the United States support the billion‐dollar agriculture industry, but they and their work are largely undervalued and ignored. While workplace research has thoroughly examined mistreatment at work, there is little research that delves into non‐traditional workplaces–like those that employ farmworkers. Moreover, a focus on women farmworkers is even rarer, given that farmwork is a field dominated by men. However, an intersectional approach reveals Latina farmworkers' position in the U.S. in terms of the multiple hierarchies of status, power and privilege that affect them. Our study used thematic analysis to examine Latina farmworker experiences. Interviews with 14 Latina farmworkers revealed that they experience an oppressive workplace where discrimination and harassment are present. Despite these indignities, women still name positive aspects of their place of employment and ways in which they maintain their dignity in these challenging work settings.