Virgilio Garcia
ANTH-160
Dr. Lisa Garibaldi
05/08/2017
Book Review 1
In the ethnography, Fresh Fruit, Broken Bodies by Dr. Seth Holmes, takes a close look at the way that immigrants in the United States get through everyday life. The farms in the United States depend a lot from immigrant workers for many reasons. One of the main reasons is cheap labor. Dr. Holmes goes in depth to discover the difficulties that indigenous Mexican immigrants that come looking for a better life. When they come to United States these people become vulnerable people that just want to achieve a better life, not only for themselves but for their families as well. Unfortunately, because of their legal status these people become vulnerable, experience health and work …show more content…
These immigrants become vulnerable because landlords can take advantage of their status in the country. They cannot complain that something is broken or because the house is in the worse condition because the landlord can just kick them out. Dr. Holmes describes in detail the quality of life that these people live. In some cases, I would say that they live in worse conditions that they probably did back in Mexico. Being an immigrant myself I can say that Dr. Holmes’ description is very accurate, even though I have not lived through the situation that these people lived through but I have encountered many times where people take advantage of the situation. People take advantage of the situation that these people are living.
As immigrants, these workers experience health disparities because sometimes they must breath in the pesticides that they spray on the produce they are picking. Unfortunately, the United
States does not offer much health care of undocumented immigrants. So normally these costs go to the home country when and if they ever go back. Dr. Holmes uses Abelino as an example of the way that immigrants are treated when they go to the doctor because of an injurie or any illness. As you …show more content…
They deal with discriminations at work, not getting paid the same as a white person or even at times their bosses demanding more from them then they do of a white person.
Cheap labor is what farmers are looking for and since these immigrants are willing to work for any money it doesn’t matter how much they get paid. Dr. Holmes analyses certain cases where the managers of the farms demand a lot more at the end of the day from the immigrants then they do from the white people that went to work for the summer. I had to experience something similar one summer that I worked in a factory where since I was young and Hispanic they took advantage by setting very high production goals to meet at the end of the day. They knew that they were able to do that since I
couldn’t complain since I needed the job and the money. That is the position that these immigrants have to go through in the fields as Dr. Holmes examines.
Overall, Dr. Holmes was able to bring these issues to light and explained them very well in his ethnography. It was an interesting book to read and see how some people will do anything to achieve the American Dream that this great nation has to offer. The United States is a nation with a lot of
ANTH-160
Dr. Lisa Garibaldi
05/08/2017
Book Review 1
In the ethnography, Fresh Fruit, Broken Bodies by Dr. Seth Holmes, takes a close look at the way that immigrants in the United States get through everyday life. The farms in the United States depend a lot from immigrant workers for many reasons. One of the main reasons is cheap labor. Dr. Holmes goes in depth to discover the difficulties that indigenous Mexican immigrants that come looking for a better life. When they come to United States these people become vulnerable people that just want to achieve a better life, not only for themselves but for their families as well. Unfortunately, because of their legal status these people become vulnerable, experience health and work …show more content…
These immigrants become vulnerable because landlords can take advantage of their status in the country. They cannot complain that something is broken or because the house is in the worse condition because the landlord can just kick them out. Dr. Holmes describes in detail the quality of life that these people live. In some cases, I would say that they live in worse conditions that they probably did back in Mexico. Being an immigrant myself I can say that Dr. Holmes’ description is very accurate, even though I have not lived through the situation that these people lived through but I have encountered many times where people take advantage of the situation. People take advantage of the situation that these people are living.
As immigrants, these workers experience health disparities because sometimes they must breath in the pesticides that they spray on the produce they are picking. Unfortunately, the United
States does not offer much health care of undocumented immigrants. So normally these costs go to the home country when and if they ever go back. Dr. Holmes uses Abelino as an example of the way that immigrants are treated when they go to the doctor because of an injurie or any illness. As you …show more content…
They deal with discriminations at work, not getting paid the same as a white person or even at times their bosses demanding more from them then they do of a white person.
Cheap labor is what farmers are looking for and since these immigrants are willing to work for any money it doesn’t matter how much they get paid. Dr. Holmes analyses certain cases where the managers of the farms demand a lot more at the end of the day from the immigrants then they do from the white people that went to work for the summer. I had to experience something similar one summer that I worked in a factory where since I was young and Hispanic they took advantage by setting very high production goals to meet at the end of the day. They knew that they were able to do that since I
couldn’t complain since I needed the job and the money. That is the position that these immigrants have to go through in the fields as Dr. Holmes examines.
Overall, Dr. Holmes was able to bring these issues to light and explained them very well in his ethnography. It was an interesting book to read and see how some people will do anything to achieve the American Dream that this great nation has to offer. The United States is a nation with a lot of