The “Harvest of Shame” video highlighted how migrant farm workers were treated largely as an afterthought, by the American society whose sustenance depended almost wholly on the work of these migrant farmers. Unfortunately, in the facts from, State v. Shack, there is a solemn truth that farm owners will continue to try to infringe upon the rights and liberties if given the opportunity. However, this, is juxtaposed against the Southwest Citizens Organization for Poverty Elimination (SCOPE) workers, who were fighting to protect these migrant workers, showing that there has been an evolution of society’s perception of migrant worker—one of afterthought to advocacy, only ten years or so after the airing of the video. Advocates that were willing
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Previously, these people had no voice, no lobbies, no federal protections/law or funding. They were a politically insulated minority, but now they have advocates. Under the Economic Opportunity Act, non-profits like SCOPE (and its affiliated organizations) are able to provide simple assistance to these workers which would have been unheard of in the 1960s. More importantly, the court in Shale held that even though a person has certain rights regarding their property, owners are forbidden to use their property as a means to infringe upon the rights of others (such as migrant workers). It is a testament to how far we have come to see non-profits, legislatures, and the judiciary protecting these workers. However, this shift should not stop here. Although this type of work has not been forgotten, this plight on the American working class stuck in a state of limbo—paycheck to paycheck—is still a major problem in our country. Much like the migrant workers, those in poverty juggle minimum-wage jobs just to attempt to provide for their families. For someone’s future to be so dependent on their socio-economic class is a glaring flaw in our system, that desperately yearns for more advocates to fill the void. As terrible as the conditions were for these migrant workers, after reading Shack, there is hope for the impoverished working class. This group
Previously, these people had no voice, no lobbies, no federal protections/law or funding. They were a politically insulated minority, but now they have advocates. Under the Economic Opportunity Act, non-profits like SCOPE (and its affiliated organizations) are able to provide simple assistance to these workers which would have been unheard of in the 1960s. More importantly, the court in Shale held that even though a person has certain rights regarding their property, owners are forbidden to use their property as a means to infringe upon the rights of others (such as migrant workers). It is a testament to how far we have come to see non-profits, legislatures, and the judiciary protecting these workers. However, this shift should not stop here. Although this type of work has not been forgotten, this plight on the American working class stuck in a state of limbo—paycheck to paycheck—is still a major problem in our country. Much like the migrant workers, those in poverty juggle minimum-wage jobs just to attempt to provide for their families. For someone’s future to be so dependent on their socio-economic class is a glaring flaw in our system, that desperately yearns for more advocates to fill the void. As terrible as the conditions were for these migrant workers, after reading Shack, there is hope for the impoverished working class. This group