The Truth in the Fields

        The life of a child is to be happy at home and go to school, but this isn’t the case for all children in America. “The Harvest/ La Cosecha: The story of the children who feed America” is a great documentary that introduces hardworking children working in America. This documentary interviews varies stories of children from 12-14 years old or even younger, who begin to work in the fields. They are introduced to this lifestyle, which began with their parents. These parents decided to migrate to America and into the fields for a job in order to gain a better lifestyle, than the one in Mexico. Each individuals story begins with a hope and dream for a better life in America.

                                          The Harvest/La Cosecha: The Story of the children who feed America

           In this documentary we are quickly moved by the information given on the lifestyle of these immigrants. We are informed that 400,000 American children are migrant farm workers. That is a very high number, especially if this involves working children. Coming from a child’s world, it is difficult to imagine that their already working. This is definitely not the ultimate life anyone would like to picture in their childhood. Yet, these young workers have learned to accept it in order to gain their American dream. Without a choice they need to work and move along with each field that has work available. Besides not having a stabilized home, these children also don’t receive an education. This is very devastating to these young field workers to be working in the fields rather than sitting in a classroom to get an education. The story behind their hard work also deals with common attitude of Americans who aren’t willing to accept them into the country and allow them a job. Besides being paid the minimum, these families put up with the discrimination because their pay is better than the one back home. Working in the fields is hard work, but being together as a family is what holds these families to stay together and put up with the discrimination in order to gain the American dream.

            This film has definitely covered the topic of immigration and their hard work to find their place in America. These kids aren’t valued enough to our society as equal rights because these actions are still being accepted by our society. Even if in most cases the work of their child is needed in order to sustain a family, they should gain more rights to prevent this from happening. Yet, society has categorized these individuals to the very bottom without realizing that these individuals are the ones that help build this American mosaic. This documentary gives us a closer look to the fields and especially to the story of their workers. Their hard work is commonly taken for granted and not looked upon as a hard working valuable job. The importance behind their work is simply amazing to see how they care for our land rather than other jobs who take their opportunities for granted. These young field workers give us a closer view to their life as well as an eye opener to the opportunities we already have by living in America.