Importing poverty? : immigration and the changing face of rural America

American agriculture employs some 2.5 million workers during a typical year, most for fewer than six months. Three fourths of these farm workers are immigrants, half are unauthorized, and most will leave seasonal farm work within a decade. What do these statistics mean for farmers, for laborers, for rural America? This book addresses the question by reviewing what is happening on farms and in the towns and cities where immigrant farm workers settle with their families. Philip Martin finds that the business-labor model that has evolved in rural America is neither desirable nor sustainable. He proposes regularizing U.S. farm workers and rationalizing the farm labor market, an approach that will help American farmers stay globally competitive while also improving conditions for farm workers. Contents 7 Foreword 9 Preface and Acknowledgments 13 Prologue: Coming to America 15 Part One. Immigration and Agriculture 25 Chapter 1. Immigration to the United States 25 Chapter 2. Agriculture and Migrants 41 Part Two. The Changing Face of Rural America 63 Chapter 3. California Fruits and Vegetables 63 Chapter 4. Florida Sugar, Oranges, and Tomatoes 90 Chapter 5. Meat and Poultry 107 Part Three. Migrant Integration 125 Chapter 6. Seasonal Worker Mobility 125 Chapter 7. Migrants: The Integration Challenge 141 Part Four. Whither Rural America? 159 Chapter 8. Labor Shortages, Mechanization, and Food Costs 159 Chapter 9. Reforming U.S. Immigration Policies 180 Chapter 10. Regularize and Rationalize Farm Labor 194 Epilogue: The Great Migration 207 Appendix 1. Farm Employment, Immigration, and Poverty 213 Notes 215 Bibliography 243 Index 253 American agriculture employs some 2.5 million workers during a typical year. Three fourths of these farm workers are immigrants, half are unauthorized, and most will leave seasonal farm work within a decade. This book looks at what these statistics mean for farmers, labourers, and rural America