Latino Farmworkers in the Eastern United States : Health, Safety and Justice

Latino Farmworkers in the Eastern United States Health, Safety, and Justice Edited by Thomas A. Arcury and Sara A. Quandt, __Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA__ They work at some of America’s most hazardous jobs, have few protections, and receive some of the lowest wages. __Latino Farmworkers in the Eastern United States__ describes this understudied and underserved population. Taking a social justice stance, this volume examines the health and living conditions of workers in agriculture, while advocating for equality. Contributors cover all major areas of illness and injury (including occupational, environmental, infections, and pesticides), while also focusing on systemic social conditions, from lax industry regulations to lack of basic services—problems that are exacerbated by workers’ status as recent immigrants. Mental health burdens from the effects of discrimination to substance use, as well as the cumulative impact of workers’ separation from families are discussed for a comprehensive, meticulously documented resource. Keeping its findings grounded in agricultural, farm-labor, cultural, and geographic contexts, the book: * Highlights the unique characteristics of the farmworker population in the eastern United States. * Discusses occupational health problems among farmworkers, both general (e.g., musculoskeletal disorders) and job-specific (e.g., green tobacco sickness). * Includes in-depth chapters on pesticide exposure, infectious diseases, and mental health. * Reports on health issues specific to women and children. * Reviews the current state of advocacy programs. * Offers possible solutions for injuries related to specific types of jobs. * Proposes a social justice agenda to improve occupational and environmental policy for farmworkers. Written to serve both the seasoned professional and the newcomer, __Latino Farmworkers in the Eastern United States__ is a bedrock source of information for those providing health and social services in the community, for researchers investigating health and safety disparities, and for advocates and policymakers working to correct them. Front Matter....Pages i-x The Health and Safety of Farmworkers in the Eastern United States: A Need to Focus on Social Justice....Pages 1-14 Latino/Hispanic Farmworkers and Farm Work in the Eastern United States: The Context for Health, Safety, and Justice....Pages 15-36 The Conditionof Farmworker Housing in the Eastern United States....Pages 37-67 Occupational Injury and Illness in Farmworkers in the Eastern United States....Pages 71-101 Pesticide Exposure Among Farmworkers and Their Families in the Eastern United States: Matters of Social and Environmental Justice....Pages 103-129 Tuberculosis, Sexually Transmitted Diseases, HIV, and Other Infections Among Farmworkers in the Eastern United States....Pages 131-152 Mental Health Among Farmworkers in the Eastern United States....Pages 153-172 Health of Children and Women in the Farmworker Community in the Eastern United States....Pages 173-200 Farm Labor and the Struggle for Justice in the Eastern United States....Pages 201-220 Conclusions: An Agenda for Farmworker Social Justice in the Eastern United States....Pages 221-233 Back Matter....Pages 235-240 Taking a social justice stance, this book highlights the unique characteristics of the farmworker population in the eastern United States. It examines the health and living conditions of this underserved population, while advocating for equality. States that Latino Farmworkers work at some of America's most hazardous jobs, have few protections, and receive some of the lowest wages. This book examines the health and living conditions of workers in agriculture, while advocating for equality