Guest column by Alex Ontiveros. : Film documents the struggles of California farmworkers
Once the pandemic started, the SVL team was further invigorated to tell the story of these courageous unsung heroes.
By Alex Ontiveros
Alex Ontiveros
Silicon Valley Latino and The SVL Agency had the pleasure of partnering with the Latino Family Fund Aug. 11 in bringing a private CineLux screening to the Gilroy community of our award-winning documentary “Campesinos: America’s Unsung Heroes.”
We are very appreciative of Cecelia Ponzini and her foundation for sponsoring the special screening and allowing us to share our special passion project. “Campesinos” is a moving and vivid first-hand look at the struggles farm workers face on both a local and national level. It was filmed at several farms throughout California ranging from Sonoma County in the north and as far south as Lancaster.
Our film showcases how the gritty reality of farm workers is similar everywhere. No stone is left unturned as it gives insight into the life of farm workers, who are often forgotten by mainstream America. Director Joe Poni and I are delighted with the enthusiastic reception the documentary has received through the 2022 film festival circuit and from audiences who have viewed it in private screenings.
We are also delighted to share that the documentary has won seven film festival awards as well as a Telly Award. Much of the credit for these awards goes to Poni’s creative and cinematic genius. This documentary has proven to be eye-opening and a heartfelt tribute to the lives of agricultural workers everywhere.
The life of a farmworker is rough. Many risk it all to arrive in this nation. They have little contact with their families back in their countries of origin. They work using only the bare minimum to support their families. The work they do doesn’t provide them with welfare or pandemic pay, yet it serves as their only source of income. If a farm worker doesn’t work, they don’t eat.
“Campesinos” makes it clear farm workers deal with many issues while living under the American shadow. Farm workers in California produce two-thirds of the nation’s fruits and nuts and more than 90 percent of national production, a point elaborated on within the documentary.
Agricultural workers aren’t recognized or respected for their back-breaking labor and essential contributions to this nation. Many are continuously disrespected and certainly unappreciated for their efforts.
To make matters worse, the lives of agricultural workers were made exponentially worse during the pandemic as the few resources available became even more scarce. The documentary shows how these farm workers received little PPE and other health supplies during the pandemic. Many workers had to find their own masks and supplies. Indeed, while many Americans benefited by being able to work from home during quarantine, many farm workers risked their health and well-being to ensure the nation would have enough fresh produce for our daily meals. The fields are the only source of income for these workers. Staying at home would mean their families wouldn’t have enough to survive — a point often overlooked along with the efforts of these dedicated agricultural workers.
“Campesinos” provides context on the issues of affordable housing, income inequality, racial tension, and lack of resources to name a few. The documentary brilliantly shines a light on the irony that many agricultural workers in Silicon Valley face. While the average poverty level for a family of four in the area is $120,000, the income for a Latino family of two is $30,000 annually. While people living in the heart of Silicon Valley make millions of dollars, farm worker families are barely able to survive with what little they earn. There are few resources meant to help the farm workers, thus making housing affordability that much more challenging for these humble laborers.
From the very beginning, this project was meant to be a tribute film to our farm workers. SVL endeavored to produce this film before the pandemic. Once the pandemic started, the SVL team was further invigorated to tell the story of these courageous unsung heroes.
During the past few months, SVL has been asked to do screening by numerous community-based organizations, tech companies and educational institutions.
Recently, The SVL agency team has implemented a sponsorship fee for each screening, the funds awarded to Ayudando Latinos A Soñar (ALAS) as they were an integral part in successfully completing the documentary. Specifically, the funds help support the ALAS farmworker program in Half Moon Bay. If you wish to support this great organization, visit their website at www.alasdreams.com.
Alex Ontiveros is CEO of Silicon Valley Latino and co-founder of The SVL Agency, a full-service creative agency based in Silicon Valley.
