Day 52 (Weds., Nov. 2)

Some people go to Florida for Disney World. Others for the swamp at the Everglades. I came to Florida to meet the people of Immokalee. It is a small farm town on the west coast of the state, near Naples. Farm workers in the area got fed up w/ their living and working conditions. So, they united and created the Coalition of Immokalee Workers. A few years ago they tackled a rough beast -- a large corporation. That's when the boycott against taco bell (or as I call it taco hell) got started.

In 2004, I was the official photographer for the Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan (MEChA) chapter at CSUN during the National Convention at Oregon State University. On one of days during the convention the members had a march through the streets of Corvalis, Ore. in a demonstration in the name of farm workers. The march happened to go by a taco hell and everyone stopped in front of it and shouted pro-farm workers chants. That's when I understood the magnitude of the struggle. I had hope that the CIW would win their battle. Last year they won and taco hell agreed to pay more for the tomatoes bought from Immokalee.

I guess by now you've realized that today's assignment took me to Immokalee. I was happy to go there. I couldn't wait to see the place where it all got started.

Maria Travieso, a staffer for El Sentinel, and I met up at the Weston office and then headed west to the farm town. We went to Immokalee to interview and make photos of the farm workers who were affected by hurricane Wilma. The Mexico Consulate in Miami sent a few representatives to give supplies such as food.

I had chills through my body as I got close to the town. I couldn't believe I was actually going to set foot on the place where it all started. Once we got there I was just so happy to be there and to be able to document the struggle of these people. One of the reasons I am so dedicated to journalism is that I can make a difference w/ my photos and stories. That's the drive that I have.

Most of the people who I met were from Mexico. A few people from Guatemala and a lady from Puerto Rico. Mostly, the people there were from state of Hidalgo and Oaxaca. I have a special interest in people from Hidalgo, that's where my mother's father is from.

I thought the photo above told a lot of the story. An emergency response person (right) talked about what the state will be doing to help the farm workers as a man from Hidalgo tried to listen in. The look of skepticism tells the story. Is the state really going to help them out?

The photo above showed you that in spite all the struggles, people around here are moving on. The holiday hat worn by the little girl as people surrounded the van from the Mexican Consulate representatives says a lot. Wilma who?

After a day of talking to w/ the people of the community, Maria and I went to the CIW office. OH MY GOD!!!! I felt really cool walking into the place. It felt like home. First, they had a Dia de los Muertos ofrenda (offering). Dia de los Muertos means Day of the Dead, which is celebrated throughout Mexico on Nov. 2 -- Today!

The ofrenda is a tradition in which we set up an altar (shrine) for all of our ancestors and those who we've seen passed away into a new world. The altar at the CIW office featured Virgin Mary, Juan Diego and a few Mexican Revolutionary heroes.

After meeting a few people from the CIW, I was invited to go into an old room where they keep all the signs that were used during their taco hell boycott marches. Wow, these things are going to go in a museum some day.

Then I met the two men who led the struggle. Lucas Benitez (right) and Romero Ramirez showed me their JFK award that they received for their hard work. These guys are as strong as Cesar E. Chavez was. They are the Cesar E. Chavez of Florida.

So while people come to Florida and pose for pictures w/ cartoon characters or in front of a gator, I posed for a photo w/ two of the strongest men I have ever met.

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