Students studying in Davis Library recently may have noticed a new array of photographs and writings adorning the first floor’s exhibition space. The photos and accompanying quotes are part of the Más de Una Historia (More Than One History)" exhibit, which chronicles the stories of Latinx farmworkers in the South.
A reception for the exhibit was held on Wednesday, followed by a series of speeches regarding the experience of Latinx farmworkers and immigrants.
“If you think about farmworkers and migrant farmworkers in general, it’s a subject that isn’t really brought up as much, so it’s good that we can read about it and explore the topic more,” first-year Alexandra Smith said.
The photographs and oral histories were from the archives of the University’s Southern Folklife Collection. The photographs showed scenes from contemporary immigrant life on farms in the South, with quotes from the oral histories displayed in English and Spanish.
The photographs and histories were divided into categories that summarized the immigrant experience — life, borders, family and hope, resistance and work.
“We often don’t get to hear from farmworkers themselves, and so this exhibit was made to showcase their voices and their stories,” said Lucia Constantine, a Student Action with Farmworkers documentary project intern. “And I think in light of the political climate, it’s considerably important to hear from immigrants themselves.”
Student Action with Farmworkers employee Leonardo Galván spoke on many of the difficulties he’d seen farmworkers encounter across the region, including workers having to work full days while physically ill under fear of termination, and a farmer who forbid his workers from having air conditioning or microwaves in their residences.
An immigrant from Mexico, Galván said he appreciates that the voices of farmworkers have been getting broader recognition recently. Galván and Student Action with Farmworkers plan to continue to provide health services for farmworkers and to secure better living conditions for farmworkers.
Senior Obinna Ejimofor, a member of Student Action with Farmworkers, said he understands the experiences of the farmworkers.
