Abstract
This article shares the results of a 2022 survey of male, Mexican H-2A workers in Ohio (n = 267). We describe the demographic profile of this population, including age, years of experience in the program, education level, marital status, and Mexican sending state. We then examine the relationship between sending regions of Mexico and certain workplace outcomes, specifically likelihood of working for a foreign labor contractor, subsector of H-2A labor, and risk of being charged to participate in the program. Findings include a higher risk of predatory recruitment practices for men from Chiapas, Oaxaca, and Guerrero, and a funneling effect towards agriculture (as opposed to nurseries) for those same states. Intended as exploratory research, the results lay the groundwork for similar projects in other states and suggest a place-based approach for developing improvements to the H-2A program.
Publisher
Lyson Center for Civic Agriculture and Food Systems
Reference37 articles.
1. Arcury, T. A., & Quandt, S. A. (2007). Delivery of health services to migrant and seasonal farmworkers. Annual Review of Public Health, 28, 345-363. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.publhealth.27.021405.102106
2. Arcury, T. A., Summers, P., Talton, J. W., Nguyen, H. T., Chen, H., & Quandt, S. A. (2015). Job characteristics and work safety climate among North Carolina farmworkers with H-2A visas. Journal of Agromedicine, 20(1), 64-76. https://doi.org/10.1080/1059924X.2014.976732
3. Bauer, M., & Perales Sanchez, M. (2020). Ripe for reform: Abuses of agricultural workers in the H-2A program. Centro de los Derechos del Migrante, Inc. https://cdmigrante.org/ripe-for-reform/
4. Bauer, M., & Stewart, M. (2013, February 19). Close to slavery: Guestworker programs in the United States. Southern Poverty Law Center. https://www.splcenter.org/20130218/close-slavery-guestworker-programs-united-states
5. Beltran, B. (2018). 134,368 Unnamed workers: Client-centered representation on behalf of H-2A agricultural guestworkers. New York University Review of Law & Social Change, 42(4), 529¬-592. https://socialchangenyu.com/review/134368-unnamed-workers-client-centered-representation-on-behalf-of-h-2a-agricultural-guestworkers/