Rape in the Fields

A disturbing hidden cost of the migrant labor system lies in the epidemic wave of sexual assaults on female immigrant laborers, who are often unable to fight back for several reasons, including their undocumented status, the fact that they often work in remote isolated locations, and their unfamiliarity with both our legal system and the English language. Hosted by Lowell Bergman, filmmaker Andrés Cediel's PBS-aired Frontline documentary shines a light on a subject that is shrouded in secrecy and shame, focusing on women who feel helpless and trapped by a system that can classify multiple rapes at gunpoint as "harassment." In Washington state's Yakima Valley, one foreman in a large company's apple orchard was accused by 26 women of indecent advances. When confronted, the agribusiness owners are in "total denial" about the scope of the problem, while the government can't seem to decide if the undocumented women are criminals or victims. The film notes that employers are regularly let off the hook with minimum fines, while the harassers—often illegal immigrants themselves—are quickly deported rather than jailed. Horror stories abound, such as when an egg producing plant in Iowa locked women inside for days in order to hide from immigration officials. Some courageous women, labor attorneys, and government figures, including former Clinton labor appointee Robert Reich, are beginning to speak out (one elected official simply says that when multiple charges are lodged, "believe the women"). Offering a powerful and timely exposé of a serious problem, this is recommended. Aud: C, P. (S. Rees)