H2A Workers in Washington State
Honesto Silva Ibarra was an H2A visa guest worker and 27 year old father of two from Mexico. He died in Washington state, as a worker at Sarbanand Farms. Around the time he became ill, other workers at the same farm were reported ill, dehydrated from the extreme heat and heavy smoke from the summer forest fires.
What came out of the investigation into Silva Ibarra’s death was the passage of State Bill 5438, created to fund an office tasked with monitoring labor, housing, and health and safety requirements for farms using the H2A visa program. It also prioritizes outreach to domestic farmworkers before farms use the H2A program.
Rosalinda Guillen of Community to Community Development (C2C) spoke with KBCS’s Yuko Kodama about the H2A Guest Worker Program and the latest with the Washington State H2A Program Oversight Committee.
Produced by Yuko Kodama
Photo: Community to Community Development
The Bracero Program
During World War II the United States had a shortage of labor. In response, the government imported ‘braceros’ or workers from Mexico. On average, 200,000 Mexican workers per year were brought to the US between 1942 to 1964.
Seattle University Modern Languages and Women Studies Professor and Director of Latin American Studies, Dr. Gabriella Gutiérrez y Muhs, reflects on some of the stories of her family members who arrived her as braceros with KBCS’s Yuko Kodama.
Repatriation of Mexican Immigrant Families and Mexican Americans
Imagine being a US Citizen and being deported to a country where you don’t know anyone? This happened in the 1930’s here in America. In recognition of Hispanic Heritage, this series focuses on the history of immigration and repatriation of Mexican immigrants in the US. In this two-part series, KBCS’s Yuko Kodama recently spoke with Dr. Gabriella Gutiérrez y Muhs, Professor at Seattle University, regarding the impact of the Repatriation program of the 1930’s.
Part 1 – KBCS’s Yuko Kodama and Dr. Gabriella Gutiérrez y Muhs discuss a program in the 1930’s which sent US citizens to Mexico against their will.
Part 2 – KBCS’s Yuko Kodama continues the discussion with Dr. Gabriella Gutiérrez y Muhs about the Repatriation program and its lasting impacts on the psyche of the Mexican American community.
Seattle: Sanctuary City
There are over 75,000 legal permanent residents in the Seattle King County area, and many residents whose legal status could be in question. The city of Seattle is a Sanctuary City. KBCS Producer Jim Cantu spoke with Seattle City Council member Lorena Gonzalez about what that means.
The Washington State Voter Rights
We speak with Latino Progress, Director of Civic Engagement and Advocacy, Felipe Rodriguez Flores about voters rights in Washington, amidst the Pasco Washington voters rights lawsuit. He was in the KBCS studios with News Director, Yuko Kodama.
Perspectives on our region’s Latino community
We celebrate our Latino community with the following series.
Episode 1 & 2: Interview with Activist and Co-founder of El Centro de la Raza, Estela Ortega speaks about the local power of our Latino community
Episode 3: Ese Teatro’s Founding Member and Artistic Director, Rose Cano speaks about what inspires her work in producing bilingual plays.
Episode 4 & 5: An Interview with Project Director of the De CAJon Project, Monica Rojas about the Afro Latino community and their influences on music.
producer: Yuko Kodama
photo: Andy Blackledge
The Racial Reality of Being Mixed Race
What does it mean to mixed race? It’s a term recognized but rarely considered in conversations about race and racial identity. However, it should be since according to reports, multiracial individuals are the fastest growing youth group. Seattle-based author and activist, Sharon H. Chang debuts her first book Raising Mixed Race: Multiracial Asian Children In a Post-Racial World.
Sharon is having her first book signing on Saturday, March 5 at 2:00 PM at Kinokuniya Books in Seattle.
