This lecture series sponsored by the UO Labor Education & Research Center presents Diego Contreras, a PhD candidate in the Department of Sociology, whose topic is "Mexican-born Contractors in Oregon Agriculture and Migration Industries." 

While the public often focuses on the dichotomy between farmworkers and growers, the reality of the agricultural production is more complex. Contractors are key parts of labor chains, connecting workers and smuggling businesses centered in Mexico and Central America, with temporary farm labor markets. This research focuses on the impact of Mexican-born contractors on the labor and living conditions of farmworkers. It examines the case of Oregon, a state with a large agricultural production that depends heavily on recruiting migrant workers, and seeks to understand how and why some contractors exploit and abuse farmworkers while others support migrant communities

Learn more at the Labor Education & Research Center's website.