How many of you out there are willing to work out in the fields in the heat?

Question

Are you willing to work long hours when it's 104 degrees outside? If so, then why aren't more Americans out there taking the jobs of the Hispanics instead of Hispanics taking American jobs?

A lot of us aren't willing to do it, I know I wouldn't, yet, what would happen if all those immigrants left? Then who would work out there for the amount that immigrants get paid? If someone did it for $100 per hour, imagine how much we would have to pay for a cantalope.

Answer 1

I know pleanty of people who would do it (and if I myself had to to support my family I would). Keep in mind pleanty of farmers DO work in the heat, DONT hire help, and DONT make a lot of money yet provide food and other products for this country (I should know, I married a farmer). I also know pleanty of people who used working in the field to help pay for school (but that was before the extreame increase of illegal immigration happened... so more of my parents generation).

What would happen if all the illegals left? First of all the healthcare systems would improve (at least drasticlly in the south border states) because we would not be required to provide free health care for illegals time and time again (once again I know because I have worked in several hospitals in California). Second the language barrior would not be so much of a problem. Most of the immigrants who come legally have respect enough to learn english, no matter their age. Thirdly people who want need work will fill the jobs that illegals leave behind, but for minium wadge. It is a requirement so that they could survive in AMERICA, instead of sending their money "home".

I dont believe the people who spew bull s*hit about the US being a hypocritical because our ansestors came here and now we want to limit others. I dont know about anyone else but my great-gradfather and his family came here LEGALLY, and LEARNED ENGLISH from my 9 year old great-grand father to his 90 year old grandfather and everyone else inbetween. They wanted to be AMERICAN, live a better life in AMERICA, LEGALLY.

I could go on forever about this, but I hate ignorant people calling me racist when I am not, and have thought out my answer with personal experice to back it up. So in short I will say this: America welcomes all from countries, but there needs to be a respect and a desire to become a part of the American way. It is a uneducated person that would say that no one in America would do the jobs that illegals do, because it simply is no true.

Answer 2

It's an established fact that illegal immigrants are in direct competition with the unskilled American workers. When I was a kid in school, I DID work the fields in 104 degree heat, and I was glad to have a means of making some spending money. BTW, I'm as lily white as they come.

Answer 3

I worked for a grass seed farmer as a teenager and guess what...we only had one hispanic on our crew. The other crew members were teenagers and here's the big surprise...a married couple who were trying to survive off of social security. I don't buy into the argument of "what will happen" if we don't have immigrants to work the fields. In Oregon the farmers are some of the wealthiest in the state. They even have time to winter in Palm Springs and Rancho Mirage California. They just want to use the immigrants because they are easy to take advantage of. There are people who will work these jobs, they just want to be paid a fair minimum wage

Answer 4

I already did my turn at that and moved on as my education allowed me. However, that does not mean there are not other American citizens and legal immigrants who are not up for that kind of work, at a fair wage. The only reason illegals will do this work at less than a fair wage is because with the other freebies and subsidies they end up getting, and not paying taxes, they actually make out pretty well. However, I do not believe for a moment that illegal immigrants are harder workers than American citizens. As well, do you believe that these illegal immigrants will still be willing to work the fields at their current pay if they were all of a sudden granted "legal" status? No way, Jose! If they have to pay taxes and all of the other deductions that other legal citizens have to pay and no longer be entitled to the freebies and subsidies, you can bet your biffy that they will no longer be willing to do these jobs at less than fair and legal wages.

If there were ever (God forbid!) to be another blanket amnesty for all the illegals currently in the country, you would see an even larger swarm of new illegals rushing into the country to pick up the jobs that the previous, now legal immigrants will no longer be willing to do.

Answer 5

Raising farm wages out of the poverty level so we don't have to subsidize their pay with food stamps etc. would cost the average family of four $10 per year more for produce. That doesn't count the savings to our services.

Right now, in California, illegals are getting benefits for NOT working, due to the citrus freeze.

AND under the AgJobs bill this year of NOT working would count as a year of agricultural work towards residency.

Answer 6

I have paid my dues, so no. I'm in Arizona, 123 degree heat. Been sweating on a ranch since I got married many moons ago. Don't talk to me about hard work and heat. Been there and done that.

Besides anything illegals can do, was done before they got here, and can be done after they are deported...they are NO SKILL laborers without an education, doesn't take a rocket scientist to do what they do for a living. They are replacable.

Answer 7

i have worked out in the heat hotter than that with steel and welding. so whats the problem. the farmers have machinery to gather crops but they just want to save the money from the government they get each year to be farmers to buy those nice pickups and go on expensive vacations each year. and now the crops these illegals gather they are pissing on them, how do you think there is ecoli. this is a new way for the mexican government is using to get back at the US. so send the pissers back where they come from, i hear that there is work back in mexico making tortillas, as the price has gone up.

Answer 8

Did it. As a teen it was a great way to make money [under the table], though even then the illegals were all over the place.

Even saw a friend of mine get turned away for a job working there [even though there were positions open] but he wasn't willing to work under the table.

Answer 9

I won't do it because I have worked long and hard to get an education and I have a professional career. When I can charge a client $225 per hour, why would I work in the fields for minimum wage? Do the math, dude!

HOWEVER, there are plenty of other AMERICANS that would be willing. When anyone claims that the ILLEGAL alien criminals are taking jobs that American won't take, they are full of crap!

Answer 10

Certainly, give me a steady job and pay me, I am a citizen and deserve a job-I have not broken any laws or are illegal in any way...are the mexicans (or any other illegal) willing to just go to an area of mexico (or their country) where there are more jobs instead of breaking in here illegally? Does not take much more of an effort, since mexico's unemployment rate, for example is only 1% lower than the unemployment rate here.