Labor Day 2020: Gratitude For America’s Latino Essential Workers

Nation’s Oldest and Largest Latino Civil Rights Organization Says Our Men and Women Are Bravely Confronting Multiple Dangers

Washington, DC - The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) today called upon the country to pause and reflect in appreciation for essential workers keeping vital services going in the face of COVID-19 and especially Latinos, millions of whom are reporting to their jobs even as they risk infection, death or deportation.

“In this crisis, our farmworkers for example, are not asking, what’s in it for me?” says Domingo Garcia, LULAC National President. “How many others would be willing to get up before dawn, head to a job paying pennies per basket stooped over from sunrise to sunset, then risk getting stopped and arrested by ICE on the way home to their families? As the son of immigrants who picked cotton, I saw firsthand what back-breaking work is like. We should treat Latino essential workers with the dignity and respect they deserve and order ICE to stop harassing the very people who are putting the food on our tables,” he added.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Latinos account for 85% of all farmworkers, 59% of the country’s construction crews, 53% of all employees in food services and 39% of the nation’s total workforce. However, Latinos are also experiencing a rate of infection from COVID-19 twice their share of the population because of being on the frontlines daily.

“This Labor Day, LULAC reminds America that Latinos are important now and will continue to be essential to our nation’s economic recovery,” says Sindy Benavides, LULAC National Chief Executive Officer. “Our community is younger with a median age of 28-years old and between 2010 and 2019 alone, Latinos accounted for 52% of all births in the United States. LULAC wants elected officials expecting our vote this fall to remember they must create policies that recognize our worth and value. As a nation we must provide essential protections to our farmworkers and all workers who are putting their lives on the line every day,” she added.

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About LULAC
The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) is the nation’s largest and oldest civil rights volunteer-based organization that empowers Hispanic Americans and builds strong Latino communities. Headquartered in Washington, DC, with 1,000 councils around the United States and Puerto Rico, LULAC’s programs, services and advocacy address the most important issues for Latinos, meeting critical needs of today and the future. For more information, visit https://lulac.org/