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Local man's film highlights plight of migrant farm workers
By JOHN FLOWERS
CORNWALL — A recent college graduate from Cornwall is hoping his senior
thesis serves as a learning tool for politicians to change federal
immigration laws and working conditions for the state’s migrant Mexican
farm workers.
Bjorn Jackson, an aspiring filmmaker who recently graduated from
Hampshire College in Amherst, Mass., spent seven months — spanning
September 2007 through April 2008 — making his documentary, titled
“Under The Cloak of Darkness: Vermont’s Migrant Mexican Farm Workers.”
While only recently completed, the film is already taking on a life far
beyond that of most school projects. It has earned a following among
migrant worker advocates and may soon be screened as part of an exhibit
at the Vermont Folklife Center. Jackson plans to enter it in some film
festivals for independent films.
“I never thought of this film for commercial success,” he said. “But it
can be an educational tool for opening people’s eyes.”
Specifically, he hopes his work opens more eyes to the clandestine lives
of hundreds of migrant workers — largely from Mexico — who toil in dairy
farms throughout Addison County and the rest of Vermont.
Jackson’s 45-minute film examines the very difficult day-to-day lives of
these laborers as seen through the eyes of local advocates, politicians,
farmers and the workers themselves. Jackson skillfully sprinkles in
footage of beautiful Addison County farmscapes as an ironic
juxtaposition to the shadowy barns, milk stalls and trailers to which
the workers must confine themselves or risk deportation to their native
land.
With the help of a translator, Jackson was able to conduct on-camera
interviews with two Mexican migrant workers who provided fascinating
snapshots of their lives and the fear-filled road that led them to area
farms and wages that have allowed them to support the families they have
temporarily left behind.
One man recounts how he was mugged while making his way clandestinely
across the Mexico-U.S. border. He notes how he has already been deported
once, after authorities came to his residence when he mistakenly dialed
9-1-1 instead an 0-1-1 as part of an international phone number.
Undeterred, he quickly returned after his deportation. The wages are a
veritable king’s ransom compared to what can be earned for similar work
in Mexico, yet not enough of an inducement for most Vermonters. As a
result, many Vermont dairy farms are more than willing to hire foreign
workers.
Another Mexican national tells Jackson about how he left a farm in
Orleans County because his boss insisted that he work upwards of 95
hours a week — without breaks — caring for a herd of 75 cows and 30
horses.
“All I asked for was time enough to prepare food,” said the man, who
subsequently relocated to an Addison County farm. Holding back tears, he
tells Jackson of the isolation he feels knowing that while his labor is
in demand, he cannot freely circulate in the community because he is
considered an “illegal.” He refers to the lyrics of a Mexican song in
summing up his current status in America: “I live in a golden cage but I
am a prisoner.”
Others featured in Jackson’s film include Cheryl Connor of Bridport, a
longtime advocate for migrant workers; Chris Urban, who helps teach
English to foreign farm laborers; Sen. Harold Giard, D-Bridport, a
former farmer and member of the Senate Agriculture Committee; Middlebury
Police Chief Tom Hanley, whose department recently instituted a policy
that officers will not seek to detain undocumented foreign nationals
unless they have committed a crime; and Vermont Senate President Pro Tem
Peter Shumlin.
The camera follows migrant workers as they cautiously gather for
religious services, immunizations and meals. Jackson also records
footage of a meeting of the Addison County Migrant Workers Coalition as
it debates issues facing foreign farm workers.
Jackson was candid in saying he hopes his film raises public awareness
of migrant farm workers in Vermont, and serves as a vehicle to change
federal laws that will allow foreign laborers to freely circulate in the
communities in which they work.
“It’s very difficult to make a documentary without some kind of
message,” Jackson said. “My approach was, there are some guys here and
they are essential to the farm economy. They wouldn’t be here if
(others) were willing to do the work. They are filling a role that is
essential.”
Brent Bjorkman, director of the Folklife Center in Middlebury, said he
hopes Jackson’s film can be screened as part of an upcoming exhibit
titled, “The Golden Cage: Mexican Migrants and Vermont Dairy Farmers.”
The exhibit, to run from Sept. 12 to Nov. 11, will feature images by
former
Addison Independent photographer Caleb Kenna and interviews
of migrant workers and farmers recorded by Chris Urban.
“I think it’s going to be great,” Bjorkman said of the exhibit.
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