Series:

Chemical Entanglements: Oral Histories of Environmental Illness

Topic:

Social Movements

Environmental Illness

Biographical Note:

Interviewed for the UCLA Center for the Study of Women’s Chemical Entanglements: Oral Histories of Environmental Illness series. Activist organizer and leader at the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW). Part of the Fair Food Program education team. Hosts daily radio shows on the CIW’s low-power community FM radio station. Advocate devoted to defending the human rights of workers and raising awareness on gender violence.

Interviewer:

Antoine, Katja

Interviewee:

Gonzalo, Lupe

Persons Present:

Gonzalo and Antoine. Abraham Encinas was present during the session as a translator.

Place Conducted:

The interview was conducted using the Zoom video conferencing platform.

Supporting Documents:

Records relating to the interview are located in the office of the UCLA Library’s Center for Oral History Research.

Interviewer Background and Preparation:

This interview was conducted by Katja Antoine, Research and Program Developer, UCLA Center for the Study of Women with a PhD in Anthropology. Antoine’s research focuses on the topics of race, gender, and U.S. culture. Her dissertation is titled “'Pushing the Edge': Challenging Racism and Sexism in American Stand-up Comedy."

Processing of Interview:

The interviewer prepared for the interview by reading a pre-interview questionnaire completed by the narrator.

Length:

1 hr

Language:

Spanish

Copyright:

Regents of the University of California, UCLA Library.

Audio:

Series Statement:

Chemical Entanglements: Oral Histories of Environmental Illness is a collection of interviews with over seventy individuals living in the U.S. and Canada whose family history, occupation, art practice, or activism have brought them into direct contact with illness experience and disability related to chronic, low-dose exposure to toxicant chemicals. The procurement of this collection (from March 2019 through September 2020) was sponsored by the UCLA Center for the Study of Women under the directorship of Rachel C. Lee, with interviews conducted by six undergraduates, five graduate students, two career staff, and two faculty members at CSW.

Trabajadores agrícolas con problemas de salud relacionados con exposición a químicos--Acceso de trabajadores a atención médica con y sin ayuda del Programa de Comida Justa (PCJ)--migración de trabajadores en estados en la costa este del Estados Unidos--Protecciones contra la exposición a químicos que tienen trabajadores con la ayuda del PCJ--Peligros de exposición a químicos para las familias de los trabajadores--Detalles sobre membrecía del PCJ y pláticas que dan--Historia del PCJ y de los abusos de derechos humanos que motivan a la organización, estrategias para negociar con compañías grandes--Progreso en poder proteger a los trabajadores de exposición a químicos y acoso sexual, y de asegurarles sombra y agua en el trabajo--Detalles personales sobre su trabajo en los ranchos y en cómo se hizo parte del PCJ--Los efectos del abuso en el trabajo en las familias de los trabajadores--El acoso sexual en las labores--El establecimiento del Consejo por Comida Justa que protege los derechos de los trabajadores--Otras organizaciones inspiradas por el PCJ--Tiempo trabajando para el PCJ--Condiciones de trabajo durante la pandemia de COVID-19, condiciones de vida de los trabajadores--Detalles personales, origen, migración de Guatemala a los Estados Unidos--La importancia de la conciencia de los consumidores y la responsabilidad de los consumidores en luchar por los derechos de los trabajadores