Seventh Graders Dig Deep into the Lives of Migrant Workers

We’ve all seen them in our peripheral vision as we drive through the vast agricultural fields of California. They are usually off in the distance, stooped over amidst the expanse of green rows with the sun beating down on them.

Migrant farm workers are so vital to our economy, yet they often remain in that blurry peripheral vision. To adjust the focus, Laguna Blanca seventh graders visited Santa Maria on October 21 for a memorable piece of experiential learning, which included impactful meetings with migrant workers and a chilling (literally) visit to one of the world’s largest refrigerators.

Seventh graders have continued to explore the lives of migrant workers through their study of Professor Francisco Jimenez’s autobiographical works, The Circuit (1999) and Breaking Through (2002). The books tell the story of the Jimenez family’s immigration from rural Mexico in the 1950s and their struggles and triumphs as they work the fields throughout California, finally settling in Santa Maria, where Francisco finds refuge in his studies and builds towards a college career.

Along with this unit in English class, students dive into another topic that is often sidelined amidst our hectic lives: What is our food’s journey from the field to our tables? Studying climate and soil science allows for the students to get a clearer picture of modern farming practices while they also grow their own gardens on the Laguna campus.

The academic unit, which has been in place for almost a decade, continues to evolve through the work of science instructor Landon Neustadt and English teacher Blake Dorfman ’02, who were able to make this year’s trip to Santa Maria particularly powerful.

The first stop was the cooling facility at Texeira Farms, where students walked through a massive warehouse cooled to 32 degrees. It is there that millions of strawberries are brought from the fields each year. They are cooled and then loaded onto refrigerated trucks to be sent all over the country, eventually ending up in our produce aisles, milkshakes, and parfaits.

The tour of the facility was followed by a visit to Santa Maria High School, a prominent setting in Jimenez’s books. There, the students were thrilled to meet Juan “Torito” Jimenez, the author’s little brother and a key character in the novels. Standing in the school’s rickety old auditorium, where some major scenes in the books take place, Mr. Jimenez recounted his memories of life as a child working in the field and his path to a 37-year career in teaching history. Students eagerly peppered him with questions at the conclusion of his presentation.

Following Mr. Jimenez’s presentation, two inspirational Santa Maria High School students introduced themselves. Lupe and Rafael are both from migrant worker families, and they opened up about the challenges they face balancing school with working the fields and taking on responsibilities far beyond their years. Laguna students followed with thoughtful questions.

“It was sad to hear what they are going through, but they were also inspiring because they work so hard,” said Freddie Russell ’22.

Experiential learning coordinator Dr. Ashley Tidey, who attended the trip, was one of the architects of the original curriculum, reflected on the moment:

“It was so clear that the seventh graders at Laguna had truly thought through, in the classroom and outside of the classroom, with the full force of their critical thinking abilities and with the full hearts of thoughtful human beings, the kinds of questions they would ask. In a true experiential ed moment, the kids were testing their understanding of the course material in a real-life setting with high emotional stakes. And in this mix was born a moment of both grace and beauty. Lifelong learning occurred that day.”

After the visit, the group enjoyed lunch in a park adjacent to the Veterans Memorial Building in Santa Maria. The building is another key setting in the novel, and Frances Carlson ’22 read a passage about Jimenez’s first encounter with the building on his way to a community dance there in the late 1950s. A fortuitous visit from an ice cream truck was followed by the class, proving that they are not yet too old for a playground, as they swarmed the park’s play structure and laughed off all of their energy before the ride home, during which they had plenty to reflect upon.