A review on U Roberto Romano’s eye-opening documentary, The Harvest/La Cosecha.
Rate: 4.0/5
“They don’t know what they eat, what they have in the table, its picked up from migrants. I bet you they don’t even know.” – Perla
Have you ever taken the time to think about where the food that you eat comes from? My guess is probably not, and if you were asked to guess, you never would have said from the hands of a child. U Roberto Romano makes it hard to turn the other cheek on the issue of child labor in agriculture with his documentary The Harvest/La Cosecha. Following three children and their lives as migrant field workers, this documentary takes viewers into a world of struggle that many, particularly those of us from the city, would not even think still exists. Romano makes it evident that child labor in agriculture should not be legal in our country, as we learn that kids as young as seven years old are put to work in the dangerous conditions of a field full of toxins. US Senator, Tom Harkin states, “A child ten years old cannot work at McDonald’s. A child cannot work in hazardous occupations. But in agriculture they can work it ten hours a day seven days a week. They have no proctiection. And that is legal in America today.” How is it that we allow something like this? The Harvest/La Cosecha alsoshows viewers how farmworker families live, most if not all of them well below the poverty level. The documentary shows these kids wanting to help their struggling families. The children voluntarily leave school at an early age to go to fields all over the country in order to receive wages for their families.
Romano’s use of personal accounts from three very hardworking children coupled with the statistics that permeate the documentary prove to be very effective in drawing attention to the issues of poverty among farmworkers and child labor in agriculture. With the subtitle, “The Story of the Children Who Feed America”, this documentary successfully forces viewers to appreciate not only their lives, but also where they get their fruits and vegetables as we see kids working hard and hot days to pick what we consume. Romano combines emotional, often times heartbreaking, stories with statistical evidence, like the fact that over 400,000 American children are migrant farm workers, to draw viewers into a tale, making it difficult not to want to take action to help farmworker families. The images of successful individuals that were once farmworkers at a young age featured at the end of the film are an attempt to create an effective full circle effect, proving that these migrant families contribute as much to this nation as any other American. However, those same images also seemed to serve as something similar to the “model minority myth”, sending the message that if those individuals could become successful, why can’t others? I also think that this documentary could have been even more moving if it included other cultures. I know there are other migrants that are not from Spanish speaking countries and having their stories would have been more inclusive.
U Roberto Romano successfully addresses several themes discussed in our class, including identity, social change, and immigration/migration. Seeing the way in which many migrant farmworkers live allows viewers to get a better understanding of their lifestyle and thus their identity as migrants. The young man’s family had also immigrated from Mexico and faced many issues with the immigration papers, making it difficult for his family to stay together. This documentary gives viewers an insight on the struggles of immigrants, particularly Latinos, upon arriving in the United States and trying to make a living for themselves and their families. Hearing the perspective of children gives us get an understanding of how the entire family is affected. The Harvest/La Cosecha is also a call for help, to change the child labor laws in agriculture and protect those children in a way that will also help their families that are struggling with poverty. Anybody can really learn and be impacted by the documentary as it is very moving, but I know that anybody that wants to help families in need could really benefit from this documentary. It provides specific issues and ways to help, which people that do not know where to start may need, a push in the direction. Another great source of information is the website that accompanies this documentary. Theharvestfilm.com is a great website that includes information not only about the film, but also about the issues that the film discusses with links to contact Congress and spread the word.
