‘Under the Radar’: Half Moon Bay and the Vulnerability of Farmworkers

The mass shooting last Monday in Half Moon Bay that left 7 farmworkers dead has brought renewed attention to the living conditions of California farmworkers. State and local officials say they plan to investigate potential wage theft and safety violations at the two farms.

But more broadly, the issues that this mass shooting highlighted are not new: farmworkers across California make very low wages, struggle to afford housing, and are vulnerable to exploitation. And looming over it all is the fact that a majority are undocumented immigrants, with less power than most Americans.

Guest: Farida Jhavala Romero, KQED labor correspondent

Episode Transcript 

Links:

• Half Moon Bay Victims Fund
• ‘Deplorable, Heartbreaking’: Officials Pledge to Investigate Labor Conditions at Mushroom Farms Targeted in Half Moon Bay Shootings
• The Bay Survey: Help Make The Bay Better!