Turning Farm Workers into Farm Owners
It’s ironic that the workers caring for and picking our food, have the least say about how the farms themselves are run. But a non-profit organization in Central California is working to change that, with a dynamic program that turns farm workers into farm operators and owners.
Small Farms, Big Future
We go to California, America’s leading producer of fruits, vegetables, and dairy, to see some examples of how the nation’s agricultural industry is slowly but surely moving away from factory farms.
Here Come Los Suns: Dave Zirin on Sports and Resistance
Sports writer Dave Zirin tells the story of how the Phoenix Suns basketball team took a stand against their state’s anti-immigrant bill SB1070. He says athletes, too, can be revolutionaries.
Crisis as Opportunity: Voices from the U.S. Social Forum
This June, thousands of grassroots activists converged on Detroit, Michigan to attend the 2010 United States Social Forum. We were there and on this edition of Making Contact, we’ll bring you some of the local and international voices we found.
Immigrant Families Behind Bars (encore)
In a special collaboration with Feet in Two Worlds, we hear about an immigrant family torn apart after an immigration raid in Arizona. Also, grassroots efforts help change policies at a detention center in Texas.
Working Beyond Unions
It’s been decades since the U.S. has had a powerful labor movement and recent efforts to revive it have mostly fallen flat. But there is hope for a new labor movement that goes beyond the unions.
LGBTQ Immigrants Speak Out
Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender immigrants not only have to hide their legal identity, but their sexuality too. Living illegally in the U.S. is not only their refuge, but also their biggest fear.
Immigration Reforms:
How a Broken System Breaks Communities
We go to two communities sorting through the aftermath of Bush-era federal immigration raids, and to Los Angeles, where American Apparel became the first test case of the Obama administration’s new approach to workplace hiring violations.
Obamas New Immigration Policy Forces Massive Layoff at American Apparel
Instead of facing huge fines for employing undocumented workers, American Apparel laid of its immigrant workforce. On the surface, this might seem like a more humane approach. In a collaboration with Spot.Us Patrick Burke reports from L.A.; where for the community at large, the result may not be that much different from the Bush-era raids.
Immigrant Families Behind Bars
In a special collaboration with Feet in Two Worlds, we hear about an immigrant family torn apart after an immigration raid in Arizona. Also, grassroots efforts help change policies at a detention center in Texas.
