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Why immigrants don't embrace American freedoms and opportunities?

Migrant Workers File Suit Against Pioneer Hi-Bred Brownsville Herald (TX) -- July 22, 2010 -- Twenty migrant farmworkers filed a federal lawsuit this week against Iowa-based seed corn producer Pioneer Hi-Bred International Inc., which they say bound them to live in unacceptable housing and paid them only a fraction of what they were promised for a season's worth of labor. Pioneer recruited the farmworkers from throughout the Rio Grande Valley last summer to detassel corn in Indiana, according to papers in the case filed Tuesday in the U.S. Southern District Court of Texas. In the lawsuit, the workers allege the company lured them to travel across the country for the jobs by guaranteeing stable pay and substantial bonuses. Instead, Pioneer failed to pay them minimum wage, took illegal deductions from their wages and forced them to live in rundown, overcrowded housing, workers state in court filings. Many paid their own transportation to and from Indiana, and work conditions in the fields were poor, according to case records. The workers had "dirty and inaccessible port-o-potties and warm and inaccessible drinking water," as stated in the lawsuit. Some workers were exposed to pesticides when a crop duster sprayed a field while they detasseled corn, the lawsuit says. Texas RioGrande Legal Aid (TRLA) and Indiana Legal Services (ILS) are representing the workers in court. Bridget Anderson, public affairs consultant for Pioneer, said the corporation could not comment on the specifics of the lawsuit because litigation is pending. But in a statement she said, "We feel these allegations are being brought by TRLA unfounded." "We have a long-standing, successful history of employing agricultural workers to work in Indiana," Anderson said. "Furthermore, Pioneer Hi-Bred has a great track record of meeting and often exceeding state and federal requirements related to our workforce. We look forward to responding to the allegations at the appropriate time." Texas RioGrande Legal Aid has received complaints from workers regarding Pioneer's employment practices almost on a yearly basis, according to a statement released by the legal services agency. The lawsuit is the fourth large federal case brought by the legal agency on behalf of farmworkers against Pioneer in the last five years. "These 20 workers all have same complaints," TRLA attorney Marinda van Dalen said. "They were promised well-paid, good work by Pioneer, but they were paid peanuts, housed like sardines and transported like cattle. They kept their side of the bargain by traveling to Indiana and working hard, and now they have filed suit to make Pioneer keep its end of the deal." Author: Jazmine Ulloa Copyright (c) 2010, The Brownsville Herald, Texas

Public Comments

1. Legal immigrants would demand equal rights. And most legal immigrants who went through to rightfully obtain citizenship often embrace their citizenship with pride and grab opportunities to better their lives... and they rightfully should.
2. THEY DO! What makes you assume they don't? You don't get out much do you.
3. Wow, i didn't know generalizing for an entire group of people was the in thing. Yes, yes, you have convince me with your ONE example, you have made your case rock solid. :| lol
4. This is want Americans deserve unless and until we demand MASS DEPORTATION NOW for ALL racist la raza nazi invading border criminal KKKlan with a Tan MESSYcan illegal ALIENS.
5. Tribal instincts. And because we don't make them. You know, weirdos in the northeast still refer to themselves as "Italians" -- like "I'm a single Italian male" --- who's never left Long Island. And other tribes do the same.
6. Because you are wrong. You are generalizing after you read an article. Not all immigrants are like that. Many immigrants embrace American freedom and opportunities. But, what some people don't like and criticize is that they don't want to see Hispanics to continue their heritage. They are proud of their heritage. But, they don't criticize Irish, Germans, etc, when they also want to defend their heritage too. They criticize Hispanics. What is good for one group is good for the other.
7. That story is about migrants, not immigrants. Most immigrants assimilate and become solid American citizens. Illegal migrants on the other hand do embrace the freedoms and opportunities, they just don't want any of the responsibilities that go with it. And most of the time when these cases occur there's some activist group behind it using the migrants as pawns to make some political point.
8. This is the land of the free
9. They can always go back to Mexico and pick Coca leaves for the Cartel. No one is forcing them to live anywhere. If they don't like what has been offered, it's a free country. They can leave, no worries. I think there trying to get something for nothing.