Farmworkers and Spanish-speaking SNAP recipients struggle with immigration and language barriers

SNAP cuts put added stress on farmworkers and Spanish-speakers, with immigration fears and language barriers

The Hijas del Campo non-profit says language barriers and technology gaps meant some farmworkers never knew they were losing SNAP benefits in November. One farmworker and mother of a U.S. Marine says she had to choose between paying the rent or buying groceries for her family.

BRENTWOOD, Calif. - The battle over SNAP federal food aid is having a big impact on many farmworkers and Spanish-speaking families. Some of them never received notice their food aid was being cut, as the government shutdown is now the longest in history.

"This is a reality. People will be going hungry. There'll be parents that will be skipping meals in order for their kids to eat," Dorina Moraida, co-founder of Hijas del Campo in Contra Costa County, said. "There is a language barrier. A lot of times, people are not informed about what's going to happen. You know, a lot of times this information is sent via email. Some clients do not have access to email."  

There is also an added fear for some in mixed-status families, of being targeted by immigration agents.

"We currently serve 532 families that we support, and that's about 1,200 people in total," Moraida said.

Local perspective:

Inez is a farmworker and working mom, who did not want to be identified. She says she usually gets $270 a month in SNAP benefits for her family, but on November 1, she says she faced a difficult decision, having to decide whether to pay the rent, or buy food.

"Our community members are afraid to go out and receive services or to even go to the grocery store," Moraida said.

It is a stressful time, especially for children. Inez says her youngest child is worried.

"She says that there are many days when her daughter feels depressed and anxious,  leaving to go to school because she doesn't know what she's going to return to," Moraida said.

Hijas del Campo is trying to help. Volunteers on Wednesday took hot meals, bags of food, and information in Spanish directly to Bay Area farmworkers out in the fields.

There in the orchards and on farms where Americans get their food, there is an irony embedded in the nation's food economy, coming full circle.

"A lot of the time, the food that we're distributing is food that was picked by the farmworkers themselves," Moraida said. "So there's a huge irony that the people who are picking our food and are ensuring that we have food on our tables have a hard time securing food for their own families."

Dig deeper:

Inez says she is trying to move forward for her children. One is serving the country as a U.S. Marine. Another is a Dreamer who became a dentist. And her youngest now wants to join the Navy and become a psychologist, Inez says, because the child sees the mental stress that is spreading through the community.

Moraida says the non-profit is adding more food distributions this month, and encourages families to come in for help. They are working to create a safe space where families can get food and help.