CRITICAL READING RESPONSE OF THE BOOK FRESH FRUIT, BROKEN BODIES
1
FRESH FRUIT, BROKEN BODIES
FRESH FRUIT, BROKEN BODIES: Migrant Farmworkers in the United States is as
ethnography compiled by anthropologist Seth M. Holmes during his two-year stay with the
Triqui people. The Triqui people are an Indigenous group from Oaxaca who often move to
Washington to take up farmworker positions during the harvesting season. In his
ethnography, Holmes takes up a farmworker job and works together with the Triqui people
while actively collecting information about their experiences at work and in their homes.
Through his ethnography, Holmes highlights the plight of the Triqui people and their
disconnect from American society. Some of the issues that the Triqui people have to put up
with include their poor living conditions in makeshift structures, substandard working
conditions with poor wages and health conditions which develop due to the nature of their
occupation. The ethnography also explains how farm work shapes the lives of the Triqui
people.
The author’s main argument is that a combination of social and political structures has
contributed to the social justice experienced by Triqui people. In this case, political
instability, illiteracy, transport problems, corporate greed, unaffordable health services, and
racial discrimination are contributing factors. These factors combined contribute to the poor
living conditions that the Triqui people have had to put up with for years. While this
community may be willing to take positive action to improve their lives, the odds are stacked
heavily against them. We can only deal with this issue if a systemic approach is adopted to
deal with each of the contributing factors (Reed-Sandoval, 375).
The Triqui people do not choose to work in the United States. They simply lack better
options. Their home lacks viable employment opportunities to support their families. They
2
are forced to move to Washington to work as farm workers (Holmes’ 186). Due to lacking
financial resources, these individuals have to put up with substandard shelter and poor
transport to and from work. At the farms, the language barrier makes it difficult for the
workers to negotiate for better wages. Since their wages are little, these individuals have to
work at unrealistic rates to make reasonable wages. They then end up developing recurring
medical conditions since they have to keep on working regardless of their state of health
(Holmes, 125). They are also unable to afford quality healthcare. In some cases, the problems
that these workers experience manifest back home. Some of the workers adopt coping
mechanisms such as taking alcohol only to physically assault their spouses. Due to the
injustice, the Triqui people are stuck doing farm work all their lives (Holmes,144)
“Holmes adopts a hands-on approach when compiling his ethnography as an
anthropologist, Holmes spends two years living with the Triqui people”1. During this period,
Holmes actively takes part in the activities that the Triqui people engage in”. Some of the
activities that he participates in include sharing shelter in camps occupied by the Trique
people during harvest, sharing public transport used to reports to the farm. On one occasion,
Holme’s visits the community ancestral home in Canada. On another occasion, he also
attempts to cross the border illegally as the Triqui people sometimes do. At the farm, Holmes
takes up as a position as a farmworker where he harvests fruit. During his time as a
farmworker, Holmes interviews people who work at different levels within the farms. Some
of his interviewees include administrative staff, farm owners and casual farm workers who
include the Triqui people, and locals. Holme's choice of research methods is therefore
commendable. By being actively involved in the lives of the Triqui people, he can get a first-
1
3
Dr. Gabriella Djerrahian. Lecture on Ethnography. January 24 th, 2020
hand experience of what the Triqui people go through, the information he obtains is therefore
reliable.
Holmes’ ethnographic piece is fairly easy to read and understand. In his book, Holmes
employs various stylistic devices and relatable examples that make it easy for his reader to
paint a clearer picture of the experiences of Triqui people. Since this book presents different
points of view on the subject, the book has no specific target audience. The book may appeal
to the general audience who are interested in American society and how the American system
can marginalize certain communities while allowing others to prosper. Since the book also
explores how different factors such as language barrier, ethnicity, and racism can affect and
shape a community's livelihood. This may appeal to academics and specialists who are
interested in learning how different factors directly or directly impact society. Other
specialists may use the book as a guide into how certain social problems and social injustices
can be deal with.
By compiling this ethnography, Holmes hoped to raises awareness about the social
justice experienced by the Triqui people every day. The Triqui people are a little-known
community who due to an unstable environment back home are forced to work exploitative
jobs, under poor working conditions for meagre wages. Due to the nature of their occupation,
theses laborers have developed injuries and painful medical conditions. unfortunately, they
are unable to afford healthcare. They also have to put up with poor living standards, and
social problems which develop among their families. By raising awareness about the Triqui
people, Holmes hopes that their issues can be addressed and measures and solutions can be
implemented to improve their lives (Pombo, et al 138).
Holmes presents a comprehensive argument about how multiple factors progressively
contribute to social injustice towards certain communities. He, however, “Holmes fails to
4
factor in various factors important factors such as gender. he also fails how different genders
are affected by social injustice.”2 Holmes gives the example of one farm worker who due to
the nature of his work has developed recurring migraines. The farmworker responds by
getting drunk and physically assaulting his wife. Holmes fails to hold the victim accountable
for his actions and instead blames the system for the man's violent actions. Holmes also fails
to explain how each gender is affected by social injustice. While he indicates that some
workers experience medical complications, he only emphasizes on what men experience
while only highlighting what women experience ( Holmes. 101). Since social injustice affect
both men and women, I believe that it would be important to explore how social injustice
affects men and women
2
Dr. Gabriella Djerrahian. Lecture on Sex and Gender. March 27 th, 2020
5
Works cited
Amy Reed-Sandoval. Locating the Injustice of Undocumented Migrant Oppression. Journal
Of Social Philosophy, Vol. 47 No. 4, Winter 2016, 374–398.
Seth M. Holmes. FRESH FRUIT, BROKEN BODIES: Migrant Farmworkers in the United
States. University of California Press, 2013.
Pombo, María Dolores París, and Mariana Ortega Breña. “Breaking the Spiral of Violence:
Politics and Migration in the Lower Triqui Region.” Latin American Perspectives,
vol. 41, no. 3, 2014, pp. 137–153., www.jstor.org/stable/24573920. Accessed 12 Mar.
2020.
6