Mexican Americans: Vital to Southwest Agriculture, Yet Facing Discrimination

For generations, Mexican Americans have been the backbone of the agricultural economy in the U.S. Southwest—working in fields, orchards, and packing houses across California, Arizona, Texas, and beyond. Despite their essential contributions, they have faced systemic discrimination: unequal access to land, water rights, and credit; wage theft and substandard working conditions; segregation in schools and housing; and exclusion from labor protections. This legacy continues to impact farmworker communities today, even as they remain indispensable to the nation's food supply.