PBS Frontline Essay "Rape in the Fields"

The PBS Frontline documentary “Rape in the Fields” reveals the gross atrocities of human rights violations against undocumented immigrant women throughout America’s vast farmlands. The group consists of a half-million female workers. Culturally they are from a male dominated society that migrates to the U.S. for economic opportunity. These women are underprivileged workers without access to learn English. They are unaware of American laws that protect persons from violence and crime. They are very afraid and focused on basic survival instincts. Because they are in this country illegally, they are afraid of being deported and lose their income. Fear keeps them from speaking out and uniting to make changes in their work environment.
The story of Olivia Tamayo who worked for Harris Farms for approximately six years is only one example of cases featured in the documentary. Her supervisor Rene Rodriquez raped Olivia Tamayo three times at gunpoint. Her voice was shaky in the interview when she recalled her ordeal, “He said I was his, and that he would never leave me in peace.” She tried to defend herself from her boss. She remained silent until she reported her case to a Rape Crisis Center. Human Services workers reported the abuse to the EEOC. Then the EEOC contacted the law firm of Smith and Johnson who took the case of Ms. Tamayo. Attorney Willie Smith was successful in winning a lawsuit that awarded her a damage settlement. However, the CEO Mr. John Harris sides with his Supervisor and denied the rape occurred. It took teamwork from the report by the Rape Crisis Center and working within a network of other services to bring a small amount of justice to her unjust treatment. It was in 1995 that Bill Tamayo from the EEOC brought attention to the plight of women raped in the fields by supervisors and coworkers. These deplorable acts have been taking place for generations by not uniting and rising up the women remained in a disadvantaged situation. The U.S. enacted