Latino and Hispanic Farmworker Health

Welcome to the Talking Total Farmer Health podcast from AgriSafe Network. At AgriSafe, we work to protect the people that feed the world by supporting the health and safety professionals, ensuring access to preventative services for farm families and the agriculture community.

Thank you. Thank you for having me.

You bet. So let's get to know you and some of your work. Tell us about yourself, where you're located, your credentials, and what does a normal day look like for you in your field?

That’s a lot. You got a lot going on.

It's intense.

Yes. Yes. So, Elena, you mentioned CRT. Tell us more about that and what that means for the farmworkers.

What that means is CRT, again, Community Restorative Training, and in Spanish, Taller Restaurativo Comunitario. The purpose of that program is something that came out after understanding the Latino community behavior. So when they go to the doctor and the reason why they go to the doctor in general is because they got into an injury at work. But what I realize is that they need, we need, to be proactive in our daily life. So I realized there are some ingredients, I created kind of a soup, I call it a soup, of beautiful ingredients that are very important. And those ingredients, we have it, on a daily basis, we don't need to depend on doctors, but we can prevent that on a daily basis, again. So by, I created that idea of we need to breathe, intentionally breathe, every day, every moment we can, we remember we need to do that. Then we need to be aware of how we sleep because sleeping is our restoring moment. And if we don't restore our life, we cannot continue.

The next option or the next ingredient is how we eat. What we put in our stomach. It is really important because we are either nurturing or damaging our body and our brain. We are actually nurturing our brain through our stomach. Then the way we move, we are human beings and as human beings, we need to move. Regardless of an injury, we need to keep going, keep moving, it's very important. Even if it's a little. So, we continue with the ingredients, which involves emotional intelligence, socializing, meditating, relaxing and being resilient. It's important. All these ingredients had a final purpose, which is being resilient, which makes us stronger. It makes us behave as a bamboo like, okay, something hit you, you go back stronger. So this is the idea of CRT. I wanted and keep going, trying to promote these tools that we have or these ingredients that we all have to manage our lifestyle to make it less stressful, too, on our own behalf.

That sounds like a wonderful soup! You know, life is going to throw us challenges, and we’re all aware of that. But those bite sized wellness practices you just spoke of, they will help us to not just survive, but to thrive. I love that. Well, now that we’ve looked a bit at the theory behind CRT, how did you first get involved in the farmworker community?

And he's an amazing guy. He's an organic farmer, and they are a lovely community and I said, “Hey, do you want this program? Would you like me? Would you allow me to do this group? It’s going to be interesting.” And he did and it’s been already almost four years that I keep going. And he appreciates that. So here's my experience with the Latino community about the agricultural community.

They have no access. They have no access to education or to learn about how to take care of themselves. They just know that they need to wake up, be responsible, confront life challenges the best way possible. But they could do better, help themselves better if they sleep, eat well, drink enough water with the sufficient electrolytes, or something that, it's about a commitment to a longevity situation, to a functional longevity that they are not aware. They just know they have this skill and they are unaware of- some simple education will help them in their lifestyle and their families. So I became, again, obsessed with helping and learned a sentence here in America that says “Don't give unrequested advice.” And I decided in my life to do the whole opposite. I gave unrequested advice.

No one, no Latino, nobody, no agricultural community is going to ask me for advice if they don't know that exists, but am giving it and this is my advice. I am a mother of two and I give advice because I know by sharing I can help. You take it or leave it, that's fine. But I am happy that I'm giving this to you, and you are the one making the decision of approaching that road. So, this is my experience giving this to the community education.

That's a lovely gift. It's a very lovely gift. And your life experiences and how you pivoted. You were very nimble in a time when we were all confused, not sure what direction to go and, and how you stepped up and, and saw a need and then answered that need. That's, that's just so lovely.

Thank you.

So when we think about some of the… you talked about education as possibly a barrier for our Latino farmworkers when it comes to seeking health just good wellness. What are some of the other cultural barriers that we need to be aware of?

Language is the very basic. They do not speak the language. It’s kind of by steps. We don't have access to understanding the words, less enough to understand the behavior. We think differently. We totally think differently. We organize our minds in a different way. We are very kind of in a survival mode, we just grab and try our best on things, but it's not something coming from a structure. We don't have a structure. We just try to help ourselves, ourselves the best way. So language is a huge deal. That's why my decision of being a voice was really relevant. It's just- it wasn't enough, because by being an interpreter, I'm not allowed to give advice. Legally, I cannot give any advice to a patient. So 18 years later, I decided, well, now, by having my own business, I am allowed to give my advice. So I became an LLC. I am an interpreter. I now have decided to give my advice and give this information with the same language, using the language, using the cultural competency that I have. Sympathy, compassion, coming from my own compassion, my self-compassion and empathy. Understanding what is to be a parent or a mother away from your country, understanding what is a family for us, understanding how in the mode of fight or flight, we go when, it's talking about our family.

So it's huge to believe. It's important detail to believe how important our family is. Language. So it's just kind of little pieces. It's like stairs. I'm looking right now at stairs and you can see that like there is this factor of education. Okay? If you know that if you breathe better, you can manage this challenge, this new challenge that you are living. Just breathe better. Take your time, then eat little but wisely. Just go ahead and do this. Do that. And just step by step, allow yourself, give yourself some empathy. Understand why you're here. So being socially aware, culturally, in a cultural way, it is very important. Understanding that we are here not necessarily because we want, it’s because we have countries. We come from countries that are completely taking advantage of us. I'm from Colombia and we don't have much opportunity. There are some people who have opportunity. I had a lot of opportunity, but it's not enough. And this country, we are grateful because of the opportunity. But it is important for the country to understand our pain, emotional pain. So those are, that's a long answer.

That’s a good answer, though. I think for those of us that don't understand those barriers and the needs of the culture, you're doing just a great job in helping open my eyes and to have that understanding, that basic understanding. And, and of course, that creates a certain curiosity as well as those of us that are looking in. And so just those initial steps of understanding the culture, what the, the Latino community needs, you know, and as you touched on, they're in survival mode. That's important for us to understand that they're setting down new roots with their family here, and how can we be helpful to have work through that survival mode as well as then take them up to the to the next level, whatever that may be, for that individual.

It's a lovely question. It's a lovely question because, as you have experienced. I'm sure each one of us. How warm, is the Latino community, the Latinx or Latino community? It is despite the pain, despite the hard work, they are loving community. We are givers. So, the way to help and support is recognizing directly, “Hey, thank you for what you're doing.” The very first thing I do at every session that I provide of CRT is, “Thank you. I'm honored to be here. I like to thank you for all your effort, your hard work, and what you have done for me. Probably you don't know, but you have given me a lot. Every table, every food, every family event, everything you give me, despite you knowing you is coming to me. I'll thank you for that.” And being kind of out there to say, “Tell me how can I help?” In some ways, put yourself in their shoes. Provide that empathy to the process and “Hey, how can I help? Tell me what you need. How can I be of use so you can move forward?” They have a lot of needs.

They don't take care of themselves. There's no medical education teaching them anything different than get pills, medication. And the solution is not in medication. The solution is you being aware, self-awareness, emotional intelligence, this is what I teach. So, examples like that, is having people, having suicidal thoughts… I was presenting at a group at a farm, when I was so proud of saying “there's the number 988 now. Now you don't need to learn 12 numbers. Now there’s 988 - go for it. And then you push two for Spanish and you find somebody to talk.”

When I shared that news, that I was so proud about, a lady stood up, I mean, an agricultural lady just stand up and say, “Hey, what? I didn't know about this. My- my husband just committed suicide recently and left us alone, my two kids and myself, and everybody's in therapy but me. I didn't know and I wish I would have known about this.” And that was, to me, huge. I was giving good news and a bucket of ice was dropped at me. But of course it wasn't about me. I was like, “I am so sorry. I am so sorry this happened to you and to your kids, but I'm here to listen. I would love to do my best.” She had the courage to share that information around her community of farmers, where there's a lot of stigma. Nobody shares anything like that or like anything related to mental health. And she felt so motivated and strong enough, like she was talking to only me and she shared that with me surrounded by 30 farmers.

And I was like, “Okay.” Some way I felt like, “Okay, please vent. Please know that I'm here to listen to you. I got the QPR training, so I am here. Tell me more. What else do you need? We're here to help you.” So basically, these are their resources. And then. After she shared that with me, I learned that from from one side, she was that frustrated for that situation to happen and having better information or education. And on the other hand, she felt that she could share that with me. And that gave me a huge peace of mind. Two years later, I found her at a eco farm conference where I was presenting and she said, “Elena, thank you for listening to me. Thank you for everything you have taught us. For every effort you make to teach us how to deal with life challenges, being at this work, and I really appreciate it.” So we sat down, talk more. I was there for her, listening, fully listening. This is all we need to know. We need to listen to people. Despite the fact that we don't speak the language. “I'm here for you.” So that, going back to answer the prior question, “I am here. Yo estoy aquí para ti. I am here for you. How can I help you? How can I serve you? Como te puedo ayudar?” That's all we need.

Yeah, yeah. Those basic things. It's just basic things, “I'm here for you,” and “how can I help you?” And... And your story is definitely impactful on a number of different levels. You know, don't ever assume, and we all know that, it's not healthy. It's not good to assume what someone else may or may not know. But you, just opening up the conversation when she, first of all, she felt like she could trust you, right. That you were trustworthy. You were a credible resource that she could talk with about the suicide of her husband as well as the resources moving forward for her and her family. So, gosh, thank you for sharing that. That is that is another eye opening talking point. Like, wow, just don't assume that people have all the resources are accessible to them because they really are not they really are not.

Yes.

So, let's talk just a little bit about what are some of the top health and wellness concerns that you hear from farmworkers in general.

Well, they have medical issues. They can be disabled, but there's no way they know that it's a disability because they are hardworking community, despite the fact that their hip hurts, their heart hurts, they keep going. So education, they they are just missing that- that piece of the puzzle. They need education and they complain about pain, financial issues, access to medical basics.

Just having access is a big deal. They do not have that. And I wish I can… I want to find a way. I'm not a non-profit. The solution, in my opinion, is to go and have a truck and visit farms. One at a time, visit them and listen to them, because the big issues that they will never share, I know, is having mental health issues, having anxiety, depression. And I see that every day on people. I myself come from a very anxious family. I have been very anxious, ever since I got married, divorced. And I took my kids and I was in charge of everything. I've been a very anxious person and that is one of the main reasons also I wanted to share, without shame, that I have suffered inside for many years. But that's not the right way of living. That is not right.

And my goal is to say, “No, no, no, no, Let's find a way.” Nobody told me, “Hey, breathe.” I just never realized that, breathe well, intentionally, [inhales, exhales]. You know, for a moment, take that moment. So I would like to go and be able to go to people because the stigma of sharing, of going to a psychologist, that will never happen with them. So if we go, if I go and I listen to them, go and stop for each farm. 15 minutes, “tell me, what's your issue?” So many. But I'll teach them how to be funnelling down their thoughts. Because we are a community of, as you can see my answers, we are talkers, there's a lot we have to say honestly. So funnel down, funnel down. “What is this? What is the worst situation? What is this? Go from worst, from pain number ten to pain number zero.” You know, so helping people, understanding their own life and finding the solution, there's always a solution. But we go into, again, that survival mode that doesn't allow us to think the right way. So that is, that is the dream that I have, being able to go farm by farm.

Yeah, it's a community approach, is what I'm hearing, right? Connecting with the community and using some of your resources that you have in the diaphragmatic breathing. I'm a Yogi, I do that. And it's certainly that day to day practice becomes that habit that we don't even think about then, when there are those times of of high anxiety. So a community approach. And that's a that's something everybody can be part of.

Yes. Yes, I agree. And that's something that I would love to have some kind of support in that sense. If I can create that and go town by town and doing this. Because the reason why I introduced the idea of how did I started being an environmental Latino liaison, it's also because I had the chance to practice. I decided to go to churches and talk to the entire community. I asked the priest, “Hey, give me five minutes. I only need five minutes to introduce this concept to the people.” And my program, my website is CRT-ECO.ORG, and that “eco” is meaningful because my point is to understand that what you're taking care of yourself, you must take care of the planet because this is all goes back to us. It's a cycle and we're helping ourselves and our kids, the future of their kids. So we need to, everything we do, we need to commit in an intentional way, that is not damaging anything or anybody. So this community idea that I started being not I was very bad, public speaker I got- blushed from very young age and I pushed myself every time I could to do that. And I went to church. It was like, I don't know, 500 people. And I said to them every Sunday, “Hey, this is happening. Let's try to help the environment. Let's try to do this compost, let’s try to do this recycling. So avoid plastic and things like that.” So, I train myself on every topic to be behaving environmentally and mentally healthy. So that's why community work is important. And that is the other side of your community. To help us, let's be, let's act together. It's about being together, the way we thrive.

Mhmm. Better together, as they say. And I sure do appreciate your self-made concept, your personal self-made concept. That's inspiring. It really is inspiring. Are there any other resources, tips or parting words you would like to leave with us?

I want people to know about my program. I want to… I want to promote the idea of take care of your breathing, take care of your sleeping issues or practices. Take care of how you eat, how you behave, how you move. How you are perceiving toxicity in the environment or relationships that that affects us. We don't need toxicity. We can let go of anything like that. We need to take care of everything we do Love our job or move on. Try to find. But every moment we never know. Life is very short. It's not worth it to leave it in pain. Or emotional pain at least, and managing pain. I just came out from a psychological appointment. Managing pain doesn't mean, okay, I'm going to forget about it, but we need to fight the depression that pain is causing us. We are stronger than that. Definitely. We are allowing our brain, our mind to manage. And there's so many motivational things in our life, like our kids, our family. My mom is 94. She's a motivation for me. My kids 29 and 25. And me, I am developing. I'm not done. I'm- so we have plenty of things to do, but we need to see… This is my last thing. We need to see this life as an adventure. This is an adventure. It's not a punishment. So let's take it like that.

Very nice. Life is an adventure. And get ready because you never know what's going to come and enjoy this ride.

Yes, but it's about how you take your events instead of “what are the events.” It's your attitude. Just be ready. Be strong and move better and respond, not react.

There you go. Respond and not react. Very, very nice. Well, thank you for your time, Elena. This has been just such a pleasure and learning more. And I certainly, on behalf of AgriSafe, wish you very well in your work. And I do hope our paths get to cross sometime soon.

Thank you so much, you guys, for having me. Thank you.

Okay folks, that’s it for today. Thank you again for tuning in to another episode. Be sure to subscribe to this podcast to hear more from AgriSafe on the health and safety issues impacting agricultural workers. If you’d like to suggest topics, or have a story you’d like to share, contact us by email at info@agrisafe.org, and title your email “TTFH Podcast.” You can also get our attention by using the hashtag "TTFHpod" on Twitter! To see more from AgriSafe, including webinars and our newsletter, visit www.agrisafe.org.

This episode was created by AgriSafe Network, directed by Laura Siegel, hosted by me, Linda Emanuel, edited by Matt McKenney for ProPodcastingServices.com, with special guest Elena Velez!