Immokalee 101

My new home for the next year, Immokalee, (meaning “My Home” in Seminole or sometimes “My Cage” depending on who you ask) is a small town in Southwest Florida, located inland about an hour between Naples and Ft. Myers. In the 1800s, the town was founded as a hub for ranchers but has now transformed into the agricultural center of the region where the majority of the population are employed as migrant farm-workers. An interesting fact is that between the months of October and June, over 90 percent of the country’s fresh tomatoes comes from Immokalee and the areas surrounding Immokalee. In all, over 45 percent of our nation’s yearly total production of fresh tomatoes has its origins here. So, while much of the country has never heard of Immokalee (including myself until I had heard of the Humility of Mary Volunteer Program), most Americans have likely had Immokalee produce in their homes.

The community of Immokalee feels very small but highly populated. In off-seasons, the population in Immokalee can be as low as 20,000 in the summer but doubles to 40,000 when there is employment in the fields during tomato season. In this town, where a large portion of the residents are foreign born, the demographics are about 75-85 percent Hispanic (mostly Mexican and Guatemalan), about 10-20 percent Haitian, and about 5 percent white. Most of the people here can speak some English (with wide variation), although the most fluent are often those young people that have attended or currently are enrolled in school. Perhaps because they are also trying to learn (or have recently had to learn) a new language too, people here are extremely patient in listening to broken Spanish.

Because of the various dynamics that brought people to this town, the end result is that Immokalee has both a fascinating, vibrant culture and an overwhelmingly diligent workforce, but it is also a community that has great need. Faced with long hours (often working from 12-14 hours a day), low-wages (about 50 cents for every 32 pound bucket of tomatoes), and exorbitant rent and food prices, many migrant workers are forced by necessity to crowd into the series of trailers, HUD housing, and tiny more-permanent structures that congregate around Main Street. These neighborhoods, which make up the heart of Immokalee, are about a ten minute bike ride from the Humility of Mary volunteer home. Many times, ten or more men can be found in one trailer or several families in one structure. Despite these conditions, I am amazed at the work ethic shown by the people of this community who continue to work, go to church, organize, and hope for their children’s education.

What we, the volunteers, do down here is to assist the agencies who focus on addressing some of the present need. There are various non-profits, like Guadalupe Catholic Charities, that provide direct assistance (case working, food, rent, etc). Other agencies, like the Guadalupe Center and PACE (an alternative school for girls), provide educational assistance. And, to end some of their labor exploitation and to protect the workers in the fields, many migrant-workers have joined the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, a grassroots advocacy group primarily run by the migrant-workers themselves. La Tuya, the Spanish radio station of the Coalition, helps circulate the voices of these workers and is a staple of the town. At least one HM volunteer this year will work with each of these organizations.

Overall, we have been extremely welcome here. My favorite place in town is an outside produce market about two blocks from our home where individual vendors sell produce and where many understand little or no English. But all of town is interesting. Almost everyone rides bikes or walks, wandering chickens can be seen randomly, and people can be seen everywhere wearing pants in the ninety degree heat. Today, for example, for the first time in my life, I had to swerve a car to avoid hitting a rooster walking across a side street. For some reason, that did not seem out of place here.

All in all, I could not be any happier with Immokalee. For right now, day by day, I continue to enjoy the new sights and all the treasures that this town has to offer.