HomeUploadUpload DirectHotlinkRandomAbouttheme toggle
Expand

Delta Smelt & Undocumented Farm Workers: How Federal Policy Is Failing CA's Central Valley

Views:873
@ReasonVids

California's Central Valley is a 450 mile long stretch of flat and fertile land that produces much of the food that we enjoy every day. But the people in small towns like Mendota (the cantaloupe capital of the world) are suffering these days, in part due to two federal policies.

In order to protect a threatened fish species called the Delta Smelt, much of the water that used to be pumped from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to farms on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley is now allowed to flow into the ocean. The result is predictable: hundreds of thousands of acres of farm land lies fallow and tens of thousands of jobs have been lost. In Mendota, the unemployment rate is over 40% and food lines are the norm.

But people going hungry in a region dominated by agriculture is only one of the contradictions in the Central Valley.

Nearly all the valley's farm workers are immigrants from Mexico and Central America, and many of them are undocumented. These people are crucial to the valley's economy, but they're breaking the law according to the federal government.

To learn more about the Central Valley and its discontents, we spoke to Robert Silva, mayor of Mendota; Kim Sullivan, a small business owner who makes gear drives for irrigation pumps; Maria Angel, a cafe owner and GED instructor; and Chris Collins, who recently authored a special Fresno Bee series about illegal immigration called "In Denial". http://www.fresnobee.com/indenial/

Approximately 8 minutes. Produced by Paul Feine and Alex Manning.

Visit Reason.tv for downloadable versions and subscribe to Reason.tv's YouTube channel to receive automatic notification when new material goes live.

california
,
central valley
,
reason.tv
,
reason magazine
,
paul feine
,
alex manning
,
delta smelt
,
illegal immigration
,
drought
,
unemployment
    Thumbnail for Former LA Mayor Richard Riordan on Schwarzenegger, Unions, and Bankrupt Cities9:39
    Former LA Mayor Richard Riordan on Schwarzenegger, Unions, and Bankrupt Cities
    ReasonVids
    853 views
    Thumbnail for The Harsh Reality of Obamacare's Premium Hikes10:52
    The Harsh Reality of Obamacare's Premium Hikes
    ReasonVids
    833 views
    Thumbnail for ‘Apple Could Never Make Anything as Shitty as the Things I Make:’ Artist Tom Sachs17:34
    ‘Apple Could Never Make Anything as Shitty as the Things I Make:’ Artist Tom Sachs
    ReasonVids
    898 views
    Thumbnail for Remy: Putin (Salt-N-Pepa Parody)1:52
    Remy: Putin (Salt-N-Pepa Parody)
    ReasonVids
    904 views
    Thumbnail for Guillaume Faye's speech at Identitarian Ideas 7 (2015)53:18
    Guillaume Faye's speech at Identitarian Ideas 7 (2015)
    SmashTheJourgeoisie
    1158 views
    Thumbnail for The New President of Argentina0:44
    The New President of Argentina
    bestofupgoat
    417 views
    Thumbnail for Get the fuck outta the way, brownoids! 0:23
    Get the fuck outta the way, brownoids!
    bestofupgoat
    27 views
    Thumbnail for Time To Take Our Medicine, Bring on the Foreclosures Says Jim The Realtor3:56
    Time To Take Our Medicine, Bring on the Foreclosures Says Jim The Realtor
    ReasonVids
    851 views
    Thumbnail for Adam Ruins Everything's Adam Conover on Skepticism, the TSA, and Cultural Myths9:45
    Adam Ruins Everything's Adam Conover on Skepticism, the TSA, and Cultural Myths
    ReasonVids
    895 views
    Thumbnail for Steve Forbes Explains Trump's Appeal15:19
    Steve Forbes Explains Trump's Appeal
    ReasonVids
    985 views
    Thumbnail for Why You Should Eat Those Strings On Your Banana | BRIGHT SIDE10:01
    Why You Should Eat Those Strings On Your Banana | BRIGHT SIDE
    invidious
    273 views
    Thumbnail for Trigger Warnings, Campus Speech, and the Right to Not Be Offended4:49
    Trigger Warnings, Campus Speech, and the Right to Not Be Offended
    ReasonVids
    935 views
    Thumbnail for Thank You for Vaping: Libertarians vs. New York City's E-Cig Ban3:13
    Thank You for Vaping: Libertarians vs. New York City's E-Cig Ban
    ReasonVids
    882 views
    Thumbnail for "FEMA Won't Let Us Rebuild Our Home"7:31
    "FEMA Won't Let Us Rebuild Our Home"
    ReasonVids
    875 views
    Thumbnail for White Europeans and Asians are naturally allies0:59
    White Europeans and Asians are naturally allies
    AOUisgay
    523 views
    Thumbnail for 3 Reasons We Need a Dirty Deal on Debt Ceiling1:33
    3 Reasons We Need a Dirty Deal on Debt Ceiling
    ReasonVids
    827 views
    Thumbnail for Shameless Promotion for the NPI 2016 Fall Conference6:19
    Shameless Promotion for the NPI 2016 Fall Conference
    murdochmurdoch
    1393 views
    Thumbnail for Balaji Srinivasan: Coronavirus Will Shape This Decade Like 9/11 Shaped the 2000s52:19
    Balaji Srinivasan: Coronavirus Will Shape This Decade Like 9/11 Shaped the 2000s
    ReasonVids
    942 views
    Thumbnail for Remy: Grandma Got Indefinitely Detained (A Very TSA Christmas)2:24
    Remy: Grandma Got Indefinitely Detained (A Very TSA Christmas)
    ReasonVids
    960 views
    Thumbnail for Collective Bargaining and the Bottom Line: Q&A with Heritage Foundation's James Sherk5:36
    Collective Bargaining and the Bottom Line: Q&A with Heritage Foundation's James Sherk
    ReasonVids
    927 views
    Thumbnail for Goddess of the Market Author Jennifer Burns on Ayn Rand9:44
    Goddess of the Market Author Jennifer Burns on Ayn Rand
    ReasonVids
    892 views
    Thumbnail for Retard Piers.. "At least we are not speaking German0:44
    Retard Piers.. "At least we are not speaking German
    bestofupgoat
    103 views
    Thumbnail for Guy raises rescue bird in amazing way | GeoBeats Animals2:59
    Guy raises rescue bird in amazing way | GeoBeats Animals
    invidious
    86 views
    Thumbnail for Stone mason restores ancient cathedrals1:01
    Stone mason restores ancient cathedrals
    bestofupgoat
    90 views
    Thumbnail for Something Bad Is Happening To Pre-Schoolers 😭 | Danny Rayes0:44
    Something Bad Is Happening To Pre-Schoolers 😭 | Danny Rayes
    invidious
    120 views

points

Permalink
Reply
california
,
central valley
,
reason.tv
,
reason magazine
,
paul feine
,
alex manning
,
delta smelt
,
illegal immigration
,
drought
,
unemployment
TOS  •  Add Keywords  •  Donate  •   Analytics  •   DMCA  •   Puzzle