Growing up in a farmworking community, Lucero Mendez was no stranger to the grueling demands of agricultural labor. In pursuing a college degree, she hoped to escape the cycle of hardship that defined her family's life. However, when the opportunity arose to develop as a leader advocating for farmworker rights, she decided to confront her past and gain a deeper understanding of the issues facing many in her community.
Mendez’s childhood memories were filled with the sound of tractors, the smell of fresh-picked produce, and the sight of her mother working tirelessly in the fields surrounding the Yakima Valley. She always felt a sense of pride in her heritage, but she also knew the sacrifices her family made.
At the recommendation of mentor Marivy Vasquez, director of YVC’s College Assistance Migrant Program, Mendez applied for and was awarded a fellowship in August 2023 with the female-led Poder Latinx (PLX) — a national advocacy group focused on voter engagement, issue-based education and civic engagement. The yearlong program ran through August 2024 and taught Mendez much about economic justice, specifically migrant justice.
“I learned about advocacy and how to empower our community,” said Mendez. “I also learned how to fight for our rights and about important environmental and financial issues that affect the farmworking community.”
During her fellowship Mendez also learned and was selected for an internship opportunity with Student Action with Farmworkers’ (SAF) Into the Fields program — which strives to provide students, farmworkers and their families with greater access to existing resources through collaborations with farmworker advocacy organizations and community groups.
The internship, which ran June through August in North Carolina, allowed her to reconnect with her roots while also gaining a critical perspective on the challenges faced by farmworkers today. Mendez traveled to cities throughout the state including Goldsboro, Mount Olive, Charlottee, Asheville, Duram and Raleigh where she met with community members and leaders.
After their initial orientation, Mendez and her fellow interns were placed with various community organizations. She was placed with Hispanic Federation — a group working to empower local nonprofit organizations, Latino workers and Latino families.
ABOVE: Lucero Mendez, right, alongside another student fellow with SAF speaks with a farmworker North Carolina over the summer. TOP: Mendez poses
for a picture on YVC's Yakima Campus.
“We learned how to organize events and provide office support to a non-profit,” said Mendez. “The group focused on programs and services like civic engagement, education, environmental justice and health. We even got to be involved in a protest against The Wendy’s Company over the price of tomatoes, something that greatly affected local farmers.”
The summer internship has allowed her to drawn comparisons between her experience in North Carolina and issues facing farmwokers in the Yakima Valley.
“While I was in North Carolina I was comparing the North Carolina and Washington farmworking communities and living situations. It was helpful to see the things they would advocate for their farmworkers and how they would help connect them with local organizations. Now that I’m back I want to find those organizations here in Washington and help connect local farmworkers.”
One similarity Mendez noted was how children struggle with missing parents who are away from home for extended periods as they travel for work.
“Families feel neglected, feel like they are left alone for so long while their loved ones are working elsewhere,” said Mendez. “This is something I could relate to. My mom is a farmworker and when I was young, I didn’t understand why. But once I grew up I became so appreciative of her hard work. Now every day I work as hard as I can.”
Her experiences this summer made a profound impact on Mendez.
“I decided to change my educational pathway,” said Mendez. “My long-term goal is still to pursue degrees in psychology, but I want to focus my efforts on support for the migrant community. For now, I’m applying for a community organizer position open at PL’s Washington branch.”
Overall, she’s thankful for the opportunity and hopes other YVC students are able to share in similar endeavors.
“It was a really beautiful experience,” said Mendez. “Applications are open for next year’s group of interns and I would encourage anyone who is interested to apply.”
Story by Stefanie Menard, AA-DTA ’05, communications consultant. Photos by Dustin Wunderlich, director of community relations and courtesy of Mendez.