UPDATE - I have stopped this fundraiser as the fees are adding up and have continued the fundraiser here: https://chuffed.org/project/135511-aid-refugee-farmers-facing-violence-and-relocation

Thank you for understanding!

I'm reaching out with a heavy heart and an urgent request for support. Last summer, two Southeast Asian elder refugee farmers and I were assaulted in Northeastern Massachusetts. This attack was one of at least five known assaults targeting non-white womxn and femme-presenting agricultural workers in the state between June and July. These attacks are part of a broader and escalating pattern of violence, intimidation, and systemic neglect targeting refugee, immigrant, and BIPOC growers.

Due to continued harassment and fear of retaliation, the harmed farmers cannot speak out themselves and have asked me to share their story and seek support on their behalf—while protecting their identities and safety. This assault is actually just the beginning of a series of heinous events that has caused so much pain and fear that these two elders are actually relocating themselves and their families back to where they fled. I am running this fundraiser for them, their families, and one refugee community member's family that has unjustly been deported and needs financial support for their family that was left behind.

The elders and I worked on how we wanted to respond and they asked me to share this with y'all:

Wisdom and Warnings: When any person is scared, they tap into their own trauma, their own triggers, and even a part of their brain and body that isn't rational. We do what we need to do to get out of that situation and into a safe environment. I fear what happens when there isn't a witness around, I fear what someone will do in secluded and private locations, I fear what someone will do when they revisit a location their targets actively use, I fear what can happen visibly in public, and I am terrified of what can happen when people look away.

I think about my colleagues and peers spread across the continental United States and territories who do not have support systems in their professional and personal communities and fear what could happen if they choose to step in, speak up, and seek justice. I share this story and resources because I have kept quiet in fear of retaliation from previous employers, staff, and neighbors before and do not trust our societal justice system, closing a path for justice for these growers. I share this story because the harmed growers are not able to, because they asked me to share what they are not able to, and because I hope we can figure out a way to give them justice.

If you've made it this far, thank you for taking the time to read the words I wrote. I know this is uncomfortable to read (and it's certainly uncomfortable for me to write and share), but I hope you feel empowered to find a way to advocate for marginalized community members near you and to know you are not alone. This is hard work, but this is work that holds integrity, purpose, and honor. I find myself struggling doing this work but find some solace knowing I'm not alone. I see y'all and I thank y'all.

How You Can Help:

I'm currently seeking assistance with fundraising and partnership building to:

If you or your organization can offer any assistance—financial, strategic, legal, or through partnership—I would be deeply grateful. If not, I would appreciate referrals to others in your network who might be able to help. Thank you for any donation, resource that's shared, and/or sharing this fundraiser amongst your networks.

Resources: Ongoing Resource Document – Accessible to the Public, Comment only. (Click bold and underlined text to access)

Note: Please don't hesitate to reach out to me to share relevant resources. Though I am currently looking for resources and efforts in New England, I would love to create a resource list for public use that encompasses the mainland continental United States and territories.

Publications: Boston Globe and Central West Justice Center shared on July 11, 2024: ‘There is tremendous fear.’ As Massachusetts farm workers toil under brutal conditions, some push for legislative change.

· “A 2020 report from Jeannette Wicks-Lim, research professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst Political Economy Research Institute, found farmworker families in the state live in poverty at over twice the rate of other families.”

· Nearly 100 years later, the National Labor Relations Act still excludes farmworkers, who, according to the Department of Labor, are now predominantly Latino immigrants. The Fair Labor Standards Act excludes farmworkers from overtime.

· “We trace farmworker conditions to Jim Crow attitudes,” said Clarke.