The Realities of Labor Day in the United States 

By: Miguel Hernandez

(Listen to the audio in Spanish, 4 min)

Labor Day in the United States is celebrated on the first Monday of September. On this occasion, Labor Day was commemorated this past Monday, September 2, this day of rest for many Americans was possible thanks to the fight by labor unions in the 19th century who felt they were working too many hours for too many days. Thanks to these efforts, many workers have this day off, as it is recognized as a holiday. But for certain communities like the agricultural community who work long hours and weeks without rest, this day for them is just another normal work day and it is not a time when all their efforts are recognized and they do not have the opportunity to have a day off. 

So what does Labor Day mean for indigenous farming communities? In an interview with Dionicio Romero, a broccoli field worker, he shared his feelings about how he feels around Labor Day in the United States. 

When Romero was asked if he knew that Labor Day was celebrated and why? Romero replied that he didn’t know what Labor Day was about. The only thing he knew about that day was that his children were not going to school and for him, it meant that he had to find a babysitter, since he and his wife were working in the field that day. Romero and his wife have worked in the field for more than 20 years. 

 It was explained to Romero that Labor Day in the United States commemorates the workers who advocated for better working conditions during the labor movement of the 19th century. After this explanation, Romero was surprised that he was not enjoying this privilege in his life. Romero shared that since he traveled to this country when he was only 17 years old, he has always worked long days and long weeks without expecting a day of rest in return.

Dionicio also shared how he felt sad when he found out that he could not enjoy this benefit, how a day designed to bring equity and recognition to working people did not apply to him. 

When Romero was asked how he spent the Labor Day holiday, he explained that he worked like any other day. For him it was a normal day, getting up at 4 in the morning to make his lunch for the day, then taking some of his children to the babysitter and taking his other children to school. Then, work until the end of the day and then simply rest using the little remaining time of your day. 

When Romero was asked how he would like this day to be celebrated in the United States, his response was very interesting and moving. He mentioned that he would like this day to be celebrated the other way around. Romero commented that workers in the fields, restaurants or even construction workers, for example, had a paid day of rest. And that people who work in offices, like politicians, will work that day. Finally, Dionicio exclaimed! “so they know how hard we work day after day without rest!”

But in the meantime, Romero hopes that sharing stories like his, change for his community and his line of work will come. Additionally, Dionicio reiterated how during the pandemic, they were called heroes and essential workers. They were the ones who continued working during the pandemic to continue supplying food to the tables of millions of homes in this country. Finally, Romero shares that the world has a lot to learn about “what life is like in the fields, and how sacrificial it is to work every day in this work.”