Including the Culturally Excluded and Socially Forgotten: Information Services for Spanish Migrant Workers in the United States

Abstract

There are more than 2 million seasonal migrant farmworkers currently working in the United States. Of these 2 million, two-thirds are immigrants. Eighty percent of these immigrants are from Mexico. Migrant workers have enormous information needs that can seem virtually insurmountable to satisfy because of numerous socioeconomic, regulatory, linguistic, cultural, geographic, and societal barriers. How does one create inclusive services in the face of obstacles such as these that are compounded by constant movement? This article examines the barriers migrant workers face in the information-seeking process, as well as current policies and practices that affect the search. Additionally, the article surveys current library and information agencies’ efforts to bridge these information barriers and assist migrant workers in obtaining the information they need. This research concludes with substantial recommendations for how current library programming can be improved to best serve migrant worker populations.