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Raices Latinas: Agriculture in McHenry County
March 30, 2023 @ 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm
Raices Latinas: Agriculture in McHenry County is a new project that is having its debut event on Thursday, March 30 at 6:30 p.m. at the Woodstock Opera House, 121 W Van Buren Street, Woodstock, Il. A reception with refreshments begins at 5:30 p.m.
The event will feature the documentary film Harvest of Loneliness: The Bracero Program, with guest speakers to lead a discussion in Spanish and English, followed by a reception with food, drinks and the opportunity to learn more about the year-long project.
Raices Latinas: Agriculture in McHenry County, is a project being funded by the Community Foundation for McHenry County’s Transformational Grant. The project’s mission is to honor the valuable contributions of the Latino/Latine community to McHenry County’s rich agricultural history through education, storytelling and celebrations. Other events are being scheduled and an exhibition and documentation of the migrant experience will be shared as part of the county’s collective agricultural history. The events will serve as a way to meet and talk with people who have a story to tell about their experience as Latinos working on farms in McHenry County, past and present.
Six partnering groups are involved in the project, including Mano a Mano Family Resource Center, Farmworker & Landscaper Advocacy Project, Illinois Migrant Council, McHenry County Historical Society, Center for Agrarian Learning at McHenry County College and The Land Conservancy of McHenry County.
The film is in Spanish with some English subtitles. The film sheds light on a program set up between the U.S. and Mexican governments to recruit Mexican farm laborers for temporary work in the United States. The program began during World War II and ended in 1964. The film includes interviews with surviving Braceros and their families.
This is a free event, no registration is required. The doors open at 5:30 p.m., with a reception and refreshments until 6:30 p.m. when the program begins. For more info email [email protected]