UC Merced Magazine | Volume XIX, Issue VII

It’s important to recognize that an investment in UC Merced is an investment in the community’s well-being. — Assemblywoman Esmeralda Soria

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published in February 2023, a release event on campus was attended by local and state elected leaders and luminaries such as labor and civil rights icon Dolores Huerta. Valley Assemblywoman Esmeralda Soria was a big supporter of CLC’s work early on. As a child of immigrant farmworkers, she was interested in seeing the health study reach Sacramento and beyond. “As someone who grew up in a migrant family and in a rural community, a lot of what was highlighted in the study really resonated with me and the people I represent in the region,” Soria said. “So, it’s important for me to support these types of studies that dig deep into the issues to find out what are the policy solutions that can upli one of the most vulnerable communities in our state.” When asked about the study’s exposure and longevity in the public eye, Flores cited the report’s subject matter and thoroughness. “We’ve heard that it’s the first time that one report has captured so many di erent dimensions regarding the health and well-being of the nation’s most disadvantaged workforce,” Flores said, adding that the report’s prolonged exposure in the media and among legislators has resulted in farmworkers being empowered to speak when they feel they are being mistreated. e report’s durability could also be attributed to the researchers’ strong Central Valley ties. Soria stressed the importance of studies conducted by people who live in the area and breathe the same air as those studied. She echoed UC Merced’s mission of teaching, research and public service to help find solutions to the issues facing communities in the region. She urged others to support more community-based research like this. “It’s important to recognize that an investment in UC Merced is an investment in the community’s well-being,” Soria said.

Global Reach

e study’s impacts weren’t only felt stateside. Flores learned ripples had reached across the pond when the European Union contacted him. A member of the Nordic Alcohol Monopolies (NAM) was conducting a deep dive into supply chain issues — particularly lapses in environmental and labor standards — when they came across the CLC study. A delegation from NAM flew in to speak with CLC and interview its partners. From those interviews, NAM developed a Human Rights Impact Assessment. e forthcoming results will inform rules for reporting workplace conditions and how to mitigate perceived human rights abuses. Closer to home, CLC has been enlisted to assist with the latest iteration of the California Workplace Outreach Project (CWOP). According to its website, CWOP aims to “enhance workplace safety across the state while empowering community-based organizations to deliver vital information on worker protections and health measures.” “ ere is no other state that has something like this right now,” Flores said. “A huge focus is being put on our region regarding public education on worker rights.” Along with direct impacts, the farmworker health study has indirectly influenced policy and decision-making. Because of this, Flores believes we may never know its full e ect. He is proud of the work done and time logged by the researchers and the 26 advisory committee members. “ e real contribution of the study has been to inform better policy making and policy implementation around issues involving farmworkers, and for that, we are thrilled, as a public-serving institution,” Flores said. Political Backing ere has been no shortage of support. When the study was

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