Farmworkers' presence impacts local economies

The dominant approach to the farm labor problem is consistent with this country's labor market politics during the past 150 years. U.S. politics have centered on the struggles between economic values, such as wealth, trade, efficiency, and economic growth, and equity values like wages, working conditions, social welfare, and public health and education, according to Robert Paehike (1999). Analogously, the dynamics of today's hired farm labor market can be viewed as the political struggle between economic values that reflect employers' and agribusiness interests, and equity values that reflect the interests of farmworkers and their advocates.

It is largely these two groups' effective expression of values that dominate the policy and politics of hiring U.S. farm labor. However, a new perspective, emphasizing the impact of agricultural labor on rural areas, is emerging. Although studies linking the farm labor population to local communities are prevalent today, few have described the roles that migrant and seasonal farmworkers (MSFW's) play in the economy of local communities.

The presence of MSFW's has seldom been treated as a "community economic development event," a form of economic change that directly contributes to the local economy. A forthcoming JSRI report examines MSFW's economic impact on rural areas of Branch, Hillsdale, Lenawee, Monroe, and Washtenaw Counties in southeastern Michigan.

The first arrival into southeastern Michigan of a predominantly Mexican migrant agricultural workforce from Texas, which occurred in 1920, was inextricably linked to sugar beet companies in the region. Today, MSFW's in southeastern Michigan are rarely hired specifically for field crops like sugar beets. MSFW-dependent agriculture in the region is quite diverse and the demand for MSFW's cuts across a variety of field operations. Thirty-nine of the 46 labor-intensive crops grown in the state are grown in the five-county region under study. Field crop employment still exists regionally, but basically serves to fill "unemployment gaps" until fruits and vegetables are ready for harvest, according to the Michigan's Office of Migrant Services.
The migrant and seasonal agricultural workforce in southeastern Michigan consists of both families and "stag workers," or solo men. The 156 families in the area accounted for 733 workers, or nearly 54%, of the 1,257 farmworkers in the region (Table 1). About 11% of these families were residential; the rest were migrant-stream workers. Most families (81%), and even more migrant stag workers (83%), live in labor camps.

A difference exists between the area's farmworker population and the farmworker workforce because not all the family members are farmworkers. In an average-size family of about six persons, only 47% worked. Another 38% of the family members are non-workers below the age of 12 and the remaining 15% were non-working adult members. When the non-working members are added to the 446 stag workers and 811 family workers in the region, it is estimated that the migrant and seasonal population in the region consists of 2,168 people.
The typical way for researchers to conduct economic impact studies is to focus on the contributions that result from an economic development event, like the influx of people into a rural area. Another way is to estimate the "opportunity cost" to the local economy resulting from the elimination of such events. Admittedly, this represents a worse-case scenario, but it highlights foregone contributions and permits the analysis of short-term and long-term impacts associated with the absence of the event.

Table 2 shows that MSFW-dependent agriculture in the five-county area of southeastern Michigan generated more than $27.6 million in production value from the use of 14,454 acres. This represents an average production value of $1,913 an acre. Assuming MSFW's are not available and growers remain in agriculture, but switch to growing traditional field crops, the average value of production drops to $281 per acre, according to the Michigan Agricultural Statistical Service. Thus the use of farm labor contributed an extra $23.5 million, or about $1,632 per acre. Lenawee and Monroe counties accounted for over 82% of the increased value of production.

The $23.5 million loss in agricultural production value in southeastern Michigan is based on the assumption that farmers will switch to traditional grain crops. If MSFW's disappear and growers continued in labor-intensive agriculture, one immediate short-term impact would be a labor shortage. In such conditions, farmworkers' wages would have to increase to induce new workers into the farm labor market. If unemployed high school students and others were recruited as farm laborers, it is unlikely that wages would increase enough to meet the demand for labor at current levels of agricultural production. The increased claims against farm income, and the resultant decrease in farm earning potential, would be detrimental to growers remaining in MSFW-dependent agriculture.

Another alternative to farmers exiting fruit and vegetable agriculture production is to substitute migrant workers with mechanical harvesters. However, this option is not viable either.

Not only is agricultural mechanization incomplete, but growers prefer "people" over "machinery" because wages continue to fall relative to the price of machinery. If crops are harvested mechanically, the return is lower because of the ability to hand harvest crops multiple times. In those cases where growers substitute machinery for labor, machine manufacturers and service providers replace labor as claimants against aggregate farm income. Even if economically feasible, growers may not willingly substitute machines for migrant labor because the adaptation of machinery locks growers into particular crop production and marketing options over multiple growing seasons.

The negative effects on the environment from the use of machinery also constitute added social costs to society.

The resultant lost revenue from less profitable crops, if growers were to switch to alternative agricultural production, has serious ramifications for agriculture. This decrease in earning potential could negatively impact farms' overall operation because, in many instances, labor-intensive agriculture is the most profitable part. It often subsidizes other farming operations. The switch to traditional grain crops also means less diverse farming operations and higher risks for farm operators.

Another negative impact for farmers choosing to remain in agriculture despite the loss of MSFW's is the effect on land value. In the absence of MSFW's, the earning potential of farm operators presumably decrease because the future value associated with farmland productivity would also decrease. This decrease in land prices would subsequently affect local tax revenues.
Instead of staying in agriculture and producing less profitable crops, some farm operators are more likely to sell or lease their farmland. In Virginia, for example, where 80% of farmworker employers surveyed would reportedly retire from farming and sell their farms rather than engage in alternative crop or livestock production. Under this scenario, and assuming the farmland sales or leases would be to other farm operators, the impact would be fewer farmers, absentee farmland ownership, farmland ownership consolidation, larger farms, and a less diverse agricultural industry. If growers sell their land to developers instead, less farmland and fewer farmers and farms would be the result. Thus, the loss of MSFW's could potentially impact the availability and ownership of farmland in addition to the profitability, number, size, and diversity of farms and farmers.

But the economic impact on the local economy by the absence of MSFW's affects more than just farm operators, agricultural structure, product diversity, rural land ownership, and land usage. For example, firms that sell or provide value-added services to labor intensive agricultural producers will also be impacted if farmers quit or switch to less labor-intensive crops or livestock production.
The costs of producing and marketing labor-intensive agriculture are greater than the costs of producing, harvesting, and selling traditional grain crops. Costs associated with migrant housing purchase, construction, maintenance, and utilities directly impact the local economy. In 1997, housing maintenance and utilities expenditures from regional migrant camps cost almost $80,000. Although growers bear many of the costs associated with more profitable labor-intensive agriculture, these costs represent an increased income flow into the local economy - particularly when compared to income flows generated from traditional crops or livestock production.
The absence of MSFW's also impacts food manufacturing industries that hire seasonal migrant labor and purchase agricultural commodities. Since some farmworkers are employed in the processing sector, their absence could create labor shortages and higher wages for existing workers. Over the longer term, the absence of farm labor would mean a reduction in the number of growers engaged in fruit and vegetable production as well as a loss of fruit and vegetable acreage. This, in turn, could cause shortages for food processors and affect overall production. If sufficient local produce is unavailable and wages are unreasonably high, the processing sector may find it too costly to continue operations.
This would impact the marketing options of growers who produce crops for processing, but do not rely on MSFW's. Thus, we would see a reduction in processing, canning, and freezing production altogether. This, too, would impact growers not reliant on MSFW's yet sell to this sector, suppliers to the food manufacturing industry, and the public sector that would lose tax revenue formerly generated in the food manufacturing sector.
Thus, in addition to agriculture, those economic sectors directly linked to migrant labor dependent agriculture also will be impacted by the disappearance of MSFW's. This is the case regardless of whether migrant dependent agricultural employers remain in agriculture by switching production, or they abandon agriculture and sell or lease their farmland. But those sectors with economic links to migrant-dependent agriculture are not the only private industry sectors negatively impacted by the absence of MSFW's. Retail and service sectors directly utilized by the MSFW population will also be affected. The disappearance of MSFW's diminishes the local economy because the direct and indirect effects from the spending of farmworkers' income also vanishes. In 1996, these expenditures for the region amounted to over $1.2 million. The benefits from these expenditures extended to the grocery, consumer goods, clothing, gasoline retailers, and other local community service sectors. They also produced a fiscal impact associated with tax revenue. This injection of spending further affects the spending practices of local residents.
Federal and state programs addressing migrants' needs represent another source of local income and revenue. Health, education, and child-care industries are major beneficiaries of an estimated $1.2 million in annual transfer payments flowing into the region. Public and nonprofit sectors servicing migrant and seasonal populations would also be impacted by the disappearance of the MSFW population.

Faith-based organizations providing various programs and services for migrant and seasonal farmworker communities also impact the local economy. Over the years these nonprofit entities have devoted a fraction of their budgets to providing services for MSFW's. In the absence of farmworkers in the region, however, these expenditures would likely be diverted.

A summary of farmworkers' direct contributions to Michigan and its southeastern region for 1997 is provided in Table 3. Based on calculations of direct effects, the presence of the farmworker population contributed $23.4 million to the state economy, of which about $23 million was spent on southeastern Michigan's regional economy. These conservative estimates exclude the majority of the field crops reliant on MSFW's for hoeing and weeding, and the entire floriculture and nursery industry.

This confirmed expectations that the injection of income into the local economy, on a per worker basis, was less for stag workers than for workers in family units. Solo workers not only spend less of their earning, but they also receive less income from federal and state sources.

The state's agricultural employers have a long tradition of relying on domestic family units to meet their labor needs. Another deterrent to using foreign guest workers is that using H2A workers is considered more costly than domestic labor because of the transportation and income and employment guarantees employers must provide. But the interest in foreign workers is growing and the H2A program is gaining popularity in Michigan. It is reasonable to conclude that their net positive impact on the local economy would be less than that of domestic workers. In addition to injecting less money into the local economy, because of their lower propensity to consume locally and a lower need for services, they would also constitute a larger "leakage" because of the higher costs agricultural employers would have to incur for their services.
The monetary impact would be greater if migrant "stag" workers were replaced with migrant and seasonal families. The use of legal foreign workers, through the H2A or other foreign worker program, would reduce the positive impact on the community.

Communities where labor-intensive agriculture is a major activity should take positive steps to maximize the local benefits from the presence of the MSFW population. Many community interests benefit from the presence of this farmworker population. Stakeholders should realize the farm labor population's impact on their industries. Farmworker-related issues should not be left to just economic or equity value advocates. Consideration should be given to regional income as well as farm income when analyzing farmworker problems. Improving community attitudes towards MSFW's should be an integral part of any local strategy to maximize the positive economic impact of the farmworker population.

Measuring the economic impacts by MSFW's on a rural area remains a Herculean task, even when other changes in social, demographic, environmental, land use, industrial diversity and concentration, and fiscal dimensions are excluded.

Even though a comprehensive analysis is not provided, the focus on the economic impacts remains useful. These findings provide helpful information for communities attempting to better understand the links between migrant labor and the local economy. Positive changes and improved community attitudes towards the migrant population will result from a better understanding of the population's diverse economic contributions to the region. The community would then be better poised to take steps that maximize the benefits to the local economy.

The full report of this research will be available in a forthcoming JSRI publication by René Rosenbaum.

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Search Underway for new JSRI Director

More than a decade after the Julian Samora Research Institute officially opened on Michigan State University, the Midwest's premier Hispanic research center is again looking to hire a new director while the college that serves as its lead unit also looks for a new dean.

In hopes of attracting some of the nation's best candidates to this job, MSU is actively promoting the JSRI Director's position in nationwide publications and web sites (see job description at www.jsri.msu.edu/commconn/employment and on MSU's web page (www.msu.edu/unit/ facrecds/execadm.html). To bolster the search and help identify the most qualified candidates, Gary Manson, College of Social Sciences Acting Dean, announced the formation of a 15-person search committee last November to screen applicant information and make recommendations to the College of Social Science's own selection committee. The JSRI Director Search Committee is chaired by Antonio Nuñez, psychology professor and Associate Dean of MSU's Graduate School, and includes former students of Dr. Julian Samora, JSRI, MSU, and Lansing Community College faculty and staff, a graduate student, and the Dean's representative.

The Search Committee began reviewing applicants' materials on March 1 and the process will continue until suitable candidates are identified, according to college sources. It is anticipated that a new JSRI Director will be hired and in place by Aug. 15, 2001. That would coincide with the Institute's relocation to a new facility in the Nisbet Building.

JSRI has actually had two non-temporary directors since it was founded more than 10 years ago.

Richard Navarro, an associate professor in MSU's Education Department, became the founding director in 1989 and served almost four years. After a yearlong stint by Joseph Spielberg as JSRI's first Interim Director, Refugio I. Rochín was named the Institute's first permanent director in 1994. He also served in that capacity for four years before accepting a post at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.

Since then, JSRI has had a succession of interim directors while a search for a permanent replacement is conducted.

Jorge Chapa, who eventually accepted a role as Indiana University's new Chicano/Latino Studies Director, was named Interim Director at JSRI in 1998. René Hinojosa, a geography professor at MSU was appointed Interim Director in 1999; he has retained that post since then.
Interested candidates may still submit resumes for consideration by writing to the address provided on the web sites listed above.

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From the Director

Friends of JSRI:

The Institute is completing an important phase of its development. Since 1989, in a relatively short period, JSRI has attained national recognition as a leading Latino research center. In the process of building this reputation, the Institute got involved in many activities: generating research, publishing, organizing conferences, initiating academic programs and getting involved with the community. Some of these activities were derived from the original mission, others evolved from opportunistic decisions that were taken along the way. By the end of the 90s the Institute carried a complex set of activities and expectations far beyond the resources and purposes of a research center. Last year, prior to hiring a new JSRI permanent director, Michigan State University commissioned an external review of JSRI to assess its functions and solicit recommendations to move the Institute to a higher level of performance. In May of 2000 a panel of evaluators visited campus and wrote a report with recommendations that are being considered and gradually implemented by the Institute and the MSU Administration.

The evaluation team felt that in order to move to the next level it was necessary for the Institute to define its role with greater clarity and to initiate a strategic planning process. Partly because of this recommendation and partly because of the search for a new permanent director, JSRI faculty developed a refocused research mission and, together with staff, met in a retreat to initiate a strategic plan. The exercise was very productive and we feel that both faculty and staff are committed to taking JSRI to the next level.

Last November René Rosenbaum was appointed as JSRI's Associate Director. His role is to help develop and implement a cohesive research program. We are now very busy putting together a number of proposals dealing with migrant and seasonal farm workers in Michigan. We continue to take big steps in the area of technology. Along with the development of a system for the electronic distribution of Latino data and maps, we recently established an electronic publication operation that will significantly shorten the time gap between the generation and dissemination of knowledge of Latino research. A book on the role of diversity in higher education will be the first issue in this series.

A major change of operation will take place in Summer of 2001. We will be moving to the third floor of the Nisbet Building. Since 1994, the Paolucci Building, a charming old building, served as the home of JSRI. Because of substandard infrastructure, beyond reasonable repair, the Paolucci Building was taken out of service. Although not as centrally located as Paolucci, the Nisbet facility is a marked improvement. JSRI will now be better equipped to meet the technology-dependent services it has developed. We will have an open house at the new location and I do hope you will visit us.

JSRI Moves to new Quarters on MSU

The Paolucci Building on Michigan State University has been "home" to JSRI for six years, more than half the time that JSRI has been in existence. Now the Institute will be moving into new quarters on the south side of campus.

JSRI moved to the Paolucci Building, named for Dr. Beatrice Paolucci, a MSU faculty member for more than 25 years, at the beginning of 1995. The Institute was initially housed within Erickson Hall on the MSU campus. During its first few years of existence, JSRI occupied about 700 square feet of space in three small offices. By 1994 it was apparent that JSRI would need larger quarters to accommodate a growing list of projects, support faculty, staff, and student mentees. Vacant space was temporarily obtained in the Paolucci Building, adjacent to the College of Social Science, on the campus' north side.

Internal renovations, like new carpeting, lighting, furniture, and the designation of a JSRI library, helped make Paolucci feel like home, but the feeling was not to be a long-lasting one. In the five years since first occupying the site, it became apparent that additional upgrades and major renovations would be needed to keep the aging structure up to standards. MSU's Executive Committee for Buildings, Facilities, and Space met in early February and declared the building unsafe for occupancy. The committee then approved the recommendation to relocate JSRI to Nisbet.

JSRI will be housed on the building's third floor, where it will share space with a unit from the School of Criminal Justice. The move will provide the Institute with about 2,100 square feet of upgraded and improved working space which will accommodate JSRI's research, administrative, and outreach activities. Initial plans call for increased faculty research space, consolidated technology areas, and improved staff working facilities. The move to Nisbet will also enhance JSRI's local network, internet, and technological capabilities, as well as provide flexibility for future Institute growth.

Not all units currently housed at JSRI will make the move, however. MSU's Chicano/Latino Studies Program, and its related "Chicano/Latino Fellows Program," will remain in the central campus area and will occupy new office space in Berkey Hall sometime in May or June.
JSRI has also requested an eventual return to central campus. Proximity to student activities is essential to keep the Institute as the main Latino resource on campus.

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CLS Fellows Program Underway
Chicano/Latino Studies

The Chicano/Latino Fellows Program (CLFP), which officially began last August, provides a unique supportive network that fosters the academic development and promotes the social well-being of freshmen and transfer Chicano/Latino students at Michigan State University. The goal, according to Program Coordinator Angela Shojgreen-Downer, is to provide positive academic mentoring and educational guidance that influences mentees' retention and graduation rates at MSU.

The CLFP helps initiate and foster personal and professional relationships between first-year students and other upper-level undergraduate and graduate student mentors. Student mentors are guided by faculty advisors and provide the social and structured academic support needed for program participants to remain and graduate from MSU.

Student mentees in this program receive continual guidance on academic matters like course schedules, selecting major areas of study, and utilization of university resources, and in the development of other support networks.

"What we've tried to do is establish a network on campus that willingly reaches out to new Chicano and Latino students here." This, Shojgreen-Downer said, helps make the transition to college life, or to life at a new campus, a lot less traumatic.

CLFP has already undertaken activities that promote the retention and graduation rate among Chicano/Latino students here. Among these are programs to introduce mentees to pertinent campus resources, scheduled Mentor/Fellow and Mentor/Fellow/ Advisor meetings, time management and cultural workshops, and social events. Activities this school year have included a "Welcome Dinner" in August, four monthly meetings, time management and study skills workshops, sociocultural activities, a JSRI-sponsored MSU Homecoming tailgate party, and film reviews and discussions.

Seven CLFP mentees also participated in an "Alternative Spring Break" this year where they performed volunteer work among Mexican communities.

"The idea of collectively participating in MSU's Alternative Spring Break program developed as the CLF Program developed," Shojgreen-Downer explained. "We wanted to provide a joint experience with like-minded fellows, or mentees. The idea was to have a collective Chicano/Latino experience, and to be able to come back and share those experiences with other mentees who could not attend."

CLFP is currently a pilot program that is being sponsored by MSU's Chicano/Latino Studies Program, the Julian Samora Research Institute, MSU's Office of Student Affairs, and MSU Admissions Office with support from the MSU Provost Office.

Race Conference Held Again on MSU Campus

The first "Race in 21st Century America" conference, held at MSU in 1999 and sponsored by James Madison College, was this Big Ten university's response to former President Bill Clinton's call for a national discussion on America's race relations issues. This second conference, which is being held April 4-6, is more focused than the previous event and explores the intersection of race and public policy in today's cities.

This is especially important, according to conference committee chairman Curtis Stokes, because of the existing and growing numbers of minorities living in urban settings. This year's conference, like its predecessor, continues its emphasis on racial, ethnic, and ideological inclusiveness.

"What we wanted to do in the first conference was to bring scholars, public officials, and community activists to campus to participate in thoughtful conversations about race," said Stokes, an associate professor at James Madison College. "One of the outcomes of the first event was the recognition of how much historical interaction there has been in the experiences of various communities of color."

Stokes thinks the first, second, and any ensuing conferences are unique from other similar events because of the direction of the conferences, the interaction and variety of participants, and the overwhelming support and interest from the public. Campus and local community endorsements for both conferences have been strong, Stokes added, and each has contributed immeasurable material and intellectual support.

"The first conference originated against a backdrop of the growing national retreat in the fight against racial and social inequity along with the intellectual and political emergence of Latinos and Asian Pacific Americans in the last two decades," Stokes explained. When compounded by rising intermarriage and soaring minority populations, it is easy to understand the complexities and impact associated with America's race relations issues.

This year's conference, which is also sponsored by the Midwest Consortium for Black Studies, features 20 panels, five keynote speakers, and roundtable discussions. It will, Stokes said, emphasize racial, ethnic, and ideological inclusiveness, and encourage new thinking about emerging race relations in the United States. The 2001 conference keynote speakers are Donald Takaki (University of California-Berkeley), Orlando Patterson and Cornel West (Harvard University), James Jennings (Tufts University), and Winona LaDuke, (former Green Party vice presidential candidate and member of the Indigenous Women's Network). Panel topics this year include "Racial Classifications and the U.S. Census," "Residential Segregation and Racial Inequality," "Urban Education," "Globalization, Immigration, and the City," "Gendered Racism," "Race and Sexuality," "Race and the Criminal Justice System," "Environmental Racism," and "Healthcare, Communities of Color, and Public Policy."

Experts, and educators from the East Coast to the West Coast, including some from MSU and other state and national organizations, will present their views, arguments, and findings in a series of round-table discussions throughout the 3-day conference.

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Migrants' Medical Records Studied

As low-income employees existing with their families in poor living conditions, migrant workers have numerous health problems, particularly chronic disease and illness. Migrant workers obtain their medical care from a patchwork of clinics and health service centers in Michigan and along the routes they travel for work, mainly between the Midwest and Texas or Florida. Gaps in their health care, particularly the lack of preventive medical care, lead to human suffering, make the workforce less reliable, and create unnecessary expenses for the state.

In many cases, the costs associated with treating advanced cases of disease and illness among this segment of the workforce are higher than prevention and early medical care. These generalizations come from research literature and observations of health care staff at migrantclinics in Michigan.

MSU students in a graduate class, working withDr. Ann Millard are investigating these phenomena. The class, Anthropology 835 ("Medical Anthropology Overview II: Health Inequality with a Focus on the Health of Migrant Farm Workers,") is actually a seminar. Last spring, and again this spring, the students extracted data from migrant farmworkers' "non-active" medical records. The records are on loan from Health Delivery, Incorporated, of Saginaw, Mich., where David Gamez, CEO, and Al Adan, staff member, have facilitated this project. Strict confidentiality of the records is being maintained with the approval of the MSU Institutional Review Board (UCRIHS).

Project participants reviewed records of patients, at least five years old, who were last seen at Michigan migrant clinics during the late 1980s. To date, 154 medical records have been abstracted. Preliminary results show that 70% of the patients were reportedly bilingual, 25% are monolingual Spanish speakers, and 5% speak English. Of the patients, 44% are men and 56% women; 55% are married and 43% are single (including children); 1% are separated and 1% are widowed. Out of 77 referrals from the clinic for ongoing medical care, 20 were to a dentist, 19 to a radiologist, and 13 to an ophthalmologist. Of the patients, 12% had hypertension; 7% had diabetes; 10% had musculoskeletal disorders; and 18% suffered from communicable diseases, mainly respiratory tract infections. Further results will be tabulated and the results released as a forthcoming JSRI Cifras Breves.

MSU "Latin Explosion" Variety Show Continues its Tradition

Michigan State University freshman Soraya Gonzales was just one of the featured performers during the 2001 Latin Explosion, a 2-hour variety show held on campus recently.

The annual event brings together some of the university's most talented Latino musicians, dancers, and singers. This year's show, held in the MSU auditorium before more than 200 audience members, highlighted Latinos' contributions to American culture.

Photo by Nick Short/The State News

U.S. Census Info

Until specific racial and ethnic counts from Census 2000 are available, estimates -- collected in the March 2000 Current Population Survey -- are posted on the Census Bureau's web site (http://www.census.gov). According to the March 2000 CPS, the estimated Latino population was 32.8 million. Among other findings:

• 66% of Hispanics were of Mexican origin, 14% of Central and South American origin, 9% of Puerto Rican origin, and 4% of Cuban origin.

• About 12% of the U.S. population is Hispanic, almost equaling that of Blacks.

• Hispanics are more likely than non-Hispanic Whites to live inside central cities of metropolitan areas.

• Hispanics are generally younger than non-Hispanic Whites; 36% of Hispanics are under 18 years old.

JSRI News

USDA Liaison Joins JSRI

Ray A. Ostos, the new U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Liaison Officer at MSU, is being sponsored by JSRI during a three-year assignment on campus. Ostos will remain with JSRI when the Institute relocates to new quarters in the Nisbet Building in June.

The liaison position is a partnership agreement betweenthe USDA and the HispanicAssociation of Colleges & Universities (HACU). The USDA/HACU Leadership Group is a national bodyappointed by theSecretary of Agriculture and is USDA's primary organization for recommending department-wide policies and programs that strengthen USDA partnerships with America's Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI). HSI's are educational institutions whose student population is comprised of at least 25% Hispanics; associate members have at least a 10% Hispanic student population or 1,000 total students. Ostos promotes and USDA agency opportunities, programs, and mission areas. Those areas include farm and foreign agricultural service, food nutrition and consumer service, food safety, marketing and regulatory programs, national resources and environment, research, education and economics, and rural development.

Maxine Baca Zinn, a JSRI Senior Faculty Associate, recently received the American Sociological Association's "Distinguished Contributions to Scholarship & Research Award" as well as its "Jessie Bernard Career Award" for cumulative work that broadens the horizons of sociology to encompass fully the role of women in society. Both awards were for the year 2000. Dr. Baca Zinn also republished the book, In Conflict and Order: Understanding Society (9th edition, with D. Stanley, Eitzen, Allyn and Bacon) and had articles published in The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science and The American Sociologist.

Rubén G. Rumbaut, another JSRI Senior Faculty Associate, is on sabbatical at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford. Meanwhile, he has three new books scheduled for publication: Immigration Research for a New Century: Multidisciplinary Perspectives; Legacies: The Story of the Immigrant Second Generation; and Ethnicities: Children of Immigrants in America. Legacies and Ethnicities are based on the "Children of Immigrants Longitudinal Study" which is the largest such study to date in the United States. Prof. Rumbaut was recently awarded a research grant to locate and re-interview the study's 5,000 participants.

Alternative Spring Break -- Students, including some from the Chicano/ Latino Fellows Program currently housed at JSRI, participated in MSU's "Alternative Spring Break Program" and used their vacation to work with underprivileged children in Mexico.
Photo courtesy of Ashley Hall

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You Can Make a Difference

The Julian Samora Research Institute receives donations from friends and supporters of JSRI. Development funds are used to sponsor student, faculty, and community projects that enhance the mission of the Institute. These activities are only possible because of your generosity and vision. You can have an impact on JSRI's growing programs by donating to the following tax-deductible funds:
Julian Samora Endowed Scholarship

This scholarship fund was established in 1994, with a sizeable donation from Dr. Samora himself, to acknowledge and recognize outstanding Chicano/Latino students at Michigan State University. The scholarships are available to all Chicano/Latino students from all disciplines at MSU. Several scholarships are awarded annually after review by an Awards Committee.
JSRI Development Fund

Donations to the Institute's Development Fund help support various scholarly endeavors of students, faculty, and community members. Funds are used to help students complete research projects, bring outside speakers, sponsor special events to benefit the Chicano/Latino community, and to promote various educational and cultural activities at MSU.

To make tax-deductible contributions to the Julian Samora Endowed Scholarship or the JSRI Development Fund, mail your donations to the address below. Checks should be made out to "MSU Development Fund" earmarking the donation for JSRI or the Julian Samora Endowed Scholarship on the form below. You can make a 1-time donation, or establish an on-going gift. If you need assistance or have questions please contact us. Please send your contribution to:

MSU Development Fund • 220 Hannah Center • 4700 S. Hagadorn Road • East Lansing, MI 48823-5599