Immigration has been the hot topic in political circles for decades with polarized opinions about the breadth of the problem and both conservative and radical approaches debated. It seems to me, that the realities of this challenge are not given sufficient airtime. So, let’s look at immigration through the eyes of the business of food from agriculture to food processing and on to the restaurants we all enjoy supporting.

This is not a pro or anti-immigration article but rather a dialogue of questions and a reality check. There are jobs and there are jobs. Some of the work that tends to go un-noticed is incredibly difficult physically, mentally, emotionally, and sometimes even spiritually. If you have worked on a farm, as an example, you know how hard the daily work is, how unrelenting the physical demands are, and how heart-breaking it can be when Mother Nature fails to cooperate. The next time you walk through your local supermarket, butcher shop, fish market or bakery, take a moment to think about this.

Over the past year, I can’t remember the last time while food shopping that I didn’t hear someone complaining about the cost of eggs. This has become a symbol of inflation, a “go to” complaint that everyone seems to buy into. Putting aside the challenge of bird flu and the work and demands surrounding the care of animals, cost of feed, and process of harvesting and preparing eggs for market – even at today’s price this works out to around $.50 per egg. A dollar for a great source of protein on a plate is still a pretty good deal. Now imagine what those eggs might cost without immigrant workers doing what most American workers would never choose to do.

If you have never worked the harvest at a vineyard, a strawberry farm, potato farm, or lettuce fields, then you have no idea how hard that work is. Bending at the waist, stress on knees, calloused hands, sun beating down on your neck and sweat rolling down your back – who would choose to do this? How much would those items cost without the work of immigrant farm workers?

If you have never taken the opportunity to tour a meat packing plant, poultry processing plant, slaughterhouse, or fish processing facility then you have no idea how physically, mentally, and emotionally difficult that work is. I won’t even attempt to describe what it’s like to see a beautiful steer or pig step into a dark chamber alive and moments later being cut and quartered, inspected and graded, and passed on to talented meat cutters who in a matter of minutes convert the animal into the retail cuts that you complain about at the checkout. Who would do much of this work if it weren’t for immigrants? What would the price of your center of plate proteins be if we didn’t have migrant workers who do the work, eternally grateful for the opportunity to earn a paycheck.

If you enjoy dining out, it’s time you gave some thought to what it takes to prepare and serve those items that give you pleasure on the plate. Washing dishes is thankless work that restaurants find nearly impossible to staff with American workers. Many of the line cook teams that efficiently and consistently prepare those items listed on the menu, and those persons responsible to clean the operation throughout the day, are oftentimes from countries like Mexico, Jamaica, Guatemala, Honduras, Ethiopia, Somalia, or Asian countries. I have worked with and enjoyed the company of many of them and learned so much about the human condition in the process. How do you think restaurants would survive without immigrant workers?

Those hotels that you stay in on vacation and for business rely on migrant workers to clean rooms, scrub bathrooms, vacuum common areas, cut lawns and manicure shrubbery, sweep parking lots and clean pools. How do you think hotels will survive without immigrant workers?

This doesn’t even touch the impact that immigrant workers have on the construction trades or numerous manufacturing businesses.

It is estimated that 40-45% of farm workers in the U.S. are immigrants. Some are here legally, and others may be undocumented. They are responsible for bringing the food that you enjoy from the farm to the plate. The Independent Restaurant Coalition states that 22% of foodservice (restaurants of all types) workers are immigrants. And the American Immigration Council reveals that there are nearly 800,000 immigrants who own their own business in the U.S. In all cases they contribute to the economy and the health of communities from New York to California.

By the way, undocumented immigrants CANNOT receive Medicare or Medicaid; they cannot sign up for the Affordable Care Act, nor can they sign up for SNAP. They can work with special permission but alas, sometimes they are simply paid under the table. It is ILLEGAL for undocumented persons without permission to work in the US and it is illegal for employers to knowingly hire them. Most large restaurant and hotel companies adhere to this because they are larger targets, but some independents will risk the fines and possible jail time hoping they can fly under the radar. They do this not to get by without paying legally required wages, but rather because they can’t find American born workers to take on the jobs.

So, read into this as you will. Some will give a litany of reasons why we must crackdown on immigration and treat those who enter without authority as criminals. I am not here to agree or disagree, but to pose a question. What will farms, food processing plants, hotels, and restaurants do if they are unable to hire an immigrant workforce. The next time you visit your favorite vacation destination in the U.S. look around and take it in. How many of those pleasant servers, cooks on the line, dishwashers, groundsmen, and housekeepers are working hard (gratefully so) to make your experience pleasant? What will these businesses do without the help of migrant workers?

The U.S. has a border problem, absolutely. We cannot continue to let thousands of people everyday flood into our country without SYSTEM TESTED checks and controls and a way to effectively integrate those who meet our criteria into the American landscape. But we must learn to accept how important it is to find a way to do this in a fair and respectful way and help American businesses thrive as a result.

Every restaurant, hotel, food processing plant, and I am sure farm in this country is crying for employees. We have unprecedented growth of businesses in the U.S. – this is the American Dream. The one thing that can thwart this prosperity is continued tightening of the willing labor pool.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

Restaurant Consulting

www.harvestamericacues.com  BLOG

(Over 900 articles about the business and people of food)

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