Dear Society,

Salinas is the Salad Bowl of the World, and it is located in the Golden State of the Land of the Free. It is the best city to live in; it is the worst city to live in. It is a thriving agrarian city, whom has expanded beyond boundaries. It is made up of a dense, diverse population, both native and foreigners. As agriculture dominates the economy of the Salinas Valley, they work the fields, who grow the food on your table.

But who are the warriors who you could not live without?

They are referred to as minorities, alien, and illegal immigrants; they are parents, aunts and uncles, son and daughters; they are the most persevering people in a community; they are the true resemblance of resilient; they are campesinos; they are an inspiration. 

They are often not thanked or recognized, yet they still get up every morning at dawn, yet they work under overwhelming work conditions, yet they work for disheartening minimum wage, yet they remain the most humble human beings in the public.

Thus, I want to thank and recognize my fellow hispanic brothers and sisters. To the 40-year-old man who works two jobs, thank you; to the single mother of 3 children working in strawberry fields 10 hours per day, thank you; to the 15-year-old teenager who had to drop out of school to support his family, thank you; to the 65-year-old grandparents living with chronic arthritis due to bending their back in the fields, thank you; to everyone working in any agricultural field, thank you.

Growing up with campesinos has truly been one of the greatest experiences I have ever engaged in. I greatly admire their daily routine of waking up at four in the morning, cooking their lunch for noon, carpooling to work, working long hours, coming home, cooking dinner, talking to their children, and sleeping after a long day. 

I highly praise this hardworking community, who does nothing but the very best to contribute. It is very earth-shattering to see them criticized at every action the make, with messages who ultimately say: Go back to Mexico, go back to Honduras, go back to El Salvador, go back to Guatemala. Through this wave of criticism, through this sense of exclusion, through this thankful season. It is for these exact reasons, why I am inspired to do what best for my community and thanks these campesinos for everything that they do.