In the Fields of the North / En los Campos del Norte (October 26, 2017 – June 22, 2018)

Arbuckle Gallery at the Pacific Hotel

In the Fields of the North / En los Campos del Norte Exhibition at History San José Shines a Spotlight on Migrant Farm Workers

A new exhibition chronicling the lives of contemporary migrant farm workers will be on display in the Arbuckle Gallery at the Pacific Hotel from October 26, 2017 to June 22, 2018. In the Fields of the North / En los Campos del Norte features photojournalist David Bacon’s evocative, powerful photographs alongside moving oral narratives from migrant farm workers.

The exhibition, fully translated into both English and Spanish, gives viewers a reality check on the food they eat and the lives of the people who harvest it. Traveling with migrant workers as the fruit and harvest season moves from the Mexican border to Washington state, In the Fields of the North / En los Campos del Nortesheds light on some basic questions: How much do we know about the lives of the people who feed us? Where do they live? How does it feel to do some of the hardest repetitive labor imaginable? And, what answers do farm workers themselves have to end their poverty and endless migration?

Photographer, journalist, and activist David Bacon has spent over three decades documenting the lives of migrant workers, building upon his previous work as a union organizer. The exhibition is based upon the book of the same name, recently published by University of California Press. As Kent Wong, Director of the UCLA Labor Center, writes, “Bacon captures the humanity of workers who work each day in demanding physical labor, in the hot sun, and for poverty wages. This is one of the few publications that captures the authentic stories of California farm workers, through their own voices and with the images of their living and working conditions.” Bacon is also the author of The Children of NAFTA, Communities Without Borders, Illegal People, and The Right to Stay Home.

Photo credits
Home page: Maria Antonietta Gonzalez and Jose Angel Martinez Gonzalez, two migrants from Carranza, Chiapas, top and bag onions. María Antonietta González y José Ángel Martínez González, dos migrantes de Carranza, Chiapas, retiran los tallos y empaquetan las cebollas. Photograph by David Bacon

This page: A Oaxacan dance group. Uno grupo de danza oaxaqueño. Photograph by David Bacon

Related Programs

Talk by Dr. Francisco Jiménez
Sunday, November 12, 2:00pm
History Park – Empire Firehouse
Tickets: $5 HSJ Members / $8 General Public
Author and educator Francisco Jiménez emigrated from Mexico and worked alongside his parents in the fields of California. He is currently Professor Emeritus in the Dept. of Modern Languages and Literatures at Santa Clara University. His books have been published in five languages and his four-book series has been included in the American Library Association Booklist’s 50 Best Young Adult Books of All Time. Join us to hear the incredible story of Dr. Jiménez’s life. Click here for tickets!

Talk & Book Signing with Photojournalist & Activist David Bacon
Sunday, January 14, 2:00pm
History Park – Empire Firehouse
Tickets: $5 HSJ Members / $8 General Public
Come hear photojournalist and activist David Bacon, whose images are featured in this exhibit, talk about issues facing migrant farm workers and his 30 years as an activist. He will be signing copies of the exhibition catalog. Click here for tickets!

Talk by Dr. Francisco Jiménez
Sunday, February 3, 2:00pm
History Park – Empire Firehouse
Tickets: $5 HSJ Members / $8 General Public
Author and educator Francisco Jiménez emigrated from Mexico and worked alongside his parents in the fields of California. He is currently Professor Emeritus in the Dept. of Modern Languages and Literature at Santa Clara University. His books have been published in five languages and his four-book series has been included in the American Library Association Booklist’s 50 Best Young Adult Books of All Time. Join us to hear the incredible story of Dr. Jiménez’s life. Click here for tickets!

Talk by Dr. Francisco Jiménez
Saturday, March 31, 2:00 pm
History Park – Empire Firehouse
Tickets: $5 HSJ Members / $8 General Public
Author and educator Francisco Jiménez emigrated from Mexico and worked alongside his parents in the fields of California. He is currently Professor Emeritus in the Dept. of Modern Languages and Literature at Santa Clara University. His books have been published in five languages and his four-book series has been included in the American Library Association Booklist’s 50 Best Young Adult Books of All Time. Join us to hear the incredible story of Dr. Jiménez’s life. Click here for tickets!

Exhibition Support

In the Fields of the North / En los Campos del Norte features the works of David Bacon; is produced in partnership with the California Rural Legal Assistance, the Binational Front of Indigenous Organizations, and History San José; and is touring the U.S. through Exhibit Envoy.

About Exhibit Envoy

Exhibit Envoy provides traveling exhibitions and professional services to museums throughout California. Exhibit Envoy’s mission is to build new perspectives among Californians, create innovative exhibitions and solutions, and advance institutions in service to their communities. For more information, please visit www.exhibitenvoy.org.