The 2007 California Citrus Freeze: Vulnerability, Poverty, and Unemployment Issues of Farmworkers

In January of 2007, freezing temperatures destroyed citrus and vegetable crops in California. By May 2007, more than 9,000 freeze-related unemployment applications had been fled. Through face-to-face interviews, this study documents the experience of 63 farmworkers to find out how they survived the freeze and accessed services. Findings revealed that more than half of the interviewees did not seek benefits from the governmental One-Stop centers set up to help them. Less than 10% of interviewees stated the benefits had covered their needs. Creating simple, nonbureaucratic guidelines for assisting affected individuals emerged as a need. (Contains 1 table.)