BELLOWS FALLS — View photos and listen to audio stories of “The Gilded Cage: Mexican Migrant Workers on Vermont Dairy Farms,” on display now at the Rockingham Free Public Library until Thursday, Sept. 22.
This exhibit is being presented in conjunction with Vermont Reads, a program of Vermont Humanities Council. The 2022 title, The Most Costly Journey (El Viaje Más Caro), tells the stories of 19 migrant workers in their own words.
Illustrated by New England cartoonists in a variety of styles, each short chapter describes aspects of life as an immigrant farm worker in Vermont: crossing the southern border, struggling with English, adapting to winter, growing gardens, raising children, dealing with health crises, and working long hours. Free copies of the book will be available at the library soon.
It has been nearly a decade since migrant Mexican farm workers began arriving on Vermont dairy farms, where they continue to work today. Through intimate photographs and interviews, this project strives to create a revealing portrait of dairy farmers and their Mexican employees and a glimpse into their interdependent lives - exploring who they are and what they hope for.
“The Gilded Cage,” made possible through the Vermont Folklife Center's funding and support, showcases the healing power of sharing one's experience and the deep impact of making visible the personal journeys of a population often hidden from view.
Conceived by former migrant education tutor Chris Urban, whose work brought him to farms around Addison County, this project pairs photographs by Caleb Kenna and text excerpts from interviews conducted by Urban. The dairy farmers and workers who are featured elected to participate in the project but have chosen to remain anonymous.
For more information, contact the Library at 802-463-4270, programming@rockinghamlibrary.org, rockinghamlibrary.org, or stop by the library at 65 Westminster Street.