1 a.m. Alarm Clock Sounds
Esmeralda awakes to another day of harvesting broccoli. She sets out the items her daughters will need for school, leaves a note for her mother, and then catches a bus crowded with other northbound workers headed to the Mexicali border crossing.
4 a.m. Northbound Border Crossing
Esmeralda waits in a lengthy line to gain access to the U.S. When cleared by customs, she walks with seven fellow travelers to the CalVans vehicle they use to get to work. They vanpool. Jaime the volunteer driver and a CalVans staff member greet them as they board. The vanpool makes two stops to pick up additional riders who also work in the broccoli field.
6 a.m. Arrive at Broccoli Field
As soon as the sun provides enough light, the crew begins their workday. Workers follow the broccoli-processing trailer and cut the broccoli stalks as they toss the bunches to Esmeralda and her co-workers moving in tandem with the trailer and place the broccoli bunches into shipping boxes. As the sun travels across the sky and the trailer moves through the rows of broccoli, the task of cutting, tossing and boxing broccoli continues—an unbroken routine, except for breaks and lunch.
2 p.m. Depart Broccoli Field
During peak season, Esmeralda’s and fellow coworker routines took up to 10 hours or until 5 p.m. or later. Today’s work will finish early due to the approaching end of the growing season. Once the broccoli-processing trailer makes its last pass, Esmeralda and her fellow workers gather up their personal items and load back into the CalVans vehicle, to begin the trip home.
3 p.m. Southbound Border Crossing
After making the same two stops, the CalVans vehicle arrives at the Mexicali border crossing. Esmeralda bids goodbye to coworker where she set off back to the border crossing and inspection station and spends about 45 minutes passing through.
5 p.m. Finally Arrives Home
After a bus ride home, Esmeralda helps prepare dinner. By now, she’s been away from home for 16 hours and looks forward to spending time with her children before the day ends, because all too soon, the alarm clock will signal the start of another day.