CENTRO DE UNIDAD POPULAR BENITO JUAREZ, INC

Centro de Unidad Popular Benito Juarez, Inc., is a grassroots organization established on a voluntary bases and are members of the Indigenous community.  In the year 2000, Unidad Popular., was established in Bakersfield, County of Kern, by a group of indigenous Mixteco immigrants from Oaxaca, Mexico. Unidad Popular was established due to the lack of information, assistance, services, culturally and linguistically competent to the Indigenous Community of Kern County. Unidad Popular set up a volunteer support system for more indigenous immigrants arriving in the Central Valley to harvest the world’s fresh food supply.  UPBJ has worked closely with other agencies that have successfully provided assistance with the indigenous community by organizing and educating them to better their living situations and obligations in this country. Working together sharing struggles and ideas the community comes together like in our traditional towns to help alleviate and educate ourselves on the problems currently facing our people. “The indigenous farm workers come from towns that are isolated with a long history of discrimination and exploitation by non-indigenous strangers.   As a result, indigenous peoples tend to be difficult to approach or reach for services.   Their experience has taught them not to trust outsiders.   The largest barrier is language, because although some speak Spanish well and most speak it to some extent, most prefer to speak in their own languages. Most have a limited Spanish vocabulary that constrains their ability to express what they are feeling."