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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Julian Teixeira
(202) 776-1812
jteixeira@nclr.org
WASHINGTON, D.C.—NCLR today praised the Obama administration for offering a relief package to a group of Hispanic farmers who, in years past, experienced discrimination in programs administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
“For more than a dozen years, NCLR and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus have been working to help the many Hispanic farmers who were discriminated against in federal agricultural programs,” stated Janet Murguía, NCLR President and CEO. “Despite a slew of evidence and compelling stories that were told to Congress, previous administrations, and other policymakers, these pleas for relief went unanswered until today. Thanks to the hard work and diligence of the Obama administration, especially Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and USDA General Counsel Ramona Romero, an important step has been taken to finally bring justice to many of the families who grow the food we eat.”
“This is an unknown story, and NCLR has worked to raise awareness of the plight of these farmers,” continued Murguía. “Farmer after farmer told us of being denied federal financing when other farmers received funding, of families losing crops and even losing farms that had been in their families for generations. At long last, the Obama administration proposed a process last year to start adjudicating these claims. After we asked USDA to improve their initial proposal, they did so. Now thousands of Hispanic farmers will have access to a program that offers long-overdue compensation to many.”
“NCLR recognizes that not all Hispanic farmers who may have experienced discrimination will be able to obtain relief due to lack of documentation or resources. For these reasons, NCLR will continue to support efforts by Hispanic farmers to seek more comprehensive relief through the courts, the Congress, and the administration,” concluded Murguía.
NCLR—the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States—works to improve opportunities for Hispanic Americans. For more information on NCLR, please visit www.nclr.org or follow along on Facebook and Twitter.
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