This past Thursday I had the opportunity to see the film The Hand That Feeds. I found the film to be extremely emotional and moving. It showed a glimpse into what it means to be illegal in the US but I think also it showed the power of unions. Although the main purpose of the film in my opinion was to show the struggles and challenges that undocumented people in the US have to go through to support their families, the message that moved me the most was the union aspect.

Seeing these people work extremely hard and get paid so little made me angry. My mother is a school teacher and my father used to be one as well. Two years ago, the teachers in my mother’s school district went on strike as the union fought for their rights. Things that were common sense such as hiring more teachers and smaller class sizes were lacking. The news headlines talked about the affect on the children that this would have and whether it was right of the teachers to be doing this. But what many people didn’t get to see was the affect it had on the teachers and their families. When my mother decided to join the strike, it wasn’t an easy decision. It meant going without pay which was the only means of support for my family, as my father had become disabled and could no longer work. She hurt for the cost it took on the children as well, but she knew that in the long run she was fighting for something that was important for them and their futures. But what made it harder was the lack of support that she received from my family when she told them her decision. I can vividly remember my mom coming to me and asking if I would support her in her decision, telling me how alone she felt, and how this was important to her, that she believed it to be right. I told her that I would go picket with her, take time off school, that I supported her always, and that I believed it to be the right thing as well. What made it even worse however, was that the union settled and we all felt like the teachers and students had been cheated. The school year was extended, teachers received only a minimal pay raise across the board, more staff was said to be added but the effects of that have yet to be felt. The class sizes are still hardly manageable and the burden it places on teachers and their families is immense.

My family isn’t undocumented and the challenges that we had to face fighting for rights and working with a union was hard. Additionally, our fight was short lived. This movie showed the challenges poignantly that undocumented workers and families have to go through. It reminded me of my own experiences and perhaps took a little bit of my hope for the future with it. Immigration reform and undocumented’s rights still have a long way to go.