Despite the fact that the United Nations has prohibited child labor, more than half a million children and teens work long and grueling hours in the rich agricultural fields of the United States. And all within the law. Under federal labor laws, agricultural workers are exempt from wage protections and age requirements. This puts thousands of children who help their parents in the fields at risk of serious illnesses and accidents. Karen Coates and Valeria Fernández conducted investigative reporting on this invisible sector for the magazine Pacific Standard. Valeria Fernández has this story.

This entry is only in Español.