American Harvest Movie (2008)

It's January 13, 2009 and where has all the furor about immigration reform in the U.S. gone to?

2009-01-13T14:21:00.008-05:00

"American Harvest" documentary available on Amazon.com

American Harvest Documentary on DVD now!

Available here on Amazon.com
You have undoubtedly found this film from a search concerning immigration or agriculture. Please take a moment to visit www.americanharvestmovie.com to learn more about "American Harvest" and the vital role you as American citizens play when you look at all the facts of a particular debate.

Particularly one as vitally important important as immigration as it relates to agriculture.

We are releasing the film in theaters beginning in June and expect to release the DVD sometime this fall. Visit our website for details.

Thank you,

Angelo Mancuso
Director

DOCUMENTARY, US, 2008, 100 minutes

With the number of undocumented immigrants in the United States estimated at 12 million, anti-immigration sentiment has swept across America and immigration has increasingly become a central topic of debate. To explore the issue of immigration from the standpoint of the American farmer as well as through the eyes of the migrant worker, filmmaker Angelo Mancuso and crew traveled to more than a dozen states, into Mexico and visited remote areas of the U.S./Mexico border conducting interviews while covering more than 15,000 miles. The film points out the inconsistencies of the current policy on immigration, revealing the lives of legal and illegal migrants and farmers working toward a better life, and documents the symbiotic relationship that has emerged between them. Is the immigration system in America flawed? And why are immigrants – quite literally – dying to feed America?

Angelo Mancuso has worked on several feature films and has produced and directed shorts, commercials and PSAs over a 13-year career. He makes his directorial debut with American Harvest.

It's January 13, 2009 and where has all the furor about immigration reform in the U.S. gone to?

For years people on both sides of the immigration debate have been clamoring with great furor for the United States of America to reform the immigration system. Arguments for both sides had heated up so loudly that no one could hear any civil discourse concerning the issues surrounding the immigration debate.

Now that people are not talking about the immigration issue, is it safe to say that all the associated problems are fixed?

They must be, because at this moment very few people are voicing concern about fixing the immigration system here in America.

I am sure that all of the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants have packed it in and have all gone back to their respective countries. It must be that no one is still struggling to get in to the U.S. It must be that all of the children of the illegals have grown up and are all 18 or older and are standing on their own two feet. (I think all the children that have grown up lickety split must have joined the United States Armed Services.)

It must be that all the farm workers in America have been replaced with officially certified U.S. domestic workers that have either run out of their unemployment benefits or have decided to get off their lazy butts and stop taking welfare and started to pay it all back.

I heard a rumor at the diner this morning that the U.S. domestic certification process uses a food coloring stamp on one of your private parts (similar to the one used on beef) so it doesn't harm the environment or contribute to global warming. It's important to keep America safe and clean.

I also heard a rumor that Al Gore invented the blog.

Someone once said "It's the economy stupid!"

Well, for all the rocket scientists out there if you look at our U.S. history, immigration has fueled the economy. During our most prosperous years in the United States, you can point to our greatest economic successes having come during times of robust immigration.

Forrest Gump said, "I didn't mean to fight during your Black Panther party." Gump made a very difficult decision in that juncture of the film to save Jenny.

Perhaps, the American people, U.S. Senators and Congressmen and women can make another difficult decision and treat immigrants, citizens and their businesses fairly and with respect to all as well.

If you would like to know more about the immigration issue you can watch my documentary "American Harvest." It's available on Amazon.com and it's about the role immigrants play on America's farms and the broader issues surrounding the immigration debate.

Angelo Mancuso
Director

p.s. no Rocket Scientists were harmed during the making of American Harvest.

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View the trailer at www.americanharvestmovie.com

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001HOWHTK?ie=UTF8&tag=amerharvmovi-20&link_code=as3&camp=211189&creative=373489&creativeASIN=B001HOWHTK

“If you’ve ever eaten fruits and vegetables you must see this film!
Bob Russell, Exec. Director, Little Theater

"Whether you bring to this film your own bias – in either direction – or look at it with an open mind, you will be moved by the power in this narrative. Look for it. It's what a documentary should be."
Nick Francesco - WHAM, Clear Channel

"The documentary 'American Harvest' powerfully portrays the truth about agriculture and migrant labor in the United States at the present time. In a series of candid interviews with farmers and farmworkers from Florida to Maine the viewer objectively learns the facts and dispels the myths connected with migrant farmworkers. The film portrays the migrant reality that can’t be ignored and which is rarely seen by most people. It’s a must see if we are serious about the truth of migrant workers."
Sister Janet Korn, RSM
Catholic Charities, Diocese of Rochester

“As the debate over immigration reform continues, this movie offers a fair and amazingly frank portrait of the challenges that we now face. It accurately represents both the grower and the worker difficulties and offers insight into a side of this issue that is rarely brought to light.”
John Lincoln, President, New York Farm Bureau

“Your film sheds much light on the current national debate over immigration policy. Those of us in agriculture have rarely seen such a balanced, forthright discussion of these issues in any medium. “American Harvest” provides much-needed perspective, one that encourages rational and reasonable debate.”
Don Lipton – Director of Public Relations
American Farm Bureau Federation

"I would encourage all Americans to see your film. American Harvest encourages viewers to look at the immigration issue from the farmers and farmworkers viewpoints a side of the issue that is rarely if ever discussed."
Mike Gempler, President
National Council of Agricultural Employers

“This film is a must see for 99% of the American people that work outside of agriculture.”
Craig Regelbrugge
Co-Chair, Agriculture Coalition for Immigration Reform
Vice President of Government Relations and Research
American Nursery & Landscape Association
www.saveusfarms.org

American Harvest Documentary on DVD now!

2008-05-25T11:25:00.011-04:00

Available here on Amazon.com

DOCUMENTARY, US, 2008, 100 minutes

With the number of undocumented immigrants in the United States estimated at 12 million, anti-immigration sentiment has swept across America and immigration has increasingly become a central topic of debate. To explore the issue of immigration from the standpoint of the American farmer as well as through the eyes of the migrant worker, filmmaker Angelo Mancuso and crew traveled to more than a dozen states, into Mexico and visited remote areas of the U.S./Mexico border conducting interviews while covering more than 15,000 miles. The film points out the inconsistencies of the current policy on immigration, revealing the lives of legal and illegal migrants and farmers working toward a better life, and documents the symbiotic relationship that has emerged between them. Is the immigration system in America flawed? And why are immigrants – quite literally – dying to feed America?

Angelo Mancuso has worked on several feature films and has produced and directed shorts, commercials and PSAs over a 13-year career. He makes his directorial debut with American Harvest.

Civil rights group decries tenor of immigration debate...

2008-02-03T10:00:00.005-05:00

...They take issue with words such as 'invaders,' 'swarms'

Available here on Amazon.com

Work Ethic vs. the Immigration Issue

2008-01-29T21:02:00.004-05:00

Available here on Amazon.com

Angelo Mancuso has worked on several feature films and has produced and directed shorts, commercials and PSAs over a 13-year career. He makes his directorial debut with American Harvest.

##

BEGINNING OF BLOG ARTICLE

Let's face it, there are certain jobs that some Americans won't do. And some of them involve hard work.

Whatever happened to a good old-fashioned work ethic?

This is why many Americans complain about the immigration issue, some of them don’t find physical labor or hot and dirty conditions appealing.

Some jobs like agriculture and farming have gone the way of the migrant worker. If you were an employer whom would you rather have working for you? A hard working immigrant or a soft lazy school kid that is being taught to go to college and get an education instead of learning a trade.

The problem is so complex that no single black and white solution will due.

Somewhere we need to find a balance between immigrant labor and encouraging our young people to learn skills and trades with a purpose as if their entire existence depended on it. This is where immigrant outperforms their American born counterparts.

If you have skills and a work ethic then an employer will find you desirable and want to pay you more money than your less-skilled less-industrious counterpart.

In the mean time we need to fix our broken immigration system.

If you understood the backlog for the ineffectual legal immigration process you would understand why moderate voices are calling for immigration reform.

People and businesses want a legal system that works. We need to compromise on immigration reform.

We need to encourage reasonable and rational debate.

Angelo Mancuso
Director
"American Harvest" documentary - The Real Truth About Immigrant America
http://www.americanharvestmovie.com

Immigration does not effect everyone overtly. But it does effect everyone.

2008-01-09T05:40:00.003-05:00

Available here on Amazon.com

Stop the rhetoric about how bad the American farmer is. Get back to immigration reform!

2007-11-24T14:25:00.005-05:00

And please, for once get the facts straight.

Available here on Amazon.com

Will you think about immigration when we have an American Harvest to be grateful for this Thanksgiving?

2007-11-21T17:47:00.003-05:00

Available here on Amazon.com

When it comes to the U.S. national security we need to protect America's farms.

2007-11-19T19:11:00.003-05:00

Available here on Amazon.com

Richardson at least has the courage to discuss immigration reform

2007-11-17T10:17:00.002-05:00

Available here on Amazon.com

English only debate taking energy away from immigration reform.

2007-11-15T21:53:00.002-05:00

Available here on Amazon.com

Immigration worries forum readers. The illegals would defend themselves but they're to busy harvesting your dinner and mowing your lawn!

2007-11-15T17:29:00.002-05:00

Available here on Amazon.com

Immigration obviously worries not just the readers of the Washington Post. The conversations permeate coffee shops, restaurants, the line at the bank and just about everywhere that it is humanly possible to interact with another human being.

In fact I have had more positive, productive conversations at the local diner over breakfast than most politicians have during the course of the year.

It seems like reasonable people want to have a reasonable discussion.

Maybe politicians are not reasonable people . They seem to be always walking on eggshells waiting for the 800 pound gorilla called the immigration debate to walk into the room.

The worst part of it is that THE MOST UNREASONABLE DEBATE happens in the comment sections of most of the forums across the country.

It must be that all the illegals who would defend themselves in the forums, if they had the time, are working laborious jobs so you don't have to.

The more I think about it, since the politicians are a reflection of his or her constituents, then maybe we should look around and point out the unreasonable people...

Angelo Mancuso
Director

http://www.americanharvestmovie.com

Help wanted: Politicians that can show courage and leadership on immigration reform. America's Agriculture and Farming are Depending on it.

2007-11-14T22:38:00.002-05:00

Available here on Amazon.com

How is it that the very thing that has created such a successful political system called compromise is being kicked to the curb?

Congressman Tancredo says no pathway to citizenship. Period.

Where is his leadership. In fact when the grand compromise on immigration reform was proposed by politicians on both sides of the isle who showed courage and leadership, they crafted a bill so that both sides of the issue could come together and put aside their differences for the better of the situation and the country. But many politicians like Tancredo hung their colleagues out to dry.

That's not courage Congressman Tancredo. And that's certainly not leadership.

This is not a black and white issue. It is very complex and the color is gray. And gray also reflects the opinion we have of our congress and senate's leadership.

I welcome the discussion that reflects compromise.

Our American democracy is built upon it! Politicians and Americans for that matter should take a look at "American Harvest." Its a non-partisan feature length documentary about immigration as it relates to agriculture. It presents the facts as they are without political bias.

Every farmer I have spoken to wants to secure our borders. And they also want a workable solution to LEGAL immigration.

Americans have to understand that we all need to appreciate and respect those people who grow and harvest our crops.

The men and women that put food on our kitchen tables deserve no less.

Angelo Mancuso
Director

http://www.americanharvestmovie.com

Just a little food for thought as we approach Thanksgiving.

Please visit our website. We'll notify you by email when "American Harvest" is screened in your area.

Immigration and Agriculture have never been so inexorably tied.

2007-11-10T18:06:00.005-05:00

Available here on Amazon.com

My recent repartee on the California Progress Report.

Politicians and Americans for that matter should take a look at "American Harvest." Its a non-partisan feature length documentary about immigration as it relates to agriculture. It presents the facts as they are without political bias.

American Harvest Synopsis

Anti-immigration sentiment sweeps across America. A journey from Florida to New York, including a trip to the Mexican border, reveals the lives and issues of legal and illegal migrants and farmers working toward a better life. Is the immigration system in America flawed? Immigrants are dying to feed America.

American farmers and agriculture rely on immigrants to do jobs that Americans won't do or feel that are simply beneath them. Some only see the problems in the news from the perspective of those extreme points of view of the left and the right side of our political system.

Discrimination of immigrants has existed in the United States since the English persecuted the Irish. It was once generally considered that if you were Greek or Southern Italian you were not white.

American Harvest points out the inconsistencies of the current policy on immigration. See the changing face of immigrant America as it relates to Agriculture.

Follow legal and illegal farm workers and the farmers caught in the middle of a flawed immigration policy.

Response to my post:

Jeff November 10, 2007 at 08:00 AM

Angelo,
It is not immigration that Americans are upset with. It is the ILLEGAL immigration and the open border policy. Very simple we need to control our borders then we can offer the illegal's some better options.

My response to Jeff: November 10, 2007 at 03:01 PM

Jeff,

I would completely agree. I have been in the desert on the border with one foot on each side of the border. I have spoken to border patrol agents doing their jobs. Yes our borders need to be secured to stop potential threats.

But here is were the gray area needs to be addressed. Our American farms are in a crisis right now.

In New York alone, according to NY Farm Credit, 900 of the 35,000 farms are in jeopardy of going out of business in the next year. Once these farms go out of business they are likely not to be utilized for farming. The tax base in that community suffers. The businesses and stores in the area no longer have customers. For some small towns, these are the only customers.

8 billion dollars a year goes into the social security fund that is never taken back out from contributions from these "illegal" workers.

We need to create an immigration policy not only stresses tight border security, but also acknowledges that immigrants mainly from Mexico are picking our crops. After traveling 15,000 miles across the U.S. and into Mexico I have seen first hand the complexities of this issue.

And it is far more gray than it is black and white.

Toughen our borders. Give American farmers access to individuals that are willing to work.

These immigrant farm workers are making between $9 and $20 per hour. If they were being exploited they would be looking else were for opportunity.

When my documentary is released I hope many Americans will take a look at it. If you go to our website you will see from the comments and reviews that the movie is nonpartisan.

Maybe then will you have a better appreciation for what less that 2% of the people in America do. And that's farming. Up until 1990 as much as 40% of the U.S. economy was involved in agriculture. Times have changed.

I may not change your mind. Then again I just might.

Instead of looking at this issue in a partisan fashion, what can we all do to fix an immigration system that is broken? Homeland Security Chertoff acknowledges that it's broken.

What can we do so we don't bite the hand that feeds us?

Then men and women that put food on our kitchen table deserve no less.

Angelo Mancuso
Director
American Harvest (the Real Truth About Immigrant America)

http://www.americanharvestmovie.com

Is it possible to find common ground...

2007-11-08T20:00:00.002-05:00

Available here on Amazon.com

You have undoubtedly found this film from a search concerning immigration or agriculture. Please take a moment to visit www.americanharvestmovie.com to learn more about "American Harvest" and the vital role you as American citizens play when you look at all the facts of a particular debate.

Particularly one as vitally important important as immigration as it relates to agriculture.

We are releasing the film in theaters beginning in June and expect to release the DVD sometime this fall. Visit our website for details.

Thank you,

Angelo Mancuso
Director

--
Is it possible to find common ground when the venom from the nativist is so strong?

And they're not even Native Americans! Then I could understand their right to bitch!!!

I had posted a comment about immigration reform on a Newsday column. It began with some very civilized discussion. I even posted it with my name. Angelo Mancuso. Since I am the director of "American Harvest" and also traveled 15,000 miles to shoot this documentary I think I have learned a thing or two about immigration in the U.S. particulaly as it relates to agriculture.

What I didn't learn from making this movie is that there are people in our country that are far less moderate than me.

The substance of the comment on the column was centered around people taking a rational look at the immigration debate. I also wrote that "we have already made room for these immigrants and they are feeding us."

Then came the venom. I wasn't expecting an English tea. But here is what one 'anonymous' writer calling himself MIGHTYMOUSE wrote.

"Our immigration laws are NOT BROKEN....they're NOT BEING ENFORCED!!!!!!!!!!

WE DON'T NEED NEW LAWS....NO REFORM...!!!!

THE AG BILL ALLOWED 3MILLION "PICKERS" AND ALL FAMIKY MEMBERS TO GO HERE TOO!! Read the bills, before you say something, you know nothing about ANGELO MANCUSO!!!!"

MIGHTYMOUSE obviously didn't travel the 15,000 miles with me. He, she or it also doesn't realize that these immigrants are already here feeding us.

Another lost impotent soul JUSTICE SEEKER wrote
"Quit spamming the site, Mancuso. We can read english and America does NOT support the AGjobs bill
it is just another sneaky shot at back dooring amnesty for illegal aliens and their anchor babies + their extended families!!!

NO AGJOBS BILL!!! NO AMNESTY FOR ILLEGAL ALIENS IN ANY FORM. NO ANCHOR BABIES. NO WELFARE.
NO FREE MEDICAL BENEFITS. NO FOOD STAMPS!!!!

GO HOME ILLEGAL ALIENS and take the traitors who support the invision and destruction of AMERICA with you."

As of 11/08/2007 JUSTICE SEEKER posted 1701 comments on Newsday. I have posted 7. (and he thinks I'm spamming??? That's the pot calling the kettle black.)

P.S. if you're going argue your point, then at least be mature enough to use your real name.

You got to see the venom first. Here is what I wrote in the column:

"Yes, there are services that are over burdened, but there is also a positive side to this issue.

Here is what no one wants to here. THERE ARE JOBS AMERICANS WON'T DO! AND WORKING ON A FARM IS ONE OF THEM.

I continue to here that 'we all want immigration JUST LEGAL IMMIGRATION' I do too. AND SO DOES AMERICA'S FARMERS!

I spent 15,000 miles on road last year to shoot my documentary "American Harvest." Few people have had an opportunity to see all sides of the issue.
I am nonpartisan in nature. I think politics should be like a good game of golf. Stay in the fairway. Go too far left or right and you end up in the rough.

Unfortunately the system we have now is broken. It is impossible to keep up with the labor shortages in agriculture. I don't care were we are talking about in America. The problem is far worse the farther we are from our southern borders or were labor shortages are severe. The current H2A system in which a farmer can apply for LEGAL workers and has to pay for include, among other things, transportation to and from their home country, housing for the duration that they are in the U.S. and a wage rate as follows:

Courtesy of the US Dept. of Labor:

STATE 2007
Alabama $8.51
Arizona 8.27
Arkansas 8.01
California 9.20
Colorado 8.64
Connecticut 9.50
Delaware 9.29
Florida 8.56
Georgia 8.51
Hawaii 10.32
Idaho 8.76
Illinois 9.88
Indiana 9.88
Iowa 9.95
Kansas 9.55
Kentucky 8.65
Louisiana 8.01
Maine 9.50
Maryland 9.29
Massachusetts 9.50
Michigan 9.65
Minnesota 9.65
Mississippi 8.01
Missouri 9.95
Montana 8.76
Nebraska 9.55
Nevada 8.64
New Hampshire 9.50
New Jersey 9.29
New Mexico 8.27
New York 9.50
North Carolina 9.02
North Dakota 9.55
Ohio 9.88
Oklahoma 8.66
Oregon 9.77
Pennsylvania 9.29
Rhode Island 9.50
South Carolina 8.51
South Dakota 9.55
Tennessee 8.65
Texas 8.66
Utah 8.64
Vermont 9.50
Virginia 9.02
Washington 9.77
West Virginia 8.65
Wisconsin 9.65
Wyoming 8.76

The immigration levels in which most people insist upon knowing nothing about are far too low for our current U.S. economy. Unemployment is approximately 4%.

It is my hope that people like you reading this will look at all the facts before you continue to bite the hands that feed you. The U.S. farmer represents less than 1% of the American economy. In New York State alone New York Farm Credit estimates that 900 of the 35,000 farms in NY will go out of business due to labor shortages IN THE NEXT YEAR. It is also estimated that between 70 and 80% of all farm workers have a questionable document.

At what point do we as Americans say to our farmers THANK YOU FOR DOING A JOB WE DO NOT WANT TO DO?

Look around you and be honest. How many of you want your children to work on a farm instead of going to college? HOW MANY OF YOU KNOW ANYONE WHO WANTS TO WORK THE FARM. I AM SURE THAT THERE ARE SOME OF YOU, BUT NOT THE 100s OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WHO ARE NEEDED TO WORK ON THE FARM.

Immigrants have always and will always continue to come here because the opportunity at $9 or $10 an hour is far better than $10 dollars a day they may earn in their home country.

All I am asking is to think about this. What do we do in 30 years if most of our farms go out of business and we end up importing our food from foreign counties? Continue with me further. What if in 30 years China is the new super power? What if there is a world conflict and they put embargo on our food source?

We can import our food or import our labor. Be careful what you wish for. THIS IS A MATTER OF NATIONAL SECURITY.

This problem has been growing for 50 years. Yes, there are people that should go to work instead of asking for an entitlement, but again this problem took 50 years to create and will not be solved overnight.

A bipartisan bill called AgJOBS has been proposed by both sides of the isle. I would ask that after you look at ALL the facts you consider supporting this bill. It is not an amnesty bill. It does allow anyone who has been working in agriculture to gain legal status. Here we go. We all want these workers to be legal. There is no automatic path to citizenship. It does allow farmers to legally employ the 100 of thousands of farmworkers who have fed you and me for years to stay and work.

This issue is far too complex to narrow down to a sound bite. Please take a look at the whole issue. That's why I made "American Harvest." I would suggest you take a look at our website.

http://www.americanharvestmovie.com

There are a tremendous amount letters and endorsements supporting our nonpartisan approach. When it hits theaters you'll have an opportunity to see for yourself.

If I asked you why is it that American men and women can enlist in the armed service and risk their lives to defend our country when they're 18 but can't have a beer until they're 21, you might say that the law is broken and we need to fix it.

The same logic applies to our current immigration policy. Our American farmers deserve better."

Angelo Mancuso
Director

"The pen is mightier than the sword."
I don't know who wrote that quote, but how apropos.

American Harvest Movie (The Real Truth About Immigrant America)

2007-04-19T15:17:00.002-04:00