Hispanic farmers fight for discrimination settlement

[cory777]

Source: BBC

Black and Native American farmers will be paid $4.6bn (£2.9bn) in compensation for decades of discrimination at the hands of US government officials, under landmark legislation just signed by President Barack Obama. He says the deal "closes a long and unfortunate chapter" in the history of the US Department of Agriculture, but Hispanic farmers and women who suffered similar discrimination say they are still fighting for fair treatment.

Lupe Garcia still struggles to keep his voice steady when he describes how government discrimination forced him to sell his family farm nearly 20 years ago.

His face remains impassive, but there is an underlying tone of bitterness as he speaks softly about the way he and thousands of other Hispanic farmers were treated in the 1980s and 90s.

"The USDA programmes in the past were influenced by the county agriculture committees, which were regulated by people I call the good ole boys," he says.

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11945021?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

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