-!

Hi I'm Eric Ford for Made Here.

-La Liga from Vermont -filmmakers -MacPherson Christopher and -Paul Rosenfeld -examines rural Vermont -migrant dairy farm workers -who endure harsh -working conditions -!

and the threat of deportation, -while forging community -solidarity and resistance -through soccer leagues.

-La Liga was supported by -the Made Here Fund.

-You can watch La Liga -and other great Made Here -!

films streaming on our website -and through the PBS app.

-Enjoy the -film and thanks for watching.

...Hello.

...Hello.

-Why didn't you stop?

-!

Okay.

You see the blue lights?

-Yeah.

Yeah.

-You know, I'm -a police officer?

-See the badge right?

-So you see the blue lights, -you stop.

-You don't continue to drive.

-This is all I have, right.

-Hes wet... -For one hour.

-Really, for a long.

-Can you make, 21 over two, -Border patrol -and see if they have anybody -!

in the area who can translate?

-Don't be alarmed.

-I have Border Patrol coming -here to translate for me.

-Because there's -nothing in Vermont for him.

-If he doesn't have a license -in any state, -there's -no registration for Mexico.

-Hes a wet... -Hes going to be what -we are looking for.

-All right.

-I'm not, I'm not.

-Not here.

-Trying to get anybody -into any trouble.

-Look, I'm not here trying -to get anybody into trouble.

-I'm not here to argue -the point of -who's backing me up or not, -okay?

-I'm just trying to get this -vehicle off the road -so we can - I can go on my - -on my way.

-For me, it [playing soccer] -more than anything, -it distracts me.

-I am in this place... -where I will try to not think -about the sad things in life.

-It distracts me a -little and it helps me, -more than anything, -!

to get out of the daily routine.

-We have a large immigrant -community here in -the state of Vermont, -and it is cool to be -around the community, -to socialize, -to eat Mexican food, -to meet new people.

-So it is all very exciting.

-We make a community.

-!

Its like we are a people that -is hidden behind the farms.

-I feel like that those -that are on my team- -in that moment, -it feels like we -are a small family.

-Soccer is- -its very exciting for me.

-A Hidden Village -Since 1916, fluid -milk has become Vermont's -primary dairy product.

-Unfortunately, -with the climate -and the land ideally suited -to the cultivation -of forage crops, -which is the basic -fruit of dairy cattle, -and with the advantage -of being close -to the largest market -in the nation, Vermont's -position in the dairy -industry is very strong.

-And in the future, -dairying will continue -to alter its course -to meet the -demands of the marketplace.

-I came to Vermont because -I knew many people from -my home who had come here.

-Many people come here -and they come here to work.

-I did not come here for fun, -I came here for work.

-It is a good state for... -for achieving your dreams.

-!

Its a bit difficult at first.

-!

Because it is difficult to learn -everything and -get into a rhythm.

-!

But once you learn everything, -it isnt too complicated.

-Its just tiring.

-Its very tiring -working on a farm.

-The time we are left doesnt -allow us to do much else, -not even to go out -or go to the park, -because its simply -from work to house.

-At one farm I worked, -it was thirteen -straight days on.

-And on the fourteenth day, -I would get a day off.

-But just one day in -the span of two weeks.

-For me, Vermont was unknown.

-I didnt know anything -about Vermont before I came.

-You arrive and are isolated -without a community.

-It was very difficult.

-I left my family in Mexico.

-I mean, we all come for a -!

better future for our families.

-But its difficult -to arrive here, -and realize that nothing -is like what you were told.

-You start to miss home, -because it is a -completely different life.

-And you sometimes think, -I would have been better -off staying in Mexico.

-In the time that I -have been here, -its been very calm.

-But with the new -Trump administration, -I know of many -people who are afraid, -who are afraid of going out.

-And since this state is so -close to the Canadian border, -Border Patrol is right there.

-Sometimes at demonstrations -!

we encounter racist Americans.

-They make fun of us -and say obscene words.

-Its very sad.

Its -very sad because... -they drink milk, -they eat tomatoes and onions, -but they dont -know that all of these -products go through -immigrant hands.

-Vermont is very well -known for its farms.

-If you go to any -dairy farm in the state, -you are more than likely to -!

find a Latino milking the cows.

-Historically, Vermont -farming has been sensitive -to the ever changing economy, -and today's dairy -farming changes -are another example -of practical adjustments -to the changing needs.

-So I think that if -you hate immigrants, -you shouldnt drink the milk -because that comes -from immigrant work.

-(Milk), tomatoes, onions, -it all passes through -immigrant hands.

-Right when I arrived, -I bought a soccer ball, -and I would play with -friends on the farm.

-For me it is very exciting to -meet up with different teams, -and spend time with -members of my community, -who all come together from -different towns in Vermont.

-And I think if I didnt -have soccer here, -I dont know what I would do.

-I know a lot of people -in my community, -and we all know each -other from playing soccer.

-It has united us and -maintained our community.

-I grew up in a culture where -soccer was only for men.

-But when I came -to the United States, -I saw that women play soccer -and its okay.

-Soccer helps our community -with communication.

-I invite someone and -you invite someone, -and now you have two new -people who dont -know each other.

-And they have the time and -!

place to get to know each other.

-You can feel this change.

-I can have this space, -I can have this time.

-And I can also think about -organizing because -I have a voice.

-Soccer helps a lot.

-To meet people, -to connect, and to unite.

-Because, believe me, -with soccer you -unite a lot of people.

-Milk with Dignity -When we asked community -members how they felt, -people said they felt -robbed of their dignity.

-With the mistreatment -on the farms, -they were taking away our -dignity as human beings.

-And that is why the campaign -is called Milk with Dignity.

-I think our community -has learned a lot, -and we decided the better way -!

forward was a corporate model, -rather than relying -on a legislative model.

-So making the big -companies that buy -the milk take -responsibility for the abuse, -and the lack of rights -found on dairy farms.

-!

First you have the farmworker, -!

then you have the farm owners, -and then the cooperatives -that purchase the milk.

-So where did the milk -go at the end of the day?

-Who were the -people at the top?

At -the top of what -we call the pyramid.

-!

And we learned that the ones at -the top were the -large corporations.

-So this is why we are -going after Hannaford.

-And why Hannaford?

-Because it is a -very large market, -where a lot of milk from -the farm goes to directly.

-And they dont worry about -where the milk comes from, -and the working conditions -of those who milk the cows.

-They dont worry -about any of it, -!

and it is a very sad situation.

-If workers are demonstrating, -it is because -things are not right.

-If things were just, -no one would need -to demonstrate.

-The boss came to the house, - and I had no idea why.

- He showed up suddenly, -banged on the door, -and began to hit me.

-!

He attacked me, making my nose - and mouth bleed.

- He hit me all over.

-Im covered in -scrapes and bruises.

-He threw me on the ground -and kicked and hit me.

-He was hitting me -while he choked -me with his -prosthetic metal hand.

-I thought I wasnt -going to make it, -!

that he was going to kill me and -that Id never see -my family again.

-I did my best to call for help.

-My nephew saw -everything that happened.

-!

When he saw me calling for help, -he tried to defend me, -but my boss hit my nephew, -whos barely 15 -years old.

Hes a minor.

-My boss hit him -with his metal hand.

-He punched him -right in the chest -and then shoved -him with both hands.

-I saw my uncle on the ground.

-The boss was choking him, -!

and he was all covered in blood.

-He couldnt speak.

-His eyes were closed.

-I tried to get in the -middle and separate them, -but the boss spun around -and punched me in the chest.

-After the boss attacked me, -he took us - down to the lake.

- He offered us beers.

-He said, 'Ulver, -lets go to the -house!

Lets drink!

-I was afraid and told him no, -but he insisted.

-When we went with him -he just gave us -life vests and put us -in the water in the -middle of the lake.

-I was so afraid that I cried.

-I said, "Uncle, -!

tell him to stop, to let us go!

-But the boss didnt listen.

-I just saw him laughing -Do you know how to swim?

-No, -!

not really.

I can in shallow wat -but not when its deep.

-More than anything, -we want those big -companies to know -what we workers suffer.

-Maybe the only thing thats -!

important to them is the money, -and whats happening -to workers doesnt matter.

-But Im speaking out to -shed light on our reality, -so theyll listen to us -and see our suffering.

-Ulver!

Josue!

Ulda!

-You are not alone!

-In the Open Air -I am a dairy farm -worker here in Vermont.

-!

I am a leader of my community, -and I am here -representing the community, -and some of us had to work, -but you can see -many of us are here.

-What is the need for -heightened security?

-We are just marching here -!

today with our rights in mind.

-They are saying that it -is a security risk for us -to assemble here -in the parking lot.

-But a thousand times we have -asked to sit down with them.

-Those in our community have -been injured by cows, -by machines, -and no one pays attention.

-!

Those in our community who are -unjustly fired and -left without housing.

-!

So who is really at fault here?

-Hannaford or us?

-We need to keep -fighting all as one, -so that we have more -power all together.

-!

We are fighting for ourselves, -!

and those who have yet to come.

-We are strong compañeros, -even though immigration -wants to intimidate us.

-We have some colleagues -who were just detained, -but we are not going to hide, -because if we hide we are -!

not going to achieve anything.

-!

We will not achieve those rights -!

that we have been fighting for.

-!

We have to go out and face them.

-We will keep marching -until you join -Milk with Dignity.

-We are the forgotten workers.

-We are not paid a fair wage.

-We work 14-15 hours a day, -and are not listened to.

-I invite you to come -visit us on our farms, -then you will see the -conditions in which we live- -insects and cockroaches.

-I just want you to spend -one night in our homes, -then you will see the -conditions in which we live.

-We wont stop marching until -Hannaford joins -Milk with Dignity!

-Hannaford, listen up, -farmworkers arent giving up!

-Hannaford, listen up, -farmworkers arent giving up!

-I am established here.

-in the United States, -ten years have passed -I have my wife and kids, -whom I brought -when they were young, -and theyve already forgotten -my beloved Mexico, -which I can never forget -and I can never return.

-!

This is one of those days where -!

I wake up at 5 in the morning, -!

I was just so excited to come.

-I found many friends from the -same place in Mexico as me.

-!

It had been many years since we -!

had been able to see each other.

-[Even though we -are all in Vermont] -we can't visit each -other on our farms.

-But here, -!

we get to see each other and say - "hey, how are you"?

-I feel happy and excited.

-!

Even though my team is losing, -I am still happy.

-!

We are all farmworkers, and our -whole team is from -the same two farms.

-We all practice -on this small field -between the two farms.

-We have our space to play -games and enjoy ourselves.

-We all get together, -and not all of us -are from Mexico, -some are from Ecuador, -from Guatemala, -from different countries.

-And we met to make a team.

-And we're so happy because - we like soccer.

- We love the sport!

-Well, I do.

-!

Soccer can help you de-stress.

-I am a mother, -and I have my work.

-So we wait a long time to -!

come here to distract ourselves, -and get out all the -frustration one has.

-I hope that more people see -!

what were doing as a community.

-Its so important that -we let ourselves be seen.

-This is the fourth tournament -I have played in Vermont.

-The first year there -were only two teams.

-The second and third -year there were four teams.

-And now, in 2024, -there are six womens -teams playing today.

-The panuchos consist of a -tortilla made of -corn and it is fried, -but in the middle it -has refried beans, -chicken, -and it is accompanied -by cabbage and cheese.

-Its a very typical -dish from Tabasco, -and since I am from Tabasco, -best not forget -a signature dish.

-We are going to -Hannaford compañeros.

-Captains, -get your teams -together for the march.

-We are going to Hannaford to -ask them to join -Milk with Dignity!

-!

Listen up, we have to remember -that today is a day to enjoy, -a day for our families, -a day for our communities.

-We know things get -tense on the farm, -we've seen this.

-!

But how beautiful is it that we -have all gathered -together in one line.

-That all of us are here -together as a community, -united against the same rival -knowing that sooner or -later we will score our goal.

-We know that -that goal is coming, -!

that this goal will be scored.

-The most important -thing is that we are united, -and that we come -together as a team.

-It doesn't matter -where you are from.

-It doesnt matter -what you do for work.

-All of us are part of the -immigrant community.

-Vermont Public -Partnering -with local filmmakers -to bring you -stories made here.

-For more, -visit vermontpublic.org.