More than 1,000 Hispanic farmers in Texas and other states sued the U.S.D.A. a decade ago, demanding that the government make reparations and change its ways. Last month, Congress agreed to multibillion-dollar settlements for mistreatment — but with black and American Indian farmers. Hispanic farmers say the government has offered them a laughable sum by comparison.
From the New York Times:
More than 1,000 Hispanic farmers in Texas and other states sued the U.S.D.A. a decade ago, demanding that the government make reparations and change its ways. Last month, Congress agreed to multibillion-dollar settlements for mistreatment — but with black and American Indian farmers. Hispanic farmers say the government has offered them a laughable sum by comparison.
This year, the Justice and Agriculture Departments offered Hispanic farmers $1.33 billion to settle their discrimination claims and the claims of women farmers in a similar lawsuit. Then, Congress approved a settlement of more than $2.25 billion with black farmers — even though census data indicated that nationwide there were about twice as many Hispanic farmers. The government’s offer would also cap damages for individual Hispanic farmers at $50,000.
For more, read Brandi Grissom’s NYT article.
