Fresh Fruit, Broken Bodies is an ethnographic study written by anthropologist and physician Seth Holmes. It was published on 10th June 2013 by University of California Press. The book looks into the lives of migrant farmworkers from Mexico, specifically the Triqui people from Oaxaca. Holmes immersed himself in the lives of the Triqui people, traveling with them across the U.S.-Mexico border and working alongside them in the fields. The first-hand experience allowed Holmes to gain insights into the day-to-day struggles of these workers.
Holmes includes personal stories and experiences of the Triqui workers to provide a human face to social and political issues. Through ethnographic research, the book highlights the structural violence and systemic inequalities that contribute to their plight. It emphasizes how immigration policies, labor practices, and societal attitudes toward race and class exacerbate their vulnerabilities. Holmes's book is personal and analytical, as it draws attention to the urgent need for policy changes and greater awareness of these issues.
This ethnographic study provides a crucial perspective on the intersection of health, labor, and immigration. New York Journal of Books wrote, "By giving voice to silenced Mexican migrant laborers, Dr. Holmes exposes the links among the suffering, the inequalities related to the structural violence of global trade which compel migration, and the symbolic violence of stereotypes and prejudices that normalize racism."
