وعود كاذبة: شباب حلموا بأمريكا فوجدوا الاستغلال

Dozens of young people from the Philippines, South Africa, and Kosovo traveled to New York as part of a government-sponsored cultural exchange program, hoping to learn and gain experience. Some sold their savings, others borrowed from their families, and all sought the "experience of a lifetime."

Reality Shock

But what they found upon arriving at the "Kurt Weiss" greenhouses in Long Island was completely contrary to the promises: long working hours exceeding 10 hours a day, grueling tasks on production lines, and continuous planting and harvesting until midnight.

Inhumane Conditions

According to a report published by The New York Times, they were housed in dilapidated, overcrowded trailers, where they breathed in truck dust and cohabited with rats and cockroaches. Some were even deprived of the most basic protective measures, like the Brazilian student who was exposed to toxic pesticides without protective equipment, falling ill with a rash and severe vomiting.

Threats and Exploitation

A young man from Eastern Europe had his hand crushed under a forklift, while others received shouts and threats of deportation if they did not work faster. Instead of a cultural exchange, they found themselves victims of commercial exploitation serving major retail chains like "Walmart" and "Costco."