Scope and Content Note
The Philip Decker Collection consists of 170 black and white photographs documenting the lives and working conditions of Mexican farmworkers who enter the United States and work illegally. The pictures were taken in 1985. Supporting these photographs are numerous periodicals that have published either Decker's images or articles relating to them. These publications date from 1985 to 1987.
Series I: Photographs contains images that follow a particular group of farm workers from their life in rural Mexico, through their attempt at crossing the US border, to their work in the citrus orchards near Phoenix, Arizona. Also included are photographs of two other unrelated border crossing.
Images 1-41 (Mexico
) shows farmers while they are home in the country of Pinal de Amoles in the state of Queretero, Mexico. The photographs concentrate on two brothers, Alejandro and Pedro Estrada, and include scenes depicting family life, the Festival of Saint Ysidro, and the funeral of the Estrada brothers' father, Don Jenaro.
Images 42-55 (Border Crossing #1
) depicts men from Queretero and their journey across the border to the fruit farms where they work.
Images 56-68 (Border Crossing #2
) describes the journey of a group of eight Mexicans who cross the border to harvest melons in California. The men begin their journey in the rural village of Cubiri de Portelas in the state of Sinaola.
Images 69-87 (Border Crossing #3
) documents the border crossing of four men from Baburia in the state of Sinaola. The men were attempting to reach Whitewing Ranch near Dateland, Arizona.
Images 88-170 (Arizona Orchards
) reveals the lives and working conditions of the farmworkers on the Bodine and Macchiaroli Ranch orchards. The men from Queretero, previously depicted in the first two sub-series, are the main subjects of this segment. Meetings between the Mexican farm workers and the Arizona Farmworkers Union are included with these pictures.
Series II: Papers and Publications includes magazines, journals, and newspapers including articles about Decker's photographs and/or reproductions of them, photocopies of photographs, the text of an interview with Jose Luis Rodriguez, sheet music, and a map of border crossings.
Dates
- Creation: 1985-1987
Language of Materials
Material in English
Access Restrictions
Reproductions of photographs requires the advance written permission of the photographer. Consult Archives and Special Collections regarding reproductions of these images.
To view this collection, make an appointment at least five business days prior to your visit by contacting Ask an Archivist or calling (480) 965-4932. Appointments in the Wurzburger Reading Room at Hayden Library (rm. 138) on the Tempe campus are available Monday through Friday. Check the ASU Library Hours page for current availability.
Copyright
Arizona State University does not own the copyright to this collection. We recognize that it is incumbent upon the researcher to procure permission to publish information from this collection from the owner of the copyright.
Biographical Note
Philip Decker was born on March 15, 1961 in Maryland. He received his Bachelor's Degree in Philosophy from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County where he graduated with honors in 1982. After receiving his degree, Decker took employment as a social worker for the Maryland Department of Employment and Training. This position involved counseling migrant and seasonal farm workers, especially Haitians, along the coast of Maryland. In 1983, he traveled to New York City and began to study photography at the International Center of Photography. With his training he returned to Maryland to photograph the lifestyles and working conditions of the Haitian farm workers he had previously counseled. While working on this project, he met several Mexican laborers. This exposure led him to his next project, documenting migrant Mexican farm workers in the Southwest and the process of immigration. Public interest in this project resulted in several television presentations, slide lectures, and photographic exhibitions. The photographs from this project, as well as several articles by Decker, have appeared in numerous publications, including New Look, Nuestro, and Foto Zoom.
Full extent
2 Box(es)
Full extent
0.75 Linear Feet
Abstract
The Philip Decker Collection consists of 170 black and white photographs documenting the lives and working conditions of Mexican farmworkers who enter the United States and work illegally. The pictures were taken in 1985. Supporting these photographs are numerous periodicals that have published either Decker's images or articles relating to them. These publications date from 1985 to 1987.
Arrangement
This collection consists of two boxes divided into two series:
- Series I: Photographs
- Series II: Papers and Publications
Provenance
Philip Decker donated these photographs to Archives and Special Collections in 1987 (ACC#90-454).
Subject
- Arizona Farm Workers Union (Organization)
- Title
- Philip Decker Collection
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Processed by Jeff Murphy in December 1990; machine-readable finding guide created by Michael Lotstein in July 2001.
- Date
- 2011
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Finding guide encoded in English.
Repository details
Part of the Greater Arizona Collection Repository
Contact
Arizona State UniversityP.O. Box 871006
Tempe AZ 85287-1006 United States
(480) 965-4932
archives@asu.edu