Dignified Work
Despite the harsh working conditions, Filipinos working in the fields began to view field work as highly skilled and honorable work. White farmers viewed Filipinos as especially suited for farm work because even though they were unfamiliar with that sort of work, they were extremely quick learners. In the asparagus fields Filipinos were frequently called pros because of their dexterity and their organization on the field that was accomplished with “quality and finesse.”
While Filipinos weren’t allowed to own property, they were often made crew bosses on the farms. As crew bosses and labor contractors, they were able to protect their fellow Pinoys from being exploited by the white farm owners. Jobs were not begun until the labor contractors and the farm owners could come to an agreement on satisfactory contract terms that both parties could live with. Instead of being picked up as day laborers, Filipinos preferred to stick together and work as a single unit and were able to pick and choose which farms they worked at.