La Planta: Latinx Worker Survival in U.S Slaughterhouses—A Public Humanities Oral History Capstone Project

April 16, 2026 at 5:00pm

La Casa Cultural, 301 Crown Street

 

Join us for Clara Mejía Orta’s Public Humanities Certificate Capstone Project where she will showcase oral histories of meatpacking workers collected during her field research for her dissertation. The event will feature a Q&A with meatpacking workers and UFCW staff as well as a gallery walk featuring meatpacking worker portraits by Latina Art Collective Lavaca Studios. Light refreshments will be provided.

 

We encourage participants to bring earbuds to connect with your phone to hear the oral histories available through the website.

 

Clara Mejía Orta is a PhD Candidate in the History Department. Her dissertation, “La Planta: Latinx Worker Survival in U.S. Slaughterhouses” documents the experiences of Latinx and immigrant meatpacking workers in the United States. Her research bridges Latinx workers’ struggles on the shop floor with that of the Latinx organizers who are fighting for a greater voice within the United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW). A fight that prioritized immigrant worker organizing, development of Latinx leadership, and a strong stance on immigrant rights.

 

This event is in partnership with the Public Humanities Program at Yale & La Casa. For more info email clara.mejiaorta@yale.edu