Colorful produce fills black plastic crates in the common room of a housing complex in Woodland, Washington. People buzz about, picking out the best dark green poblano chilis, thick bunches of cilantro and bright red Roma tomatoes.
Maria Calderon stands next to a table of pink, yellow and brown Mexican pastries — or pan dulce — laid out near the door. She holds several bags filled with vegetables which she plans to use for molcajete salsa and toppings for sopes, fried cakes made from masa corn flour.
Many Latino immigrants in the Woodland area work in agriculture, she says, especially in seafood processing and on Christmas tree farms. None of her family members have been deported, but she knows others who have been. Simple tasks like getting healthy food have become more difficult for local immigrants who are afraid to leave their homes, she says…