Meatpacking America: How Migration, Work, and Faith Unite and Divide the Heartland

280 Pages·2021·14.31 MB·English

by  Kristy Nabhan-Warren

Meatpacking America
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Meatpacking
America
How Migration,
Work, and Faith
Unite and Divide
the Heartland
Kristy Nabhan- Warren
The University of North Carolina Press
Chapel Hill
© 2021 The University of North Carolina Press
All rights reserved
Designed by April Leidig
Set in Arno by Copperline Book Services, Inc.
Manufactured in the United States of America
The University of North Carolina Press has been a
member of the Green Press Initiative since 2003.
Cover photograph by Kristy Nabhan-Warren
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Nabhan-Warren, Kristy, author.
Title: Meatpacking America : how migration, work, and faith unite and
divide the heartland / Kristy Nabhan-Warren.
Description: Chapel Hill : The University of North Carolina Press, 2021. |
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2021003645 | ISBN 9781469663487 (cloth ; alk. paper) |
ISBN 9781469663494 (paperback ; alk. paper) | ISBN 9781469663500 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Immigrants—Religious life—West North Central States. |
Americans—Religious life—West North Central States. | West North
Central States—Social life and customs—21st century. | West North Central
States—Religious life and customs—21st century. | West North Central
States—Economic conditions—21st century. | West North Central States—
Race relations.
Classification: LCC F355 .N33 2021 | DDC 305.800977—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021003645
For Steve
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Contents
List of Illustrations ix
Preface xi
Introduction.
Rosa: Journeying to the Dream 1
1 Homemaking 11
2 Rural Faith Encounters 47
3 Snapshots of Rural Priests 73
4 The Work of God and Hogs 89
5 Cattle: Steered by Faith 135
6 In the Belly of the Beast 171
7 Fulfilling Dreams 195
8 Reyna: Staying for the Dream 209
Acknowledgments 219
Notes 225
Index 243
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Illustrations
Corinne and Urban Hargrafen, 1947. 16
Urban and Jean Hargrafen, 1949. 18
Lois and Tim Mincks, 1983. 42
Alternative to the traditional “Just Married” sign. 42
Hargrafen family birthday celebration, 1957. 44
Father Joseph Sia, 2017. 49
Rural Iowa CAFO, 2020. 59
Downtown Columbus Junction. 91
Tyson, Columbus Junction. 96
Maurice Batubenga, Tyson employee, 2017. 119
Virgin of Guadalupe celebration at St. Joseph parish,
Columbus Junction, 2017. 126
Iowa Premium Beef, Tama, Iowa, 2020. 139