![This knife was used to harvest lettuce, cabbage, and cauliflower by agricultural worker Marcos Ruiz. Called stoop labor, the work resulted in debilitating injuries for many agricultural laborers. Another farm worker, Mena Guadalupe, described stoop labor: "Here in California, They did not let us straighten up at all during the day... they did not let us straighten up. I tell you, it's like [we were] slaves."](../../../content/thumbnails/knife-2_59ddb50dc3.gif "Agricultural tool: lettuce knife")
The short-handled hoe was introduced into agricultural labor at the end of the nineteenth century. Its design required that workers stoop over the crops they were cultivating. This stooped position caused long-term injuries for many workers. Explore these materials to understand how the short-handled hoe was used, and to view some of the other tools associated with agricultural labor and Bracero life.
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