Bambu - Orosi lyrics

Up early like a slave in the summer
Sophomore in high school living with his mama
In Orosi a city 40 miles south of Fresno
Middle of some farm land but
Very much a ghetto
Not quite North yet, not quite South
Money tight in Orosi so they shooting it out
Southern gangs fighting Northern gangs
Middle of Orosi
Same people fighting same people in Orosi
Filipino farmers tend to farm
With their brothers
Mexican and Central Americans in a huddle
Picking vegetables and fruit's
Watering the roots while the babies killing
Each other over drugs and loots
And between time find a summer job on a farm
Miles hunched over, think McDonald's is hard?
Up early like a slave, on his knees at 14
In the same tradition as his whole
Family in the middle of Orosi

Central California, hands buried in mud
Peace in Orosi, send the farmers my love
Screaming Peace in Visalia
Peace out in Fresno peace out in Bakersfield
Peace in Modesto peace out in Corcoran
Peace near Wasco
All of my manos out in the fields of Delano
Peace to Central Cali, peace to Central Cali
Peace to Central Cali, Central Cali

Before the farm workers united
The people united
The grape strikes for the Mexican
Farmers just seemed right
So they joined the Filipinos and
A bond was born when manong Philip Vera Cruz
And uncle Larry Itliong
Took on the task needed to
Get the farmers even
Watching brown hands digging 'til
Their fingers bleeding
So they marched in march of '66 in Delano
One foot in front of
The other until Sacramento
Just to get the wages they deserve
The treatment they deserve
The people get served
So whenever my family at the table
We put a coin down and thanks
Those who made it able
For my son to eat food, my girl to eat too
We always give praises to
Where praises is due
The farm workers over Jesus
That sacrifice direct
Cuz that sacrifice is in every bite I ingest
For Orosi


To all my brothers and sisters
My manos and manas workin the fields
This our history right here, California
All the youth that had the opportunity
To build with from Orosi
I thank ya'll for the experience, man
I hope uhh, i hope this little bit I
Do can put a spotlight
On what ya'll go through out in the farms
Central Cali yeah
Yeah give Thanks
Orosi, I'll see ya'll soon, man
Fresno, whaddup? Modesto, whaddup?
Delano, whaddup?
Between LA to the Bay Area, man

The strike began when the
Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee
Mostly Filipino farm workers
In Delano, California, led by Philip
Vera Cruz, Larry Itliong, Benjamin
Gines and Pete Velasco
Walked off the farms of
Area table-grape growers
Demanding wages equal to the
Federal minimum wage