Our most recent cover girl – star of the photo feature ‘The Garden of Rapture’ – and Haute 100 Los Angeles member Eva Longoria announced her support to end child labor on Sunday, July 24, during the annual meeting of the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), the nation’s largest Hispanic organization.

Longoria, who is well recognized for her philanthropy and work within the Latino community, expressed her concerns. She spoke out that it is in the United States – one of the world’s wealthiest nations – that children, especially child laborers, often go to bed at night without having eaten. She stated, “It’s not China, it’s not Mexico; It’s the United States.”

It was at the meeting that she unveiled the trailer for  The Harvest, a documentary about child laborers in the United States of which she is Executive Producer. She professed her commitment to the children in the film, and explained that these children – some of them as young as 10 years old – work harvesting crops for 14 hours a day, seven days a week.

Longoria continued to express her concern for the well-being of the exploited children, presenting that there are approximately 500,000 children in the U.S. who work in agriculture, and who are poorly compensated, if even at all. Because of their positions, the children go without education and the basic rights that all children should receive.

She appealed to her audience, “Every time a Latino is recognized for their talent, the image of Latinos changes for the better.”

Our Haute 100 list details the accomplishments of the most influential people in each of our markets. To see the entire Haute 100 Los Angeles list, click here.