As We Are: Migrant Workers

AIR DATE: Friday, November 21st 2008
POSTED BY: CAT VASQUEZ
Photo credit: craig.camp / Flickr / Creative Commons

Whether or not we live in this country legally plays a key role in just about every aspect of our lives. Documentation, or a lack thereof, determines what kind of work we can get, what education we can obtain, and what resources we can access.

According to government estimates, there are nearly 12 million "unauthorized residents" in the US — people who have entered the US without inspection or who were admitted temporarily and stayed past the date they were required to leave. The vast majority come from Mexico and Central America.

As this population has increased, so have efforts to deport people without documentation. This past year marked a record high in deportations in the Northwest. Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) deported more than 10,000 people from Oregon, Washington and Alaska between September 2007 and September 2008, a 38 percent increase over the previous year. And the Northwest isn't alone. ICE deportations have increased across the country.

As part of our ongoing As We Are series, we'll take a look at the personal stories behind the immigration debate. We'll talk to people who immigrated to the United States from Mexico, legally or illegally, in order to find work. We'll be asking what brought them to the US and the Northwest, what their lives are like here, and if they intend to return to the place they were born.

Did you immigrate to this country? What led you to the US? How does life in the US compare to your life before you came? And have recent ICE crackdowns — along with the downturn in the economy, and a slowdown in work — led you to consider returning to your native country?

Tagged as: as we are · immigration · labor

Photo credit: craig.camp / Flickr / Creative Commons

I and my family came to the USA, more then 25 years ago. We came here because we knew we can find better life here than in our country in South America. This issue of Immigration is a very complex issue and there are many sides on this debate. I will start with letting you know that the recent ICE Crackdowns do not help anybody. When families are divided and the children have to stay here in the USA, while their parents are deported to their country of origin, many people think it's the right thing to do. But I disagreed I believe it probably cost more, because the children who stay here, have to survive some how and if they are US citizen they end up in a state foster care system in many states where there is already a lack of funds to take care of these children. So the question remains is the tax payer better now or the country better now, since we deported their parents who were taking care of their children and who's only crime was to be indocumented workers in this country,? but were maintaining a home, and taken care of their children, a the same time being customers for a too long list to name here and part of our economy? I don't think so. Many employers who probably don't dare to comment on the record, will tell you many Hispanics working in this country legal or ilegal are some of their best workers. We have to debate this issue in congress and come to a solution, because ICE throu their crackdowns are destroying lives of real people, putting more burden in our state budgets and hurting the economy. And the notion that Ilegal immigrants are burden our Welfare system, Health care system, it's a lie. Look a the numbers from a reliable source and you will notice that many ilegal immigrants do not qualify for welfare from the get go. And there are countless data reports that shows Hispanics are the lowest numbers in Welfare(we like to work) compare to other people. and many do not visit hospital or doctor because of other cultural issues and because of fear. As a citizen of this country and Imigrant which I believe about 90 percent of the population is, if your trace your roots back you will discover the only real american born in this land and truly americans are the Native Americans, everybody else came via Ships crossing the atlantic ocean, or walking, by car or airplane. I believe we have to have a sensable debate in congress and come to a solution to this challenge.
speakout7722 —

Do I have any more right to be walking around here in North America than someone that was born a few 100 miles to the south?

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helpgodme —
As a privileged white U.S. born male I occasionally have not so nice feelings for my friends from south of the border. I work in the construction industry and have seen my wages driven down and friends lose jobs to undocumented immigrants. Lately when these feelings arise I try to remind myself that the specious border between the U.S. and Mexico is man made and was drawn after an illegal war and occupation.

Do I have any more right to be walking around here in North America than someone that was born a few 100 miles to the south? When I really think about it, the undocumented person from Mexico or Guatemala has parents and grandparents and great grandparents born on this continent.

My grandparents came over from Europe in 1902. Who, then, really has more of a right to be here?
wagepeace —
Just wanted to thank you for your interview with Moises. What a great guy! Living so humbly, picking moss and mushrooms in the forest. . . it's hard to imagine, but it's strikingly close to the land, much more Northwestern and outdoorsy than are most Northwesterners. I am truly glad to know there are people out there like him, making a decent living in such a legitimate, sustainable way. It ought to be legal. Thank you for telling us about yourself, Moises, and congratulations on passing your GED!
Lighthouse —
I didn't hear anyone talk about paying taxes but then I guess that would be difficult to do if you're here illegally. Also, I wondered why someone who's teaching people to pass their GEDs spoke through a translator. Was she teaching them in Spanish?

How do we reconcile that some people can come here and work and not pay taxes with the fact that some other immigrants come here legally and work hard to pass the test to become citizens? Some immigrants I know think it's not fair and resent that they pay taxes and illegals don't.
claudinestil —
Actually, a lot of these workers do pay taxes, social security, and workman's comp through deductions on their payroll. Unlike legal workers, they never see tax returns though because, as you say, they don't file.
Josh Volk —
FYI undocumented immigrants in Oregon actually pay taxes. We give between $134 to $187 million dollars. Check http://www.ocpp.org/.
The main difference is that we will never see those taxes on our retirement funds and neither we will be able to get healthcare or send our children to college. Is that fair?
Pensamiento —
I appreciate the participants in this conversation. I also believe that the U.S. and Latin American governments need to do more to encourage people to stay in their countries of origin. I don't imagine anyone enjoys having to leave their families, hometowns, and ways of life to undergo a journey that might end in despair, permanent separation from family, and perhaps incarceration or deportation. My question then: what can the U.S. and Mexico governments do to make Latin Americans want to and moreso BE ABLE TO stay in Latin America with family?
sarah g —
It is impossible to be fair with the thousands upon thousands of migrants and illegal non documented workers in the US. I have close friends from Mexico, Nicaragua, Costa Rica who are hard working in incredibly difficult jobs. They are very suspicious of strangers and only want to make money for themselves and their families back home.
Part of the solution is to have amnesty for those who are here and want to stay. The other part is to have a program to allow families to freely cross the borders to visit. And the other part is to reform the immigration laws that allow for temporary workers and to speed up the process for residency so that people can live here without fear.
None of these solutions are without their own difficulties in light of the fear of terrorism and the lousy economy we are in. But we just can't keep ignoring the problem as it keeps growing and makes perfectly good people into criminals for wanting to have a better life.
If the shoe was on the other foot, and Americans wanted to go to Canada or Japan or Mexico for a better job, wouldn't we want some fairness and sensible laws that help us to live a better life?
DKSand —
I enjoyed hearing Carmen speak about her experiences in the Independence area.
In the late 50's and early 60's I picked crops as a "town" kid, but I also volunteered in the camps including Green Villa to lead educational programs for kids including teaching art, reading and leading games and activities. During highschool I worked for a time in the camp store. I loved all the people I met. I became friends with many of the children and families. I also loved going to the Mexican dances in Independence. I will always remember those because entire families would participate from grandmothers to toddlers.
I so respect the migrant people. They overcame great odds to come to our Oregon Communities. They also had to overcome prejudice and discrimintation.
It seems as though at that time they were not welcome at the town swimming pool. The excuse was that they didn't pay taxes. People forgot how much money our community made from the labor of those workers. Sincerely Margaret Nura Clegg
Margaret Nura Clegg —
I'm so glad to hear this topic being presented. I was the moderator at a similar discussion last night that Slow Food Portland held in response to this summer's Edible Portland Article on migrant labor and Carlo Petrini's call for "good, clean, FAIR" food. While I was happy to hear the woman speak so well of the people who she worked with when she tried picking blueberries for a summer, I was disappointed that the resultant question was how can these people get out of the fields. Yes, they need a better situation, but as soon as they leave the fields someone else needs to fill their place. The jobs don't go away. We need to find ways to honor these difficult and skilled jobs, ways to make the work conditions better, the pay better, and to allow the pickers and field workers access to benefits like health care and retirement accounts. Mechanization is not the answer, it will never totally replace hand labor, or give the quality of food that is needed. I've worked on small farms with migrant workers and really admire the work that they do. Farms and farmers are dependent on these people and the small farms I've worked on really respect them and treat them as well as possible, but the farmers aren't making much either and it's impossible for anyone on the farm to make a decent wage, let alone benefits.
Josh Volk —
Not long ago, while sitting in a hospital waiting room, I chatted for about 10 minutes with a Latino couple who were recently arrived migrant workers. We talked about everyday things ? work, children, the price of gasoline. As they got up to leave, the husband said to me, ?It was a pleasure to meet you. Sometimes things are hard for us, but when we meet people like you, we feel better.? I wasn?t sure what they were referring to. I asked, ?People like me?? He replied, ?When we told you we just arrived 2 months ago, you said ?Bienvenidos? (?Welcome?). That?s the first time anyone has ever said that word to us.?
Greenearth —
Working with migrant workers and illegal immigrants since childhood has given me a different version of what survival means. Picking berries and working on a tree farm has always kept me grounded. It has given me not only a great work ethic but a perspective on the lengths people will go for their livelihood good or bad. This obviously is a complex issue, however, I think in part because Americans' view of agriculture is no longer considered a viable way of life. Working, learning and living off the land is almost like an art form lost.
kdinneen —

Comments are now closed.



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