5 Things You Should Know About Immigrants From Someone Who Lives With Them
Do you think immigrants are a band of rapists, murderers, and drug dealers who are here to steal your job? Or reap American benefits without bothering to become legal citizens? Maybe there are a few of those. Hell, there are born and bred Americans that do the same.
Stories about immigration have saturated the nation fueling division, derision, and despair. Fear about immigration is rampant, and politicians use the topic like a chess piece in the game of politics. My question to you is; Have you ever gotten to know one?
San Diego is a border town, and it’s been my home always. Since it’s a border town, we have a multitude of immigrants. Most of them are from Mexico, but there are also escapees from Central America.
Escondido is a town nestled in North County San Diego. Like many places, Escondido used to have a whole lot of nothing. I first heard of it when I was 18 or 19-years-old. It’s only 30-minutes from downtown, and I didn’t even know it existed. Later in life, I moved there, had a family, and raised my kids. And so did many other budget-minded San Diegans.
Since Escondido used to be an agricultural hub, there’s a considerable presence of migrant farmworkers, or “illegal aliens” as some like to call them. So I’ve lived with them my entire adult life. And here’s what I’ve found.
1. They Work Their Butts (or Backs) Off
If you take your dog for a walk at daybreak near the farms, you’ll see a multitude of migrant farmworkers already in the fields, stooped over whatever crop is in season. It makes your back hurt to look at them.
They’ll still be there, in the same bent position, when you drive by later in the day to run your errands or grab lunch. And you’ll see them on your way home from work, picking away until the last bit of light disappears from the sky like a sputtering candle inhaling its last breath.
They work on days when it’s too hot to walk your dog, and when it’s so cold, you don’t want to run your errands. And you’ll see them working every day of the week, except Sunday.
2. They’re Respectful (And Shocked When You Acknowledge Them)
Our Southern California migrant workers exist as an invisible subculture that’s mostly ignored and tolerated like an infestation of beneficial insects.
When you walk by them, they don’t make eye contact. Nor do they mutter under their breath, make remarks about your physique, or talk crap about you as you pass. They don’t want trouble.
Sadly, when you say hello, the workers appear to be shocked that you’ve acknowledged their presence. They’re delighted if you attempt to greet them in Spanish and award you with a huge smile. Even if you do sound like a gringa.
3. They Live Simply
Immigrants live in humble, unassuming abodes. Typically you’ll see a few chickens and a dog hanging around the yard, and a clothesline laden with freshly washed laundry. Often there's a small kitchen garden and a makeshift outdoor seating area compiled of random flea market finds.
What you won’t see is professionally landscaped yards and the luxurious trappings so common on white suburban streets in the same neighborhood. Nor will you see expensive, new cars in the driveway.
4. They’re Smart With Money
The immigrants in San Diego save their hard-earned cash and spend it wisely. They purchase pre-owned vehicles (usually Toyotas) that they know will run for miles. Typically you’ll see two cars in their driveway, an older, beat-up truck, and a later-model family vehicle.
San Diego’s migrant farmworkers also have a network of grocery stores, bakeries, and pharmacies. The prices are about half what you’d pay in the mainstream markets.
Affordable stores enable them to make-ends-meet and live on low wages in an expensive city.
5. They’re Family Oriented
Spend any amount of time with a Mexican, documented or not, and you’ll quickly learn that family is numero uno.
Typically, several generations live in the same household. And that’s not just to save money; it’s cultural. Grandma and Grandpa are there to help out with the kids, and adult children stay and financially contribute to the family.
They frequently have huge, family get-togethers that include a ton of food, music, games, Cerveza, and laughter. And if a family member or neighbor needs help, there’s no shortage of hands, willing and able to pitch in.
After decades of living with immigrants, I’ve never once experienced a situation where I was concerned for my safety. I’ve never been robbed, raped, or murdered (obviously). Never has an immigrant approached me to see if I wanted to buy drugs.
Now I realize there is no easy solution to US immigration challenges. And I’m not suggesting that America can absorb every individual from another part of the globe who needs to escape their horrifying living conditions. What I’m suggesting is a more humanitarian approach to the situation.
How bad would your life have to be to set out on a journey of hundreds or thousands of miles to an unknown land? And then attempt to receive asylum, or illegally cross, into a country where you can’t speak the language and aren’t welcome? When you have no home, no job, and no family waiting for you. Knowing you could be kidnapped, robbed, raped, or murdered along the way. Pretty horrific, right?
So when it comes to immigrants who are trying to save their families and their lives, why can’t we treat them with kindness and respect? Why can’t we err on the side of compassion?
