Rovers Posted July 24, 2010 Share Posted July 24, 2010 A couple of months ago, I "caught" an hispanic guy, maybe 25 YO going through my recyclables looking for deposit cans. I usually return them myself, but I started giving them to him regularly. This day, his wife was with him, they were on bicycles. He was very respectful, and I'd often thought about giving deposit containers to a charity, if I knew of one. Well, here was one, but the guy had to work to get any money out of it too. I needed a helper today, my mower had broken down and I was behind big time on my route. So, I sked him to help me for pay. His eyes lit up.He showed up a half hour early. He can't speak any english, I relied on my spanish, which means my vocabulary might be 25 words. In the meantime, I had looked up and written down some spanish phrases. That helped. Anyway, he is a full time dishwasher at a nearby restaurant. He works like 2 to 10pm five days a week there. He obviously rumages for deposit containers during the day on his bicycle. My town has a small old downtown district which is where most of the 10% population of hispanics live. I dropped him off because it was raining, not an AC in the house, sort of run down and I'm sure it has several apartments in it, cramped ones. He lives there with his wife, 4 year old daughter and 1 year old son. I seriously doubt he is here legally, but he IS here, and I took some pity, maybe compassion is a better word, on him and his wife. They may be illegals, but they are still human beings. He by the way, is not a very good landscaper. He is not one of these immigrants who come here and send money back to south America, he is living here trying to feed his family. I'm not asking if anyone thinks I was wrong to hire him. What I am asking, is South America that poor? Is El Salvador that unlivable? He barely has as existance here. However, he must think he's better off in the US. washing dishes and rummaging around town for deposit bottles and unable to speak the language.... I have to admit, I feel more grateful for the life I have after today. I can't imagine living the way this guy and his family does. El Salvador must be one big chit hole. I guess large parts of South America must be just as bad. Am I wrong? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trojanmojo Posted July 24, 2010 Share Posted July 24, 2010 That's cool of you Rovers. You're a good man. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bpwallace49 Posted July 24, 2010 Share Posted July 24, 2010 (edited) It is pretty damn bad . . . and unlike living in poverty there versus here, there just arent jobs to be had in those countries. At all. Unless you want to join a gang and be a drug mule, working for the bare minimum here at least has the potential for a better opportunity down the line. And that is damn good of you to help the guy out. Edited July 24, 2010 by bpwallace49 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SEC=UGA Posted July 24, 2010 Share Posted July 24, 2010 Most Central American countries are not doimg well. As someone mentioned, it is much better to be poor here. His kids are probably citizens. He knew someone here tjhat could get him a decenmt job. Economy has gone to diaper dirt,m now he washes disjes. He stays here so his kids will hjavbe a better opportunity tjan he did. I've seen this 1,m000 times in my business. Usually very hard workers, their kids. Not so mich... The kids adopt the bad parts of am American subculture. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ursa Majoris Posted July 24, 2010 Share Posted July 24, 2010 (edited) Most Central American countries are not doimg well. As someone mentioned, it is much better to be poor here. His kids are probably citizens. He knew someone here tjhat could get him a decenmt job. Economy has gone to diaper dirt,m now he washes disjes. He stays here so his kids will hjavbe a better opportunity tjan he did. I've seen this 1,m000 times in my business. Usually very hard workers, their kids. Not so mich... The kids adopt the bad parts of am American subculture. Friday happy hour went well then? Edited July 24, 2010 by Ursa Majoris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rovers Posted July 24, 2010 Author Share Posted July 24, 2010 Most Central American countries are not doimg well. As someone mentioned, it is much better to be poor here. His kids are probably citizens. He knew someone here tjhat could get him a decenmt job. Economy has gone to diaper dirt,m now he washes disjes. He stays here so his kids will hjavbe a better opportunity tjan he did. I've seen this 1,m000 times in my business. Usually very hard workers, their kids. Not so mich... The kids adopt the bad parts of am American subculture. This whole thing hits close to home for me. The illegal immigrants here drive the market rates for landscaping waaay down. Most of them WANT to be illegal so they pay no taxes. They live 10 or more men to a house, save their money and send it back home to South America. So, I'm no fan of illegal immigrants, but when you sit in a truck with one, or watch them rummage for deposit bottles... it's hard, at least for me to remain detatched and condemn them all. I would make a lot more money in my biz if it weren't for them. I certaintly can't take the work ethic thing away from them. They will bust chops. This guy is here with his family. Different story. Just surviving. I could not get him to stop calling me sir. ME LLAMO JUAN! It was an interesting, and somewhat eye opening experience. Guy glowed whnen he showed me pics of his kids. People are still people. They live, they love, they do what they have to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rovers Posted July 24, 2010 Author Share Posted July 24, 2010 Friday happy hour went well then? I wasn't gonna say anything..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonorator Posted July 24, 2010 Share Posted July 24, 2010 I was in brazil a few years ago and just returned from a trip to India. In both cases, the poverty is staggering. People living in dirty lean-to's under the street packed in one after another. Poor housing is jammed together and disease is rampant. There were bumper stickers in Mumbai promoting a campaign to stop people from spitting as it spreads TB. In Delhi, I saw a 4-year old boy only in a dirty t-shirt sitting on the guard rail of a jammed highway just looking around, wasn't panicked as it seemed the norm. If you've seen how they drive in India, you know the danger he was in. If that happened in the US, it would make the national news. Same thing in Guangzhou china. Population is insane and natural resources like water and air can't be trusted. Coming home from this trip felt like returning to paradise. Politics aside, a man picking up his family to come here and make a go of it no matter what it takes has my respect and understanding. They don't care about the raging debates and posturing, they just want a safe and prosperous life for their family. I'm still a strong supporter of the law, and know we just can't take all comers, but boy I sure do understand the motivation. Also, these folks can do the most menial of jobs in their home countries (given the poor infrastructure), so taking your cans and cutting your grass could very well seem like the promised land. Heartbreaking stuff ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perchoutofwater Posted July 24, 2010 Share Posted July 24, 2010 The "poor" here have it better than the average world citizen. It wasn't too long ago that nobody had HVAC, plumbing, or electricity. Now those along with TV phones and cars are viewed by some as rights. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rovers Posted July 25, 2010 Author Share Posted July 25, 2010 The "poor" here have it better than the average world citizen. It wasn't too long ago that nobody had HVAC, plumbing, or electricity. Now those along with TV phones and cars are viewed by some as rights. I have seen people who obviously don't have a pot to p^ss in with iPhones. Hard to figure. I personally don't even have a cell phone. Sure, at times it would have been nice to have one, but it is far down on my priority list, and I DO have a pot to p^iss in. I have traveled quite a bit, but not really into third world countries. I haven't seen the kind of poverty Tonorator speaks of, in Guam, S Korea, Okinawa or even Thailand. Never been to South America or Africa. I guess despite the images I have seen of places like El Salvador, it never really hit home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoJoTheWebToedBoy Posted July 25, 2010 Share Posted July 25, 2010 This is why I chuckle at any mention of "building a wall" at the border or adding more Border Patrol to stop the flow of people. The living conditions are so bad for the majority of people in these countries that the offer of under the table, below minimum wage jobs here are so compelling that they risk everything just to get here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SEC=UGA Posted July 26, 2010 Share Posted July 26, 2010 Friday happy hour went well then? Posting from a blackberry after a few drinks is a skill that I do not have. Thumbs are waaaay too big for the new little keyboards... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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