California, enjoying a few brews (not with Bill & Ted) and practicing my Spanish with Ricardo Mares (an illegal immigrant dishwasher) from Arizpe, Mexico. We had just finished our shifts (I was the cook and he was the new dishwasher) at the Old West Steakhouse, a stone's throw away from Zendejas' restaurant. 
(player card image from insidesocal.com)
We were drinking a 6 pack of Beck's Dark in the parking lot, like all good working-class peons do after an evening of toil.
One of the first questions he asks me is "Que Barrio?" I laugh. "La Loma," I tell him. La Loma? He has no idea...I then tell him about my life in El Paso, and he says El Chuco? Oddly, I had never heard the term outside of El Paso, and here was this young kid, telling me how his uncles had all emigrated to El Chuco, or to Los Angeles via Tijuana and Juarez.
Mares told me how they would struggle to get into the USA and infiltrate the restaurant industry.
(photo from worth 1000)
They'd become cooks, waiters and dishwashers, and skirt La Migra as best they could; constantly saving their money to bring yet another cousin or brother in. They avoided the coyote traders, and did it all themselves to save money and avoid being ripped off. He mentioned that some coyotes would take their money and then turn them in to the officials.
(photo from www.internationalist.org)
After years and years of working in the U.S., and saving what they could after sending money home, they might try to bring in their female family members: wives, girlfriends, mothers, and sisters.
I asked him about his traditional name, which I knew had to include at least 5 surnames, and he delivered a very long and rhythmic identity that I cannot possibly recall with about a dozen surnames attached. He commented on how far his family was from an ocean or sea, to be given the name Mares and living so far from water was too ironic even for him, the bearer of that name.
I liked this kid, and the vibrance in his actions and manner of speaking. There was a spark about him which I found to be very intriguing. He was just there struggling to survive with his on-again, off-again 6th grade education, a huge amount of humorous street-sense, and a determination to make a better life for himself and his extended family. His strongest wish was to bring his girlfriend to California and make her his wife; to settle down and have a family. I was curious as to why he wanted to marry at such a young age. Amor! He missed his girlfriend of 3 years, she was pregnant, and they had been planning their matrimony for a year before his uncles secreted him across the border.
Was he worried about being caught? No. He knew from experience that it was a simple matter to come back. He laughed about this. I felt a bit betrayed, knowing that our lack of enforcing illegal immigrant laws provided this freedom for those who were willing to abuse them. I could not fault the boy for his actions, though I did ask him about going through legal channels. He told me it wasn't needed, all that paperwork and waiting years when he could just pay some guy for his counterfeit papers. He showed me his California Driver's License.
(photo at photobucket)
Okay that is not it, but his id looked legit to my untrained eye, although it showed him to be 5 years older than his 17 years, so he could get into the bars. I admit, I sympathized with him, even as I became angry at his mocking tone. Que onda cabrón?
I have thought often about Ricky Mares over the years. I always wondered if he got married, brought his mother across, or got caught. I worked with Ricky near 17 years ago. Did he bring his girlfriend across quickly enough to have an anchor baby? One more kid to drain our system?
Our immigration laws need to be enforced. I have written to President Obama. I will continue to write to him and I will continue to write to Silvestre Reyes. Our country is dying in the most agonizing way, and allowing illegal immigration to continue in the manner it has does not behoove us. Putting up that atrocious fence is not the solution. Amnesty is not the solution. Enforcing the law is the only viable way towards reformation, and harsh penalties for those who hire illegals is a must.
Please write to your President and to your State Representatives.
They are your voice, and they need to hear you, loud and clear.
(presidential seal found at idea champions)
Posts
I think many Americans are naturally apprehensive of the sudden volume of activity, politicians supposedly enacting amendments to strengthen our immigration laws? But I suspect this is the lull before the storm, which they will throw into the bubbling cauldron of issues, like health care and cap and trade? Immigration reform is the toxic sediment rising to the surface of the pool. We cannot blame President Bush for the immigration debacle completely, nor Clinton as this complete and utter disregard for border enforcement, has been ignored long before any of these administrations. Illegal immigration really became finally a damaging problem to the United States after the CAFTA treaty. Small farmers in Mexico lost their livelihood, when the giant agricultural consortium's moved in. The (CFR) Council of foreign relations is a signature to an agenda, no borders between the US, Mexico and Canada.
ReplyDeletePromoted by the globalists in the (EU) European Union whose planned agenda was the open border movement? Europe has suddenly woken up to the mass immigration which has become a scourge, which is just now being recorded with an adverse impact. The indigenous people have found themselves prioritized into a second class citizenship. In America this is becoming de-javu, as an Americans are hounded by debt collectors and bankruptcy, while illegal immigrants pay nothing for health care services. But then illegal immigrant families cannot be truly blamed for low income services, as they have been drawn across the borders, from other lands by exploiting employers who pay nothing for there settlement here. That remains the burden of the gullible American taxpayer.
Washington has absolutely ignored the millions of foreign laborers and families, who have arrived, now they have no choice but to exact punishment on the US taxpayer by legalizing those who are here. If their immigration reform is just a small fine, learn English and submit to a FBI background check, this will truly unfair to those sincere immigrants who wait for working visas in their country of residence. This to me is AMNESTY--by any other name. This goes against the essence of the US Constitution and our Rule of Law. It seems like Sen. Schumer, Reid, Speaker Pelosi adhere to our laws, when it suits them? The Democratic leadership de-funded E-Verify a while back, but the angry ire of voters appalled by the weakening of immigration laws, fired back with countless phone calls. We can now do the same with AMNESTY. How many realize the damage to our economy, by giving citizenship to over 20 plus foreign nationals in retirement benefits. Those legalized can be to our nation all their family members, known as chain migration.
Outside of complimentary legalization for all those people--mostly poorly educated, unskilled will be competition with US workers of the same status. It makes no any sense to process these people who pay little or no taxes, when we are looking at 11 percent jobless Americans. We can start deporting all these illegal families, the criminals by implementing permanent E-Verify. Not just for Federal Contractors but everybody as a mandatory law. Discrepancies will be dealt with at the Social Security offices. NO MATCH LETTERS--is a supplementary workplace law that shouldn't be rescinded? Don't be misinformed by the pro-illegal immigrant organizations. Call and demand a permanent, mandated E-Verify and NO MORE AMNESTIES! The1986 IMMIGRATION REFORM BILL DIDN'T WORK--NOR WILL THIS? It will take time, but enforced E-Verify with all its updates will remove illegal workers from the office, factory floor. Call your Senator or Congressman 202-224-3121
ATTENTION! Because of the massive payments to illegal immigrant benefits in California, their is now a petition to halt this travesty. Google--TAXPAYER REVOLUTION. Very few newspapers will mention this activist petition. For all the facts about OVERPOPULATION: CAPSWEB, NUMBERSUSA, FAIR & AMERICAN PATROL
The United States will have an illegal immigration problem as long as Mexico is committed to supporting the Maquila Industry by providing a permanent supply of uneducated, impoverished people to work in the Maquila plants.
ReplyDeleteWrite the President, Senators, and Congressmen to ask that Mexico be pressured to educate its people.
Write the President, Senators, and Congressmen to ask that Mexico be pressured to outlaw the collusion that prevails in the Maquila Industry whereby wages to production are artifically set low. Presently, a low level production worker is paid 500 pesos a week at all maquila plants. No maquila will compete with another maquila for labor by raising the wages paid to maquila workers.
3rd world countries
ReplyDeleteare Wack!