THEIR VILLAGES ARE DYING. They come from towns with no future, from families with no food. They are lucky to bring a ragged toothbrush on the trip and luckier to avoid rape, murder, or starvation on the way. On the way to hope. On the way to nothing, really, but a desperate dream of survival, a mirage of prosperity, the Land of Opportunity. Where Lady Liberty holds her lamp high…so the squads of ICEmen can see well enough to snatch up the hunger-wracked wanderers and hurl them into the frothy maw of Camp Halliburton.
IT BAFFLES THE MIND to meet some of the mindsets in our country about migrants and the lives they lead, and the pains they go to to find work that will sustain them. The way some xenophobic individuals speak, you’d imagine Mexicans (because it’s always Mexicans to these people) stroking long luxurious mustachios and plotting which part of the USA they will reconquer, just exactly what excellent careers they will steal away from us, and how much of their fat moneyroll they will squander on coyotes. It’s always Mexicans to the haters because for them to acknowledge out loud in one rational conversation that people are coming from Mexico, from Cuba, from Guatemala, from Central America and South America would point to a huge economic crisis and imbalance that any rational person would have to connect back to U.S.
And how gross it is, once you realize how much these people are suffering, to think that rich, empty-headed, soul-rotted zombie elitist freaks like Mitt Romney knowingly and personally exploit this labor, drink up the sweat of the persecuted and desperate—and then turn around and talk trash about them, turn around and puke up speech that only makes the environment more dangerous for these already destitute and desperate humans. Fiends like John McCain turn around and talk about harsher laws and more punishment. Powder-bottomed pendejos like McCain are able to rack up eight houses, walk around in $500 shoes, eat all the rib round, tomatos and fresh fruit their cess-filled hearts desire, trot around in well-air-conditioned homes in fine linen undies and then talk about building laser-equipped fences to keep these “illegals” out of our pretty Green Zone.
These politicians are devils in human form. And they are our “leaders.”
These other ones? These men and women in Lecheria? They are merely human. And mostly forgotten.
Click the picture above to see and hear an audio slideshow shot and recorded by Photographer Jake Price, who spent a day beside the tracks in Lecheria, a poor inbetween town outside Mexico City, where migrants ride the rails in hopes of escaping to a better world.
Sombrero Tip to RC
Hola! If you're new here, you may want to snatch up a juicy salsamatic subscription to the worldfamous Unapologetic Mexican RSS feed.
This message will show only a few times so read it while it's hot! Gracias!
By commenting at UMX, you grant, in perpetuity, the rights for your words to be used in any fashion Nezua chooses, whether that be quoting them, reprinting them, converting them to representational fractals, or painting them on a t-shirt made for an anarchist's Chihuahua.
You can follow los comentarios por esta entrada with the RSS 2.0 feed.
true, josé. mccain and romney are the easy targets. but if they were the only fools, this wouldn’t be an issue.
i think in most cases, people just need to see the facts. we live on soundbytes crafted by the TeeVee. and the TeeVee is hungry for status quo.
but i have to believe that most people, educated with the horrible truth, would feel something, would want to change things. would feel a need to drastically change this.
[...] a weirdo. Not everyone can do what I do. Today one post caught my eye and it very well maybe the greatest political post ever written. The post is in regards to immigration, and it definitely made me think, it made me upset, and gave [...]
I quote you:
“but i have to believe that most people, educated with the horrible truth, would feel something, would want to change things. would feel a need to drastically change this.”
This is why I teach.
Thank you for the link to the slideshow. I’ve got a feeling I’ll be using that somehow in my classroom - it’s powerful.
that makes me very happy to hear, tracy. and its why i keep at this, often, too. (sure doesnt pay well!)
sad thing is, this little glimpse barely scratches the surface of the epic tragedy unfolding. but its a start, a doorway in.
please, if you end up using it, i’d love to hear how it goes. peace. thanks for commenting.
Hey, I’m a frequent lurker around here and I just wanted to add a quick “Amen!” to this post. People have some crazy messed up (and violent) attitudes toward migrant workers these days…
And this is why I’m hell bent on learning spanish now.
After a horrible ICE raid in my town and hearing my own (black american) father rant about “those illegals” I’m even more determined to get fluent enough to do translating work when I volunteer.
And thanks for posting the slideshow…I think I’ll show it to my dad sometime.
[...] trains in Lecheria, an industrial park on the far north side of Mexico’s Federal District, the Unapologetic Mexican concludes, “”These politicians are devils in human form. And they are our ‘leaders.” [...]
Shelby, that sure lifts my spirits to hear. Far out! Go to work, compadre. And thanks for commenting.
As a wife of a deported LPR, and mother of his 2 children that are left behind. I have often talked to him about coming illegally (we have been fighting his case for 5 yrs. now and in Sept. we go into federal appeals court)but he is scared and does not want a life looking over his shoulder all the time.Our son who is 16 has been so angry since his father was deported, and has expressed his feeling about ICE and the other trash that is on the border looking for illegals. I think he will someday be a fighter for immigrants rights! Excellent writing keep up your great work
Such a sad situation to hear some people that refer to themselves as Americans advocating for the demise of American sovereignty. If we allow people from all over the world to come to America in a willy-nilly fashion this great nation of ours will soon be a third-world country. Our natural resources will be depleted, our food sources will dwindle, our infrastructure will be destroyed and soon our cities will resemble the overcrowded cities of China, India and Pakistan. Very sad indeed to hear advocates for uncontrolled immigration wanting to leave that kind of country to their children and grandchildren. Sad indeed.
your thinking is so diseased that i can’t begin to engage it. good luck, though.
See what savage is up to these days.
the eyes of texas, eh. but not the voice.
I really enjoy your blog.
The immigration situation and especially ICE only show how weak we are politically. Within our own communities we have to take the time to create a mechanism/vehicle that has the ability to address this situation in relevant manner. Broad based community coalition building, which means sometimes working with people we don’t like to build something greater than ourselves. Practicing politics and implementing organization. These are important steps over the next few years.
I agree with Mireles, I really enjoy your blog!
About a month ago I took the citizenship test. I was moved by the number of people who were seeking citizenship. Eran un monton.
They were mainly older… parents… and grandparents, but as I talked and listen to some of those in the wating room I realized that there were younger children at home waiting to hear the news. Did you pass? Some of them commented on how studying for the test had become a family activity. I clearly remember one lady saying that it was her children who told her SHE HAD TO VOTE. That is the crucial part for me; we have to set the example of being politicaly involved, localy and nationaly.
And that is what I also witnessed on that day; our GENTE was discussing the American Political Landscape. I know this is taking place from here in California to places like Michigan. Teamwork! Right Mireles. Change takes time. Usually generations.
I am the wife of a deportee who will soon be relocating to Central America and I will freely admit that I was one of those people who didn’t understand why people would pay thousands of dollars to risk their lives to get here instead of paying less, waiting and going through legal channels. I just didn’t get it until I saw how our immigration system works firsthand and experienced everyday life in Mi Amor’s native country: watching the spindly-armed children carrying water jugs (almost as big as they are and probably just as heavy) back home from the community well, driving by the sections of town where homes are all interconnected and somehow formed out of whatever free materials they could find, meeting the families struggling to feed their children in ways that many of the least privileged Americans could never come close to imagining…
I’ve seen how it is to live without a legal presence in this country, I’ve watched (and participated in) the struggle to stay under the radar, and my family was turned upside down when that struggle failed.
At this point, I’m just tired. I’m tired of people using “Mexican” as a derogatory word and not acknowledging that there are many diverse cultures, lands and people who happen to speak Spanish. I’m tired of people asking “What is she?” when referring to my too-dark-to-be-caucasian daughter. I’m tired of hearing people toss around the term “American” like this country wasn’t essentially founded by a bunch of “illegals”. I’m tired of people rejoicing at the destruction of families, criminalizing desperate attempts at basic survival, and claiming that every illegal immigrant is somehow living solely off of taxpayer dollars.
Bah… Sorry for the incoherent tirade… There’s just too much to say. I’ll just end this by saying thank you. It’s just so seldom that I hear a voice of truth on this subject and yours is always a welcome and healthy dose of reality.
thank you aighmeigh for bringing this post to my attention and sharing part of your personal story. i like to believe like nezua, that it is a matter of people becoming aware of the truth of the struggle;
“but i have to believe that most people, educated with the horrible truth, would feel something, would want to change things. would feel a need to drastically change this.”
i certainly don’t want “my country” (that i leave to my children), to respond any differently to any degree, than EXACTLY as nezua suggests with that statement.
eyes of texas, i’m guessing there is another planet that bares the name of texas? i feel sad for you and your people, you all must have an unhappy spirit to “see” as you “see”. some suggestions: you need new glasses; check your vision; turn off your tv; get a mind of your own;
“see” the truth!!!!
this post is as, or even more, timely now as in august. thank you again aighmeigh.
Jump to comments
And it’s even more ridiculous because people who we think should know better actually align themselves with these dolts. And if you hear them talk, they use the same talking points that McCain and Romney use, thus reducing their arguments to nothing more than sycophancy. Good post, and thanks for kickin’ it, ese …