Last week, all of the residents of Casa
CEMAL and Casa Verde loaded our suitcases into two vans and headed off for a
five-day rural homestay. By the end our visit, I think that everyone in the
Social Work and MG programs would agree that the tortillas that we ate in
Amatlan were some of the best of our lives. Some of us even got to try our hand
at making tortillas of our own. Personally I did not excel in this area, but I
enjoyed eating the delicious, if lumpy and misshapen, results of my labor. In
addition to our culinary adventures, we also had some really important
experiences that will inform our careers as social workers.
 |
| Host families and Students |
For me, the most influential part of the
visit to Amatlan was hearing about the experiences of two men who had spent
time working in the United States. It really felt like an honor that they were
willing to share their emotion-laden stories with us. One had crossed the
border without documents and one arrived with a work visa but, despite their
differences in immigration status, they were both subjected to many hardships
during their time in the U.S.
 |
| Amatlán |
Seeing both men weep while recalling
memories of injustice and mistreatment in the States along with the pain of
separation from the family that they had been forced to leave behind in Mexico
was moving. For me, it was enlightening to learn that these men did not plan on
settling in the U.S., they didn’t even really want to be there, but poverty and
a lack of jobs forced them there. Our experience in Amatlan opened a door to a different
world- the world of Mexican workers in the U.S.- which will allow us to be both
more informed social workers and more compassionate human beings.
Molly,
ReplyDeleteWow! Your experience it Amatlan sounds heartbreaking.
I have heard stories of the struggles of immigrant workers, but to be honest, I have never seen it first hand.
I am glad the tortillas were good! This sounds like a tragically wonderful experience.
Beau
I was surprised to read the one gentleman didn't necessarily want to be in America, but felt forced due to poverty. This makes sense, but I hadn't thought of it that way before. It has to be painful having to leave your native culture for lack of means of survival.
Seeing this first hand will definitely provide you with compassion to help in the future.
For some reason, my post was disorganized in the process of submission. This is how it was supposed to look:
ReplyDeleteMolly,
Wow! Your experience it Amatlan sounds heartbreaking.
I have heard stories of the struggles of immigrant workers, but to be honest, I have never seen it first hand.
I was surprised to read the one gentleman didn't necessarily want to be in America, but felt forced due to poverty. This makes sense, but I hadn't thought of it that way before. It has to be painful having to leave your native culture for lack of means of survival.
Seeing this first hand will definitely provide you with compassion to help in the future.
I am glad the tortillas were good! This sounds like a tragically wonderful experience.
Beau
Lauren,
ReplyDeleteI felt the same way while I was listening to their stories. It is one thing to read or hear about the experiences of crossing the border and the dangers than that entails or the injustices they face. It is totally and completely another thing to listen to two men who you have met and come to know and hear how difficult the entire ordeal was for them on a personal level.
I actually lived in the home of one of the speakers' mother and after hearing his side of the story, I simply had to ask about her experience. I feel like when I first looked at migration to the U.S., all I thought about was the individual that made the voyage and the change. The change doesn't just happen with that individual, however. The family and friends back home are also greatly impacted by their choice to move to the United States, even if it is just temporary. His mother said, "It was hard adjusting and it was especially hard for his son. He would ask every day for quite a while when his dad would come home because he didn't understand how long it was going to be." It was heartbreaking to hear the types of sacrifices she had to make as well.
I am so glad that by being here in Mexico I have learned that it is not always about the individual; I need to develop a mindset that also focuses on the other systems that affect individuals and how to better support all the sub-systems involved. It was an incredible experience!
I lived in the home of one of the speakers. When my roomate asked him if he would discuss his experiences in the states, he explained that he would rather we waited to hear about his experiences with the wohle group becasue he did not enjoy recounting his time in the states and it often made him cry. Hearing this and then attending the talk made me that much more appreciative of his willingness to share his story. After spending 5 days at his beutiful house (which he built with money he raised in the states) and meeting his lovely wife and sons I understand not wanting to settle in the states. it is a common and incredibly vain misconception that US citizens hold that everybody wants to live in the US...Amatlan was a different way of life, but it was beutiful. I remember that I was busy evety minute of the day in a way that wasn't stressful nore was it tedious. And I didnt miss internet!
ReplyDeleteGreat work Lauren!
Grace
Lauren, thanks for your well written post. It's so key for social workers to understand what Grace mentioned: "it is a common and incredibly vain misconception that US citizens hold that everybody wants to live in the US." Realizing that many come here for survival alone, and not permanent settlement is eyeopening. It's such a common misconception, and generalization that immigrants flock to the United States for permanent residence and free benefits received from our social welfare system.
ReplyDeleteMatt
Lauren, thanks for your post. Your time in Amatlan sounds heartbreaking and moving to say the least. I have heard stories from watching documentaries for social justice classes and such, but I have never witnessed someone weep over their struggles with US immigration and work personally. I can't begin to imagine what these two men dealt with. Leaving home for any reason is difficult, leaving everything one knows, loves, and is comfortable around for the unknown is terrifying. Being forced to go to a unknown country for work because of poverty is heartbreaking. These men didn't care to live the American dream, or be anyone special in the US, all they wanted was to make ends meet for their families back home. I am disgusted to hear that they were mistreated, and had such a hard time in the US. I can only hope that one day people will see these hardships for what they are, injustice, and discrimination. I hope that one day the status, "Immigrant" won't have such a negative stereotype around it. I am sure with your expierences in Amatlan, you will make a open minded, understanding social worker.
ReplyDeleteKelsey Thompson