This morning we went to an open forum over immigration at the church I attended last year during my first year of Master´s studies here in DC. What I can say about this church is that it is highly intellectual– so much to the point that this intelletualism creates a sort of elitism; I remember last year when they were about to make their Big Vote over whether the candidate who´d just spoken before the church would become their Head Pastor or not, one man– in full suit and tie, as per custom in this church–stood up and asked, before the entire congregation, if they shouldn´t be skeptical about the candidate simply because there wasn´t a “PhD” written after her name. *Gasp* went the church (although I wouldn´t doubt that he wasn´t the only one thinking this). Anyway… just to get a sense of what this congregation tends toward… a lot of think, not as much feel.
One of the comments from a (white, rich) man listening in on the forum had to do with how Latin American immigrants perceive the United States– in all of its wonderfulness. (This isn´t what he said, but it´s basically what he meant.) He was shocked to hear from the forum´s leader (a woman with plenty experience in the borderlands on both sides, now working with Latin American Working Group here in DC on Mexico/Borderlands regional issues and policies) that most immigrants are actually NOT “in love with” the idea of immigrating to the United States, actually don´t think it´s the greatest place in the world to live, and are actually only here to MAKE MONEY and then send it back home to support loved ones and communities as such opportunity, in most circumstances, does not exist back home. This idea, to him, was foreign. You mean, we´re not the most incredible place in the world to live? Life here isn´t a cakewalk?
Sir, I wish we could have chatted a bit.
Fast forward to post-forum discussion between the leader and the wonderful woman who invited us to this forum, knowing it was something we´re involved with directly in our lives. Said leader discovers that Jonatan has recently immigrated to the United States, and asks him how it´s going; she seemed interested. I would I could have taken a picture of his face and reaction in that moment, and posted it on here for all to see. It was far from the perception of what the man in my last paragraph had asked about. Jonatan– a young man in a situation far different from most who have recently arrived in the USA (and even for some who´ve been here for some time)– has a wife who can be his interpreter while he´s adjusting to English (and let´s not forget has an insider´s perspective to the USA because, well, she´s from there), a place to live, an automobile to get where he needs to go, an education far beyond what most L.American immigrants have had, is working on an independent project that is perfect for him and paying him–for the time being–what he requests, has his own tools for this project and future projects, eats well, lives consciously, has in-laws from the USA who have welcomed him 100% into the Reynolds family– ALL of these things, and more, Jonatan has on his side– and he STILL considers his time so far living in the USA to be una lucha (a struggle).
There´s nothing FUN about leaving your homeland, particularly when it has to do with a family´s need to somehow support themselves economically. There are mothers and fathers in the USA who would give anything to be at home with their children, who are growing and learning and experiencing life while having to deal with the absence of a parent (or two) at the same time– but instead, they´re working around the clock so they can send all the “incredible” money they make back home to keep their children in school, to pay for sick family members, even just to keep food on the table.
Jonatan´s case had nothing to do with economics. When I met him, he´d spent 7 years living in Agua Prieta, with about a million opportunities to cruzar al otro lado (cross to the other side) but never once did he accept. He felt that his home was Mexico, and regardless of how much or little he was earning, he was living WITH DIGNITY and that´s worth so much more than any amount of dollars he could earn in the USA. As an independent building contractor, he paid his workers a very just rate and often persuaded his Mexican workers to reconsider their options– crossing to the USA, leaving their families behind, etc– these aren´t ways to solve your problems, he always told them. Stay here, work hard, you´ll see that the life you earn in your own land will be a rich one…………. This is the man I married. This is the man I immigrated to the United States, not out of any given economic necessity, but simply because our relationship requires that we be together.
He misses Mexico. He misses the smell, the taste, the fields, the mountains, everything that he came to associate with his homeland. Our little kitchen in this family´s basement apartment often smells of Mexico, but only because we make it so– however, these moments don´t even come close to the authenticity that one finds in his hometown of San Lucas el Grande, Puebla, for instance, or elsewhere in Mexico. I miss it, too, but the truth is that while my ser interior (inner being) is quite Mexican, my citizenship/nationality is not, and even if and when I do acquire a Mexican passport someday I will still be estadounidense, US-born and raised.
I wasn´t raised working in the fields of chile with my grandparents. I´ll never TRULY know what it´s like to walk by chiles poblanos in a supermarket and see a terrible quality product marked up to $3 a pound or more– knowing that, back home, the true, original chile poblano is just a step away, and it is priceless because it came from the work of their very own hands. I don´t pride myself on being a good example-giver, as I know to some people this may be a terrible example of lucha but believe me, es parte de su ser (it´s part of his being).
I just felt the need to share that there´s nothing glorious about Jonatan´s situation, or about any other immigrant´s situation. He is making the absolute best of his, like many others are, and we are enjoying sharing ours lives together, but never would I want anybody to assume that all is hunky dory for Jonatan just because he´s here, in the USA, just as I wouldn´t want anybody to assume the same for anyone else who has been forced/obligated/(insert choice verb here) to leave their homeland for something, or someone, else.
