Posted on 05/26/2005 5:25:42 AM PDT by chambley1
In the early 1990s, the Mexican National Institute of Anthropology and History laid off several employees, including Ricardo Juarez, who worked in the institute's communications office.
For the next two years, Juarez looked for another job while he tried to find work as a field hand near Mexico City.
"I had two years without a permanent job, so I was working in the fields like a laborer, and paid very cheaply," Juarez said.
In 1995, Juarez left Mexico -- and his 7-month-old son -- and came to Woodbridge, hoping to earn money to send back to his family.
Leaving home was difficult, but Juarez says he felt "expelled" by the economic reality in Mexico.
Today, Juarez has a full-time construction job in Woodbridge and is helping organize the most recent wave of immigrant day laborers under the auspices of the Woodbridge Workers Committee.
Many of the newest workers are indigenous people from Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala who are trying to find jobs, get paid on time, learn English, and adapt to a new culture -- just like Juarez 10 years ago.
The Woodbridge Workers Committee is comprised of more than 250 members and conducts English classes, helps day laborers with problems on the job and tries to keep order at the 7-Eleven on Longview Avenue in Woodbridge, where many of its members wait for construction jobs.
To be eligible for help from the group, workers must show respect for community and other workers. Any member who doesn't -- or does something to tarnish the group's reputation -- can lose his membership, Juarez said.
"The organization has rules and every member has responsibilities," said Juarez.
An eight-member governing committee helps pick the group's projects. One of the first was an English class.
Teresita Jacinto, who moved to Woodbridge from Texas in 1977, taught the first English classes last fall. The class met under a tree at the Covenant Presbyterian Church near the 7-Eleven.
Jacinto dubbed the open-air classes "English for Construction Workers" because lessons focused on names for construction tools and equipment and included lessons based on scenarios workers encountered on the job.
"[The workers] are the ones who designed the curriculum," Jacinto said. "They come in with an issue and they'll say 'this happened to me' and that will get them all talking together and they'll say 'how do I approach an issue like that in English.' "
When the cold weather made it hard to be outside, the class started meeting inside, at the nearby Fred M. Lynn Elementary School.
The English classes often swelled to more than 30 students, although on a recent Wednesday evening attendance dwindled to less than 10. Most regulars had skipped class to work during the sunny weather.
"When the weather is really good, they can't miss that. They have to stay out there and work," Jacinto said.
Ensuring workers get paid for their work is another one of the group's priorities.
Nancy Lyall of Woodbridge was recruited to help make sure contractors pay day laborers.
Lyall, a local educational consultant with no legal training, sends letters and makes phone calls to contractors who refuse to pay.
Lyall presented several cases in small claims court Wednesday on behalf or workers who were trying to recover nearly $5,000 they claimed was owed. The workers won all the cases, Lyall said.
Yet even winning their case is no guarantee that workers will be paid.
One worker won his case in 2003, but is still waiting for a check, Lyall said.
Additionally, though the court costs for each case is only $34, even that can be a financial burden for some of the workers, Lyall said.
"For these guys, who are pretty much living day to day, to come up with that kind of money is a really difficult thing to do," Lyall said.
For the group's own expenses, members of the Woodbridge Workers Committee contribute money to cover costs and have also received some local donations.
A major goal of the Woodbridge Workers Committee is the establishment of a formal hiring hall, which Juarez says could help cut down on problems workers have had with recalcitrant contractors.
Juarez and Jacinto both served on the Day Laborer Community Task Force, which was organized by Supervisor Hilda Barg, D-Woodbridge.the task force recently recommended that the Prince William Board of County Supervisors consider establishing a center where day laborers can wait for work.
"Being on the streets is not good for us and is not good for the community," said Juarez, who emphasizes that the workers want to respect the community.
Juarez says his own decade-long experience in the U.S. has been positive. He has been able to find work and make enough money to live and send back to his family in Mexico. Yet, Juarez still hopes to return to Mexico one day, if the economic situation improves there.
Juarez says many of the Woodbridge day laborers have similar aspirations of returning to their homes once they make enough money.
"To be a day laborer is a temporary situation," Juarez said.
The fact that criminals can meet openly and even advertise the location without fear of law enforcement shows how serious the government is about illegal immigration.
"Lyall presented several cases in small claims court Wednesday on behalf or workers who were trying to recover nearly $5,000 they claimed was owed. The workers won all the cases, Lyall said."
Does the court consider the fact the contractors are breaking the law by paying illegals under the table? Does the court notify the IRS?
Nancy Lyall just happens to run her operation as an employee of Prince William Public Schools:
lyallna@pwcs.edu
http://www.reportillegals.com
"ReportIllegals.com provides a simple, fast, and anonymous way to report illegal aliens ('undocumented immigrants') and illegal employers to the appropriate U.S. government agencies."
Spare the rod........spoil the child. Same goes true with illegals when we fail to show them there are sometimes very serious consequences to their actions. Now it seems that the illegals believe they are OWED a legitimate stature here just because they have never experienced the responsibility for their behavior. I wonder how the liberal weenies would react if their gated communities became over run with illegals.
Their gated communities are overrun with illegal lawnmowers and house cleaners.
You da man, Juarez!
http://www.pwcs.edu/
Anyone wanting to let the Prince William County School Superintendent know what he thinks about the County School System employing someone who has a part time job aiding criminal aliens in the breaking the law, you can get contact information at the above web site.
Edward L. Kelly, Ph.D.,
Superintendent of Schools
pwcssupt@pwcs.edu
ping
How about "Many of the newest workers are illegal immigrants from Mexico, Honduras, etc who are not trying to find jobs but still get paid (mainly from the US Taxpayers), do not learn English, and get free medical care -- just like Juarez."
Protect our borders and coastlines from all foreign invaders!
Be Ever Vigilant!
Minutemen Patriots ~ Bump!
Missing from the article is the fact that behind the 7-11 is a "counseling center for rape victims".
Many of these day laborers were/are reprimanded for yelling obscene remarks to the women going to the center.
Another bit of info missing from this article:
A Google search turns up that Teresita Jacinto and Ricardo Juarez are members of Mexicanos sin Fronteras which runs with the ANSWER crowd.
Mexicanos sin Fronteras recently held a pro-illegal rally in DC. Here's a FR thread on that one.... http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1392226/posts?q=1&&page=1
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