Posted on 04/17/2002 7:23:43 PM PDT by Tancredo Fan
When Americans Became Soft, Hispanic Workers Stepped in
Richmond Times-Dispatch - April 16, 2002
There's been una sensacin pe quea (a small sensation) lately about "Speedy Gonzales," the fastest mouse in Mexico.
The Cartoon Network pulled the Academy Award-winning cartoon from its lineup in 1999 because of poor ratings and concerns that the hard-working Speedy - and his cigar-smoking, alcohol-swilling compaeros he's always trying to straighten up - reinforced negative racial stereotypes.
Since then, some U.S. Latino groups have been lobbying hard to get Speedy back on the air here. (By the way, The Cartoon Network Latin America still broadcasts him south of the border, where he's hugely popular.)
Not only is Speedy a marvelous worker, writes Virginia Cuerto with HispanicOnline, "he's big-hearted . . . endowed with street smarts that match his blinding speed. Speedy has a strong sense of justice and a healthy sense of humor."
It's a stereotype that fits the Latinos - most of them from Mexico, but also Guatemala, El Salvador and points south - that I've met on construction sites and elsewhere in recent years.
And if you haven't noticed, they've invaded this country. They're now the largest minority in the United States, and growing larger by the minute. Arriba! ndele! (The 23,300 count for the Richmond- Petersburg area from the 2000 census isn't even close.)
Surely you've noticed all these immigrants and their speedy, "let's roll" spirit as they build our roads and schools and homes and businesses here in central Virginia, and across the country.
From tobacco fields, apple orchards and Christmas tree farms to dairy barns and textile mills, they've become totally indispensable. Type in the words "Hispanic" and "hard workers" in your Internet search engine, and you'll see how admired and desired these dependable workers have become across the land.
The fact is, this country would screech to a halt without them, because they're happily doing all the work increasingly soft Americans don't want to do. When we want a physical workout, we go to the fitness center. Meanwhile, we hear ourselves increasingly whine about our road rage and other rudeness - all caused because we're working too hard.
Roughly 70 percent of the big masonry crew I'm currently working on during the day (for my mental, physical and financial health - not to mention intensive Spanish lessons) is made up of Mexican immigrants.
They work the way we used to work a generation ago - wide open, eager to do their best, to be the best. They call each other "Primo" - number one.
Years ago, we used to see high school and college kids working in the trade during the summer, because the money is so much better than fast food or clerking jobs. No more.
The American-born craftsmen are mostly older guys now, with few youngsters on track to take their places.
But like Speedy Gonzales, the Hispanics have arrived in the nick of time. That's why you hear few complaints about them stealing away our jobs, as our country voiced when Chinese immigrants outworked our labor pool during the late 1800s. (Which led to the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882.)
I've asked several of them: "Por que los Latinos trabajan tan rpido y tan bien?" (Why do Latinos work so fast, so well?)
They tell me they like it here because there are plenty of jobs and opportunity to support their families. They make 10 times the wages they'd make in Mexico.
But there's something even more basic.
"Me gusta trabajar" ("Work is pleasing to me."), said a young bricklaying apprentice who used to be a cowboy in Mexico. The look in his eye showed he meant it.
They love to talk about their children, their brothers and sisters, their parents, their churches. It's part of their reputation of being focused on their families.
Wait a minute . . . a hustling, noncomplaining work ethic, love and devotion to family and faith?
Sounds like America of yesteryear.
No wonder Speedy Gonzales got run out of this country.
When Americans Became Soft, Hispanic Workers Stepped in
Wrong When there is no opportunity to make a decent living in Mexico the illegals flood across our porous borders and companies look the other way to grab the cheap labor.
I have worked with many an illegal,(no proof)but I have no doubt,they don't work harder,than others in this particular industry, in fact they did less and took up more of my time,they do everything they can to use the system and will move on if they can get another .25 cents next door.
And no I didn't hire them, but had the unfortunate experience of trying to supervise them.
If Virginians weren't so damn lazy, they would create a holiday for these people that saved their state.
My contractors are hurting for work because the contractors that hire illegals and pay them a pittance are outbidding most of the jobs. They simply can't compete.
The quality of work is what is suffering though. Unfortunately the unsuspecting consumers that hire them don't realize that in most of cases these illegal workers are not licensed or even trained. Not to mention can't even speak to their employers or clients due to the language barrier.
One contractor that I have tells me the stories about the drinking and fist fighting that goes on between the Mexicans on the job also.
MKM
They call each other "Primo" - number one.
"Primo" is a first cousin, not "number one" (numero uno?). This is a shill job from some jackoff immigration lawyer, or the illegals themselves.
Yeah, but if it saves a few bucks it worth it. Besides, they are probably fighting and drinking on their breaks.
"Hard worker' is bosspeak for an employee working at well below market wages.
Do they talk about why so many of their children drop out of school and why the parents condone it? Do they talk about why so many of their children become gang members and why the parents condone it? "Their reputation of being focused on their families"? Give me a break!!! If they were focused on their families, their children wouldn't be dropping out of school or joining gangs in large numbers.
They have mentioned that a LOT of the illegals have illegal papers and so the contractor hiring them can always claim ignorance.
I'm in NC where the Mexican illegal population is increasing unbelievably fast in the past few years.
Of course it may have something to do with the easy to get drivers licenses and now our politicians are lobbying for in-state college tuition for illegals
It's a crying shame that those of us that uphold the law and work hard to try and support our families are punished and law breakers are rewarded.
MKM
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