The reason they are here

This is the season of money transfers. You will see migrant workers standing in line at Walmart or large grocery stores or small Mexican tiendas filling wiring money to  loved ones at home in Mexico and throughout Central America.. Without these funds from the United States, a difficult financial existence at home could become devastating. It is the sacrifices of these men and women who leave all that is familiar to them to work the fields of the US that enable so many to survive at home.

There are numerous estimates of how significant this transfer of money from the US to Latin America is. The most conservative figures suggest that wages from work in the US plays a significant part in the economies of several countries.

This source of income comes at a great cost. Workers are separated from their families and homes for years at a time.They are subjected to substandard housing, dangerous pesticides, and extreme working conditions.  I don't know what the research suggests, but it has been my experience that most migrant workers look forward to returning home some day. With all its problems, home is home. I have met very few migrant workers who want to stay in the United States forever.

 And then there is the all too common remark  I heard in Publix last night as the line for Western Union money transfers began to slow down customers in the cashier lines.

Isn't it enough that their take our jobs. Now they're getting in our way here too. It's getting too close to home for me.

I must admit that in the 4 years I have worked with migrants, I have not seen any South Carolina natives (or any gringo for that matter) applying for a position to pick tomatoes or watermelons all day in the lowcountry heat. 

What I will remember about my visit to Publix last night was the local man with a  cart full of  groceries who stopped to translate for the migrant workers and the equally frustrated worker behind the customer service counter. Within minutes, the line began to move, frowns turned to smiles, and suddenly there was a unity where a division had existed just moments before.

There many reasons why "they" are here and why "we" are frustrated at times. Both sides of the issue have legitimate concerns.   I personally think it's important to focus on those things, often the small things, which bring us together as humans as opposed to dividing and isolating us.

So, the next time you see a migrant worker in the store, think of it as a great opportunity to practice your Spanish. You might just be happily surprised.