High heat and spirits in the Carolina Lowcountry.

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 Despite gangs of swarming critters and intense heat, Faith's lesson on Heat Stroke went quite well. To be honest I didn't expect anyone to sit for more than a few minutes considering the flies, humidity, and heat. In fact as the photo above attests, the mood in the class was downright upbeat.

Several times during this class, I thought about my English classes at Beaufort High throughout the year. If the temperature was below 70 or above 76, there would be some complaining. I don't believe I heard a constant complaint last night during the class. In fact, several times I heard questions such as "Why do you have to leave?" and "Are you coming back tomorrow night?"  

With a combination of humor, professionalism, and empathy, Ana and Faith work well together. I am fortunate to have so many speakers of Spanish on the OSY staff this year.

 

Do you feel sick? Yes, I feel sick. Are you dizzy? Yes, I am dizzy. Do you need a drink of water? Yes, I need to rest and drink water.  Considering the extreme working conditions, these are important English phrases to know.

Jose, the student on the right, is considerably older than the OSY cut-off age of 22. However, Jose's 45 years of experience is a positive influence on the younger students. Jose is a well-know entity around Paragon Camp. He frequently insists that we take one of the numerous watermelons or bags of tomatoes he picks for the OSY staff on a regular basis.

July 4, 2011

On July 4, we took several families and OSY to see the fireworks at Parris Island. Although we got there too late for the inflatables and food, we did get to see a great fireworks show. Next year we will have to arrive when the gates open at 5 to take full advantage of all the events and music.  What a great opportunity to expose others to American culture. 

OSY Update: As of July 4, 2011, we have identified and recruited 182 OSY. Although the number of migrant workers seems to be greater this summer, the number of OSY would seem to be fewer than last year. One reason I suspect this is true is because of the fact that we had 350 H-2A (Visa) workers this year who came to South Carolina instead of working in Georgia as planned. H-2A workers tend to be a little older than the maximum age of 21 to be given the OSY status. By the way, one reason that so many workers skipped Georgia this year is because of the strict, anti-immigration law that was passed in Georgia just before harvest season began. Sadly, as a result, 40% of Georgia's harvest went unpicked this year. 

The greater number of workers in SC meant that less money was to be made for the workers in general. As a result, many workers, especially with families, left SC early to be the first ones in line to pick tomatoes in Virginia. This explains why the migrant day school at St. Helena Elementary School is closing about 2 weeks early this year. 


It will be interesting to see how the strict, new immigration law going into effect in SC on January 1, 2012 will affect next years number of workers and harvest totals.