You say Immokalee, I say . . .

Unless you are a migrant recruiter who spends a lot of time filling out COEs (Certificates of Eligibility), then you might not find this entry too interesting. But . . . if you have had to spell repeatedly the names of any of the following towns in Florida, then you might be interested. Many of the migrant workers who travel to South Carolina previously lived  in one of these towns that challenge even the best spellers.

IMMOKALEE

                                         WIMAUMA

                                                                      WACHULA

The gift of Sandias

Beginning in the middle of June until the middle of July, watermelon (sandia) are everywhere on St. Helena. I have sampled this succulent fruit (or vegetable?) from all over the East Coast of the USA and throughout Central America, and I can assure you that the melons from South Carolina are superior to their counterparts--no doubt about it.

Most of us in education have given up the notion that we will ever get rich in our field.  There are a few of us, however,  who know better. During watermelon season, we are often given a 10 -15 pound bonus from our students. If we are lucky, sometimes they will give us some "green" that has been on ice for several hours. Forget the cash, forget the big salaries. Once you've had an ice cold, South Carolin watermelon on a hot summer evening, you realize there are some things that money can't buy.

In all seriousness, I am often touched by the fact that so many migrants are so eager to give us the gift of sandias or tomates. We try to never turn down their generosity. There is always a neighbor or church or school faculty somewhere that will eagerly accept their generosity if we no longer have room for it.



Aaron receives a "gift of green" from a worker in Chisholm Camp on David Green Road. Many times after a class ends, we will cut up one of these bad boys and pass it around the circle. Even after the guys have been picking melons all day, they still seem to enjoy their taste. I know I do.

On this particular night, we were given more than our fair share of sandias. With 5 of us in a Honda Accord, sometimes we have to think vertically as demonstrated by Aaron and Melissale.

It's part of the job

Now before the Migrant Program Director or District Coordinator begins to wonder if taking the time to enjoy a tamale with mole is part of the job, let me argue my case.

The OSY team is constantly going into the fields, homes, camps and kitchens of the migrant workers and their families. We try to exchange pleasantries before getting down to the work of filling out COE (certificicates of eligibility) and teaching classes in the overwhelming summer heat of Beaufort County South Carolina. The kitchen (the hottest place in the entire camp) is an important domain of anyone who works in a migrant program. For one reason, this is one place where we can actually interact with the women of the camps. Quite often as they are cooking tamales, gutting fish, removing the shells of crabs, or making salsa, the OSY team can be found talking about the location of the Migrant Health Clinic and giving the essential vocabulary these women might need in the event they have to go there. On other occasions, we might be giving a lesson on colors or numbers or "cooking words" in English. 

But is sitting down to eat a requirement of the job?

While we do not make a habit of sitting down to eat every night at the camps, it is true that many women in the kitchens enjoy giving us a tasty sample of what they are cooking. They are proud of their ability to offer us something in return for our time spent with them. And if you have ever been to a migrant camp, you will often notice the delicious aroma that always seems to be coming from the kitchens in the camps. 

And since one of the most important parts of our job is to build a sense of trust and caring between ourselves and our students in the camps, it would be rather insulting to turn down what is usually some of the most tasty cuisine every prepared in Beaufort County.

Therefore, while it might look like I'm sitting down and enjoying a warm tamale with chicken mole in the photo, let it been known that I am working, working real hard with every delicious bite I take. Therefore, this is one time that "Sitting Down on the Job" can be an important part of the job description for a member of the OSY team.

Ana is very interested in the recipes used by the women of Mexico and Central America. She often asks them about the specific ingredients of their recipes and how a similar dish might be made in her home country of Spain. So often I have seen these friendly conversations result in a bond of trust that ultimately results in a woman attending classes or at least being more open to the idea of learning more about the services we offer in our program.

David

I have known David for 4 years. Each summer he returns to St. Helena to pick tomatoes and to give many of them to members of the OSY team. David is 56 years old making him one of the oldest migrant workers, perhaps the oldest, currently picking in South Carolina today.

David is one of those individuals that I look forward to seeing every summer. While I know that his life in the fields is phsically difficult on him, he maintains a positive attitute that I can only hope to emulate.

The photo below was taken at the request of David, a fact which makes it even more special to me. He asked me inside his room to meet his friend and of course to give me a bag of tomatoes. I promised David that I would give him a copy of this photo the next time I returned to Dempsey Camp. Unfortunately, he and the rest of the camp packed up and left for Virginia before I was able to give him a copy of this photo.

I look forward to David's return next year in May of 2013. I will have a framed copy of this photo ready to give him.

Some times our paths cross with individuals that . . .

We will never forget. I have once again been reminded that all of us are on a journey that takes us to new places and provides opportunities to interact with fellow travellers. I often see migrant workers as being on a journey within a journey shared by all of us.

And on a less philosophical note, the guy who is making the rabbit ears above my head in the top photo is Joel, the van driver for migrant clinic. And who said the French do not have a sense of humor.

Early Exit

Sunday, June 24, 2012: Station Creek I/ Cuffy Camp I packs up to leave for Virginia. This is one of the earliest departures that I can remember in my 5 years with Beaufort MEP. We did have an exceptionally rainy and cool month of June which might have something to do with the early exit.

  

 While there is much commotion on moving day, there

 is a high degree of organization amidst the chaos.

Violeta is given a last minute gift of tomatoes to pass

on to Mama Lisa.



It would surprise some people to see the number of

satelite dishes in the migrant camps on St. Helena. 

Watching television and talking on cell phone are two 

of the ways in which many migrant workers spend their

free time. 

The children always find the time to play, even on
moving day. 

The classoom comes to the students

When we recruit students for OSY classes, they often ask where they will attend school. They are always surprised when we point to the yard or field around them and say "Your school is right here." This particular classroom is in the front yard of a small house we call Casa Blanca on Storyteller Road.



Not in the job description.

Each year I get to interview individuals who are interested in working for the Migrant Education Program. More specifically. The OSY Team. When they ask me for a job description, I am always at a loss. So much of what we do for migrant workers and their families goes beyond the job description on the written page.

The following photos are evidence of just one of the many creative ways in which the OSY team comes up to provide services. I can honestly say that I did not come up with the creative idea of doing manicures at the Migrant Festival on Saturday, June 23, 2012.

Hands and farm work are in constant struggle all summer in the fields and camps. The woman and young girls thoroughly enjoyed some special pampering provided by  Violeta, Melissale, and Rachel.

 

Here's Looking At You Kid!

One of the best parts of working in the Migrant Education Program is interacting with the children of the camps. They are unaware of the economic and political powers that directly affect the lives of the adults around them. They seem to find the joy within the moment, like any other children.

Faces of a new day

“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”


― Maya Angelou

A tragic story

This is a tragic story on so many levels. A migrant worker from Guatemala dies in a firey crash on Coffin Point Road.

And the speculation continues to swirl like the sparks from the powerlines that came crashing down in the conflagration: no license, no papers, no regard for himself, no concern for others, more drunk driving, speed in excess of 100 mph  . . . .

Let me tell you what I do know.

The man who died in this crash had a brother who loved him. I could see it in his eyes. The man who died has loved ones in Guatemala who miss their father, their brother, their grandson, their novio. They will have to learn to live without the income he provided them each week in the form of a Money Gram purchase at the Mexican Tienda. Eighty percent of his income for his family, the rest to pay the women in the camps who prepare his food everyday and who clean the room he shares with five other men. The meager amount of money left. . . who knows. A 12 pack of Bud Light?  Some extra change for a game of cards in the late evening before seeking refuge from the Lowcountry mosquitos?

And now his brother here and his family there attempt to raise the money to transport his remains back to the land of his birth. The amount they need is $8500--a lifetime of income for many Guatemalans.

I do not know if they will be able to raise such an exorbitant amount of money. I do know that this story happens entirely too often. I do know that it is a tragic story.

A day in the life of a migrant recruiter

Migrant recruiter Aaron Hirsch is always on the lookout for new OSY to enroll for services in the Beaufort County Migrant Education Program. The faces of the young men in the photo illustrate the positive report that he has established with many of the migrant workers who have just recently arrived from Plant City, Florida.

Having at ball at Paragon Camp

Thanks to the good folks at Water's Edge Methodist Church in Beaufort, SC, there were some very happy kids at Paragon Migrant Camp. I think it's important for people to see that their efforts and donations really do make a difference in the lives of those who receive them.

The little boy in the back was eager to finish his supper so he could play with his new soccer bal. Thanks to the generous donations of people and organizations throughout Beaufort County, the lives of others are made a little easier.

It really is difficult to learn a new language.

Violeta and I had the same realization last night at Paragon as we worked with Rafael from Chiapas. As we taught him the names of colors in English, he taught us the names of colors in his native Mayan language of Tzotzil. I can assure you that he has a much better chance of becoming a Clemson English than I do of learning to speak Tzotzil fluently.

Strange sounds. Odd positioning of the tougue on the back of front teeth. Sounds that do not resemble sounds that I have any familarity with.

To many migrant, English sounds like Tzotzil to me. It can be overwhelming to constantly hear strange sounds when all you want to do is be able to pay for your groceries or pay your cell phone bill. Why not just go back to where you came from? A land where Tzotzil or any of the numerous Mayan Dialects are spoken? 

Of course we know the opportunities for a better life are here. It makes it a little easier (perhaps) to experience a completely different language when you know that it is just something you have to tolerate in order to provide income for your family many miles to the south.

One of the main goals of the OSY program is to provide migrant works with some basic language and lifeskills that will facilitate their interactions with locals as much as possible. Although I do not think that it's a written goal, I do feel that one of our particular OSY program objectives is to bring awareness of some of the challenges that migrants endure on a daily basis.

The Clown of Shop Camp

When the other men at Shop Camp kept referring to Roman as a clown, I thought they were just kidding--at least at first I did until Roman took a photo of himself out of his wallet. There he was--a payaso. A professional clown at that. He had even brought his costume, a remarkable feat considering how few items most migrant workers pack from home.

Before coming to the United States as a migrant worker, Roman worked as a clown in Chiapas, Mexico. He used to entertain people of all ages, but he prefers to entertain young children because their joy makes him happy.

After showing us his photo, Roman quickly returned to his room for the balloons that he proceeded to turn into animals of all shapes and colors. We suddenly had a brainstorm. Maybe Roman would come with us to the other camps where there were lots of children who would love his balloon creations. When we presented the idea to him, he became somewhat somber.

"I would be honored to entertain the children," he said looking into the distance. "I no longer have my children since my wife left with them [back in Chiapas]. If I can bring joy to other children, it will be like bringing happiness to my own children."

With this last remark he clearly fought back his tears.

Many husbands and wives are separated by the economic forces that drive a family member (more often the man) to find work in the United States. Immediate and extended family members rely on the wiring of moneythat usually occurs on Fridays of every week. However, the extreme distance and years of absence takes aextreme toll on husbands and wives, and all too often, the temptation and need for intimacy results in brokenfamilies and hearts--one of the less visible, but still painful injuries endured by migrant workers and their families.

Roman makes a French Poodle for Violeta after class.

"Policia! Policia!"

Just as we arrived at Paragon Camp last Thursday night, the Beaufort County Sheriff's Department car pulled in behind us. This is a fairly common sight. More often than not, the officer will ask us why we are visiting the camps--at least until he gets used to seeing us. These encounters with the police are always friendly.

Therefore, we were a bit surprised when the officer drove past and came to a stop only to be meet by a group of excited children. We discovered that the officer comes to the camp on a regular basis to pass out candy and to let kids know that the police department is there to help when there is a need.

I asked the officer if I could take his photo with a group of migrant children as he passed out the candy. He said that it was against department rules to have his picture taken. It would have been a heartwarming photo.

He called the children by name as they squealed in delight as he passed out the candy. The smiles were present on the faces of the children and the face of the officer who obviously enjoyed passing out the treats.

So many times, a police car in a migrant camp can be a scarey or threatening sight for migrant workers and their families. There is so much misinformation with regard to the "new" migrant laws and rumors and of  workers  being stopped and treated disrespectfully by law enforcement up and down the East Coast. There are numerous stories of arrests and deportations throughout migrant season. While some of these stories may be true, it was absolutely  heartwarming for us to see this BCSO officer passing out candy to a group of joyous children as night began to fall on one of the many migrant camps on St. Helena Island.

May we all create positive memories for those whom we encounter in our lives regardless of social or economic status.

The Paradox of each new Migrant Season

This season will be my 5th year working for the Beaufort County Migrant Education Program. I have to admit that I begin to look forward each year to seeing the same men, women, and children who have been passing through Beaufort County over the years. And yet, if this were an ideal world, there would be no need for my position as the OSY Coordinator, there would be no need for any Migrant Program.

In the ideal world, the political and economic opportunities would be of such a nature that these same men and women and children would be able  to work in their own countries. They would be able to adequately educate their own children in schools in their own communities surrounded by family and friends and a culture that they truly understood because they were born into it.

However, this is not the world in which we live. So while I will enjoy seeing Miguel from Guatemala and Juan from Honduras and Irene from Mexico again this summer, I am also aware that the forces that brought these individuals here have made their lives quite difficult.

In conclusion, I do look forward to another year with the migrant program. The paradox? My excitement is tempered by the wave of human need coming our way.



A lesson on handling money at Shop Camp





This year the OSY team is making a concerted effort
to fill out a Needs Assessment on every OSY we enroll.

 

An active game of soccer at Paragon Camp
after a long day of getting the fields ready for planting.








Jamye enjoys working with some of the many children who live in the camps.

    

This is one of three OSY who have been enrolled in local
schools so far this migrant season. With any luck, these students
will remain in Beaufort long enough to complete the school year
before moving north to the Eastern Shore of Virginia to pick
tomatos.

While we try to focus our classes on OSY, we also have many

 "younger students" who enjoy reading, drawing, and interacting with the OSY.

 


Roman, a professional clown when in Mexico, 

takes time to make balloon animals (and hearts)

for the OSY staff.  





Introductory English Lesson