In the last week, I have received emails and calls from readers to wish me luck on my trip. I want to take moment to thank you. I'll be back in the RGV, for sure. I just need to go make some money so that I can get my life back on track. Believe it or not, I had my act together once upon a time. I had a steady job, good family time, went to lodge at every chance, and even had a budding computer business. I'm not sure where I went wrong. Everything just started to fall apart and I kept sinking deeper and deeper into problems. The problem is financial; which means that the solution is too. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel; but it's a long tunnel. I appreciate your concern and the support you have offered. As I've mentioned in other posts, I had no clue so many people read this blog. I must say that I am surprised and honored.
I have a feeling that migrating this summer will have more benefits than the financial ones I seek. I know that there is a story to tell about the lives of the migrants up north. If I land the job that I'm hoping to get, it means that I will be at the center of many migrant families. I'll have the opportunity to talk to many of them and find out what their challenges are. While I'm at it, I'll find out what their hopes and dreams are. Many people in the Rio Grande Valley have gone up north to work or have family who have. For those of us who can get out of that life, it's great. But we only remember that we don't want to do that for a living. We forget some of the other details about migrating.
Did you know that many migrant families do not speak English? When their kids go to school or pre-school, they don't know English either. It's tough on the kids when they don't know what the blonde lady just told them to do. Did you know that many of the migrant workers out there are not Mexican? This can be a linguistic challenge because Hispanics don't all speak the same Spanish. Did you know that there are college students who go up north with their families to work every year and then head back to their college before classes start? They do this because they won't earn nearly as much coming home to the RGV than they would going up north for a few weeks. Some do it to help their parents and younger siblings out. Migrants don't just go take jobs and live the good life.
There are many stories about why people migrate up north for jobs. Some are simple, some are complicated. In the end, they have all chosen to leave what is familiar in order to make better lives for themselves. I see that this trip and my time working amongst other migrants will give me a better perspective on their lives. I intend to write about all these experiences to give you, my readers, an idea of what the life is like, or to remind you what you left behind. Once I made the decision to go, it seemed like the natural thing to do. I support sealing off the borders, both the southern and northern ones. I support enforcing immigration laws. Not all migrants are illegal aliens. Most are U.S. citizens or resident aliens. I also believe that both Republicans and Democrats are being jerks about the whole immigration issue. The entire thing has come up, conveniently, in time for the November elections. Neither side knows the truth about who is out there and both are using it for political gain. As I was saying, this trip will allow me to give readers of RGV Life a glimpse of what it's like to risk it all for a better life. I think I may be able to fairly pull this off as I will be in the same boat.
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