investigacion

this week I have started working a lot more, in a mixture of different things. I am still continuing the surveys and english classes, but I am also starting to research the foreign migrant worker programs that both canada and the US have, what types of rights they are entitled to and also pensions that they should receive once they turn 60. the tough thing, which I already knew from studying labor history and labor law is that farmworkers are not protected under labor law the same way as other workers. in ontario, where a lot of people go to work in the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program they say this:

If you work on a farm that is directly related to
the primary production of eggs, milk, grain,
seeds, fruit, vegetables, maple products, honey,
tobacco or herbs, or the raising and keeping of
pigs, cattle, sheep, goats, poultry, deer, elk,
ratites, bison, rabbits, game birds, wild boar or
cultured fish, then you are not covered by the
following minimum employment standards:
• Minimum wage
• Hours of work
• Overtime
• General holidays with pay
• Vacation
• Vacation pay

and thats actually one of the better ones. if you are harvesting, you are entitled to the minimum piece rate wage, but only if you are harvesting more than 50% of the time.

Some people go to work in the United States through our agricultural guest worker program, H-2A. under these programs, people are supposed to get workers compensation and a minimum wage, but there is also huge abuse of the workers under this program as well. someone I know here has a husband in the US and has his documents, but he got appendicitis and spent 4 nights in the hospital. now the patron won't let him come home because he says he owes him money for the medical bills. also, I have a talked to some people who went to Georgia to plant pine trees, and were paid 2 cents per tree. as I am gathering this information, I am also looking for the organizations that support migrant workers where the most people from Amatlan go to work, and found that there is a class-action lawsuit representing thousands of workers who came to plant pine trees under H-2A and were underpaid. so I am currently trying to contact this organization in Virginia and ask about the progress of that case and see if it possible that some of the people I have talked to here could get compensated if they win the case.

also, tomorrow I am going to start helping out as well in the community clinic that uses traditional, indigenous medicine. I am going to wash dishes, sweep, and grind plants.. whatever they need me to do because only 3 people work there. one of my friends, Lety, works there. she is about 28 and for about half her life has been working with the clinic, even before they had a building and were just a group of young people who wanted to learn more about their culture and recover the wisdom of their grandmothers, who were healers. she talked to me about her struggles of working in this project.. as a woman she had to help build the building, wasn't working in the house, went on trips with the group.. and people in the community called her crazy, and eventually said she had turned into a man because she was doing men's work. she was going to get married when she was 20, but the day of the wedding her partner told her that after they were married she had to stay in the house and she couldn't work with her group anymore. so she was really brave and said no, and walked away from the marriage. now she is not married, but really wants to start a family but says it is hard to find someone that accepts her work.. which is really sad because she is really pretty and really friendly and has a lot of wisdom already at 28 to impart to her kids for the next generations to come. so, I am going to help her out, because even at the clinic the "women's work" is left to her, plus her regular duties of treating patients and giving massages.

and, in a few days I am going to drop everything and help out preparing for the town festival. well, more like everyone else is going to drop everything and work, so I will too, because no one is going to go to classes or have time to talk to me about migration. plus I want to help my family out, because there is SO MUCH WORK to prepare for the fiesta. basically, every family makes enough food to feed 300 people who will some to their house on the 22nd, and some families have to make even more food. the fiesta is in a week! I am really excited. i think i might start learning to dance salsa and cumbia tomorrow with my friend Lulu. it will be a super crash course.. I just need to know enough not to make a fool out of myself.

madrina del pastel

this week has been pretty busy with english classes, trying to get more surveys in, and Eymard's graduation from elementary school. the graduation was yesterday, and like other family events here, I was designated photographer. well, this time it was only with a digital camera, because the family has a camcorder that they bought with the money that their dad sends back from working in Chicago. he has been gone for 5 years, and they record important events and send him the videos so he can watch them, and see how his kids have grown up. but this video they are going to keep because he comes back in two weeks!! that is going to be a really exciting day too. with the money that he has earned working as a janitor, dishwasher, and cook, they also were able to build their own house over the span of 5 years. when I ask people about why they migrated, everyone says because of the lack of good work here in Mexico, that they money that they can earn is not enough to support their family, but also many people say that they worked in canada or the US to build a house for their family. its as basic as that. and these houses are not really fancy, they are basic houses so their family can have space and so that when their kids start their own families, there is room.

anyway, for the graduation I was dubbed the "madrina del pastel" or gothmother of the cake. it is really rare that people use the oven, so anyone that knows how to bake is revered and asked to make cakes and pizza. so i agreed to make a cake and two pies. it was an adventure for sure, because I had to buy the ingrdients in kilos, but the recipes were in cups and teaspoons. luckily, a cup is about 1/4 of a kilo. and i think they came out well! people here don't like really sweet things, at last thats what it seems like, so i think the icing on the cake was a little too sweet for them, but that means i think they should really like the apple pie, which we will eat today. there are godmothers and godfathers for a lot of events here, i guess one way of building stronger and closer relationships with the exended family, but also if you are a godparent it means that you provide some financial support for the big parties that people throw. like for weddings and quinceañeras, there is a godfather of beer, who buys the beer. and the parties are big, because the whole extended family is invited, plus friends, plus any others who they might bring. so for a family to throw a party for a wedding, graduation, baptism, etc, they need some help. two nights ago we stayed up until about 2 in the morning, preparing the food for the next day. that was the day that I also baked my cakes, so i slept really really well.

the english classes are going well. its a little hard because I want anyone who wants to learn to be able to come, but that means that I am not too strict about needing to attend every class or anything, because people can't always make a class and I don't want to shut them out. so I have one person who has been really consistant, but the others come when they can, which is most of the time, but I need to work around the fact that not everyone knows the same phrases and words. and soon we will be able to listen to music in english, which should be fun. the cable that I use to charge my computer does not work anymore, but Lisanne, my supervisor's partner, just got back from canada yesterday and I think has a similar computer as mine. hopefully that will work out. and mom, yes I know that I need to send Nick my model number.

oh, one last thing. the dogs really do provide for a lot of entertainment and conversation. last week, two of the little puppies died, and we had to bury them. but then Eymard bought a baby bunny who was really cute and soft, but then Duma (my favorite) ripped its head off. which i guess wasn't completly her fault, because she was pregnant and was really hungry. during the party yesterday she also stole someone's food, and they hit her in the stomach, and I don't know if it brought on early delivery or something, but Duma has three small puppies this morning, and as of now they are all still alive! they want me to bring a puppy back home with me. so far, i think I have been offered a puppy, dog, horse, or cat about 50 times. I say, I don't think customs would agree with that decision.