Guatemalan war widows fighting for human rights.
Brother Towns / Pueblos Hermanos
- Description
- Reviews
- Citation
- Cataloging
- Transcript
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Brother Towns is a story of two towns linked by immigration, family, and work: Jacaltenango, a highland Maya town in Guatemala; and Jupiter, a coastal resort town where many Jacaltecos have settled in Florida.
Brother Towns chronicles a story of how and why people migrate across borders, how people make and remake their communities when they travel thousands of miles from home, and how people maintain families despite their travel. Because we are all immigrants, this is a universal human story, and a quintessential American one. All of us understand family.
Brother Towns is also a story of local and international controversy. News of undocumented immigrants is familiar in nearly every community across the U.S., and citizens must choose how they respond to this issue.
Our story includes voices of those opposed to undocumented immigrants as well as advocates helping migrants who seek work and hope, whether documented or not.
'This film is a careful, insightful and powerful portrayal of the complex web of elements surrounding international migrants. Based in the fine texture of daily life in two towns, one in rural Guatemala and the other in the southern US, it probes the dilemmas and constraints that force some to risk their lives by migrating and lead others to articulate poisonous and xenophobic abuse towards those servicing their daily lives. This film is a wonderful pedagogical tool but also a moving document of our times.' Jacqueline Bhabha, Jeremiah Smith Jr. Lecturer, Harvard Law School, Director, University Committee on Human Rights Studies
'A panorama of how two communities existing in different countries and in different social worlds become intertwined...As the film demonstrates, sometimes the biggest difference that emerges when new immigrants appear is not between the immigrants and community residents, but among the established residents themselves. The dual-country approach of the film gives it high educational value.' Nestor Rodriguez, Professor, Department of Sociology, The University of Texas at Austin, Author, When States Kill: Latin America, the U.S., and Technologies of Terror
'Brother Towns/Pueblas Hermanos tells in a sober and balanced fashion the story of Guatemalan migrants -- as well as the tale of two towns affected by the migration -- who begin their trek in Jacaltenago, Guatemala and end up working in Jupiter, Florida. We learn what pushes people to make the difficult decision of migrating away from family, friends, and community in the war-torn, impoverished countryside of Guatemala to come to the small rural town of Jupiter to do hard jobs for low wages. Importantly, we learn how a responsible city government -- even with bitter resistance -- acts in a decent, compassionate, and rational way toward immigrant workers in the community, a lesson that is all the more important with the harshness of Arizona Senate Bill 1070 fresh in the nation's collective mind. Last but not least, Brother Towns reveals the very human people involved -- migrants, workers, families, and political leaders -- in the national and international debate over immigration, all trying to figure out how to do the right thing.' Kevin R. Johnson, Dean, University of California-Davis School of Law, Author, Opening the Floodgates? Why America Needs to Rethink Its Border and Immigration Laws
'This story of the multiple linkages between Jacaltenango, Guatemala and Jupiter, Florida shows the human faces behind the 'undocumented immigration' statistics. It introduces us to identities forged between these towns that are neither Mexican nor mestizo (the most common, and too often stereotyped cases), but indigenous Guatemalan Mayas, who have become increasingly visible as actors in the Americas. Since international migration is a central component of life throughout the United States in the 21st century (regardless of 'border security' agendas in Washington), Brother Towns is an excellent educational tool for understanding not only this particular cross-border case, but also the thousands of other cases that are similarly transforming the United States as a society.' Susanne Jonas, Latin American and Latino Studies, University of California at Santa Cruz, Author, Of Centaurs and Doves: Guatemala's Peace Process
'This video does a good job of portraying the poor in their own homes and through their own words, not as victims but agents of their own lives in difficult and complex national and global circumstances_.Provides an opportunity for students of Latin America, globalization, economics, and work to explore the various and often divisive perspectives on the issues_Interesting and aesthetically pleasing.' Liliana Goldin, New York University, Anthropology of Work Review
'We are all interconnected in the global economy...Even though many may not want undocumented immigrants as part of their community they depend on the labor of the very migrants they seek to deport. The community needs labor as much as immigrants need to provide labor. [Brother Towns is] suitable for high school classes and college courses in cultural anthropology, sociology, demography, migration, and populations, as well as for general audiences.' Leslie Meyer, University of Texas at Brownsville, Anthropology Reviews Database
'Brother Towns / Pueblos Hermanos listens to all sides of the immigration issue: those who leave Guatemala, the anxious family members left behind, the Americans who welcome the strangers, and those who feel the newcomers present a risk to the United States. It's hard not to by sympathetic to Guatemalan workers who simply want to provide a better life for their children and families. Yet, at the same time, the American immigration experience has been one of assimilation and many undocumented workers hope eventually to return home...An excellent resource for understanding the legal complexities and the humanitarian aspects of the immigration issue...Highly recommended for collections and a must have for those desiring a deeper appreciation of all sides of this critical issue.' Patricia McGee, Tennessee Technology University, Educational Media Reviews Online
'A powerful, personalized look at immigration, ethnic relations, xenophobia, and day labor, among other topical issues.' Booklist
Citation
Main credits
Thompson, Charles Dillard (film director)
Thompson, Charles Dillard (film producer)
Davey, Michael (film director)
Diaz, Filomeno Raymundo (narrator)
Other credits
Editor, Michael Davey; photography, Michael Davey, Charles D. Thompson, Jr., Margaret Morales.
Distributor subjects
American Studies; Anthropology; Central America/The Caribbean; Community; Ethics; Geography; Globalization; Guatemala; Human Rights; Immigration; Labor and Work Issues; Latin American Studies; Latino and Chicano Studies; Migration and Refugees; Poverty; Race and Racism; Social Justice; SociologyKeywords
WEBVTT
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[noise of sewing machine]
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[rooster crows]
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[steady bass music]
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- If you had been born here,
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depending on which family
you had been born into,
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like a very simple
or very poor family,
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you might be a small farmer.
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Or maybe you\'d be...
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A mason or a carpenter,
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or you could be a tailor
like me right now.
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- [singing]
They walk down the boulevard.
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Mothers walk down one by one.
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They turn to central square
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looking for soulless bodies,
you know.
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We are direct descendants
of the Maya.
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The Maya believed in God also
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but maybe a little differently
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from how the Spanish
understood things.
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But they also had the blessing
of a belief in God.
00:02:51.667 --> 00:02:53.834
- Zaculeu is a city built
about 500 years after Christ.
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It was conquered in 1521
by Gonzalo Alvarado,
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a Spanish conquistador.
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Its significance
is that this is a model
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of how they used to live.
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The pyramids, they say,
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were built very tall
so they could be close to God.
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That\'s the most
important meaning.
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- There are people
who are prayer-makers
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who travel
to light their candles
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and to ask the creator
for care and protection.
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We also inherited
from our ancestors
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ceremonial sites to visit.
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We speak the language,
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our mother tongue,
called Popti\'.
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The territory of Jacaltenango
is located
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on the edge of the Cuchumatanes.
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[lively music]
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We have our own culture
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that revolves around
celebrating our patron saints,
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principally the one named
for Candelaria,
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who is the most revered
in Jacaltenango.
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[pounding]
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My brother already decided to go
to the U.S. before
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because he knows
that our situation
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is a little bit hard, right?
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It\'s not easy
to make it through each day.
00:05:24.834 --> 00:05:27.292
Here you work a lot,
but you don\'t make much.
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Sometimes when we talk,
we say it would be fine.
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But as we say here,
I\'m of two hearts,
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because sometimes I say
it\'s a good time for me to go.
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But in part, I\'m also thinking
\"no\" because of my children.
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When one goes
and the children stay behind,
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it\'s not the same as having
both parents at home,
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the papa and the mama.
00:06:07.918 --> 00:06:10.834
The wife stays behind
like a widow.
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[bells clanging]
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- He left on February 4th.
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I remember it was
the Fiesta of Candelaria.
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I received a call saying
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that the \"coyote\" was preparing
to take him.
00:06:35.918 --> 00:06:37.334
He told me, \"I am going.
I am going.
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\"I\'m going because
this is my chance.
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I don\'t know how,
but I\'m going.\"
00:06:45.083 --> 00:06:48.542
And so I said,
\"No, Santi, don\'t go.\"
00:06:49.959 --> 00:06:52.083
I really didn\'t believe
he was really going to leave.
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But that night,
I saw him running around
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getting together everything
he needed to take.
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I said, \"Dear God,
Santiago really is going.\"
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I remember that we went to bed,
00:07:09.626 --> 00:07:11.584
but I couldn\'t sleep
knowing he was leaving.
00:07:13.959 --> 00:07:15.584
When 4:00 a.m. came,
he got out of bed.
00:07:19.959 --> 00:07:22.250
He talked with the children,
to my daughter especially.
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He was going to give something
better to her, to them.
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Santiago left before I knew it.
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Two days passed.
00:07:35.959 --> 00:07:37.667
Then he got to the border
and called me.
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The next day, he started walking
through the desert,
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and all over again,
I didn\'t know where he was
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until the 17th of February,
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when I got a call saying
he\'d arrived in Florida.
00:08:11.959 --> 00:08:17.959
[soft guitar music]
00:08:26.292 --> 00:08:28.667
- There will always be people
from the third world countries
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trying to seek a better life.
00:08:31.834 --> 00:08:33.834
Immigration has been going on
here for decades
00:08:35.709 --> 00:08:36.709
and hundreds of years,
00:08:36.959 --> 00:08:38.709
and we\'ll always
have immigration.
00:08:40.959 --> 00:08:42.999
- It was a while before
the town of Jupiter realized
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that we had
an immigrant community.
00:08:47.876 --> 00:08:49.459
A number of the folks
left Guatemala,
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went to Indiantown,
and eventually came to Jupiter
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for the job potential here.
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[lively music]
00:09:04.709 --> 00:09:06.959
We could all benefit from having
a greater understanding
00:09:08.250 --> 00:09:09.834
of what life is like
in Jacaltenango,
00:09:11.292 --> 00:09:13.501
because I think that, you know,
the more you understand,
00:09:13.709 --> 00:09:14.959
the more empathetic you can be.
00:09:16.375 --> 00:09:17.615
- Let the people stay and work.
00:09:17.959 --> 00:09:19.959
- A lot of people
have negative feelings about it.
00:09:20.959 --> 00:09:22.959
But in many towns,
if the immigrants were gone,
00:09:25.626 --> 00:09:26.876
the economies would collapse.
00:09:26.959 --> 00:09:28.959
- There were complaints
from a local housing area,
00:09:29.959 --> 00:09:31.751
a condominium development
right across
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from where the migrants
gathered.
00:09:33.542 --> 00:09:36.042
They were complaining their
property values were going down.
00:09:36.542 --> 00:09:38.792
There was littering and just
all kinds of safety issues.
00:09:41.042 --> 00:09:43.042
- I live right here,
and, like, they\'re along here,
00:09:45.334 --> 00:09:47.063
and they always ride by...
Bike by their...
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My house and everything,
and I, like...
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A lot of them throw trash
in my yard and everything.
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I\'m not even joking about that.
00:09:53.751 --> 00:09:54.959
And it\'s become a big problem,
00:09:55.167 --> 00:09:57.125
but they opened
that El Sol Resource Center,
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and that\'s helped out a lot.
00:09:58.918 --> 00:09:59.918
- Gaspar Lopez.
00:10:00.959 --> 00:10:03.959
The whole idea of this is to get
the day laborers off the street.
00:10:05.876 --> 00:10:07.542
- I don\'t know
what we\'d do without \'em.
00:10:07.959 --> 00:10:08.959
Honestly.
00:10:09.626 --> 00:10:10.626
In doing odd jobs,
00:10:11.626 --> 00:10:13.626
finding, you know,
stuff that I don\'t want to do.
00:10:14.083 --> 00:10:15.083
I work with the police,
00:10:15.626 --> 00:10:17.866
and I\'ve not heard of any
real problems with them at all,
00:10:18.584 --> 00:10:19.584
crimewise.
00:10:21.918 --> 00:10:22.918
Nicest people I\'ve met.
00:10:23.501 --> 00:10:24.709
- There\'s this girl Mercedes.
00:10:24.751 --> 00:10:26.292
She\'s one of my friends,
and she\'s...
00:10:26.375 --> 00:10:27.792
When she first came
to our school,
00:10:27.834 --> 00:10:29.709
she didn\'t know
how to speak English at all,
00:10:29.459 --> 00:10:30.709
and now she speaks it fluently.
00:10:30.959 --> 00:10:31.959
It\'s pretty cool.
00:10:32.042 --> 00:10:34.042
- We\'re not gonna discriminate
against anybody
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of any race, creed,
color, whatever.
00:10:36.959 --> 00:10:37.959
They can have the job.
00:10:38.751 --> 00:10:40.751
But respect the country,
learn the language,
00:10:41.751 --> 00:10:43.459
and pay taxes
just like everybody else.
00:10:45.834 --> 00:10:47.584
- Unfortunately,
as the population grew
00:10:49.501 --> 00:10:50.501
and tried to find work,
00:10:51.667 --> 00:10:53.834
we began to get complaint.
00:10:56.459 --> 00:10:58.042
- Just a few years ago,
I was clueless.
00:10:59.584 --> 00:11:00.584
It wasn\'t my problem.
00:11:01.292 --> 00:11:03.292
It was something
that the federal government
00:11:03.042 --> 00:11:04.042
was responsible for.
00:11:04.667 --> 00:11:06.417
And it finally struck me
when I realized,
00:11:06.959 --> 00:11:09.000
I\'m just an elected official
in the town of Jupiter,
00:11:09.751 --> 00:11:11.000
and I can\'t solve world hunger,
00:11:12.042 --> 00:11:13.292
but if I really think about it,
00:11:13.792 --> 00:11:15.792
I am responsible for hunger
in the town of Jupiter.
00:11:16.584 --> 00:11:18.459
And like many people,
we\'re busy every day,
00:11:20.501 --> 00:11:22.042
and we don\'t really
open our eyes up,
00:11:22.250 --> 00:11:24.083
and I mean literally
opening your eyes up.
00:11:24.501 --> 00:11:26.959
And I started looking around
our community to see, you know,
00:11:27.000 --> 00:11:28.667
who\'s doing the work
in our community.
00:11:29.125 --> 00:11:31.709
The immigrant population.
00:11:33.292 --> 00:11:34.876
- I heard our councilman
Jim Kuretski
00:11:36.000 --> 00:11:37.000
speak at a local club
00:11:37.959 --> 00:11:39.584
about the plight
of these immigrants
00:11:40.626 --> 00:11:42.167
seeking work
along our city streets
00:11:42.959 --> 00:11:43.959
and how they had an idea
00:11:44.959 --> 00:11:46.626
to establish a central place
for them.
00:11:48.292 --> 00:11:49.501
These are really good people,
00:11:50.000 --> 00:11:52.281
and they really have contributed
to our town in many ways,
00:11:54.792 --> 00:11:56.834
so we were just elated
when the town council decided
00:11:58.959 --> 00:12:01.459
to establish the center.
00:12:06.334 --> 00:12:07.334
- As government,
00:12:07.584 --> 00:12:09.584
we are in somewhat
of a precarious situation,
00:12:10.959 --> 00:12:12.959
and one concern we had
was not being criticized
00:12:14.751 --> 00:12:16.834
for spending, as folks
like to say, taxpayers\' money
00:12:19.459 --> 00:12:20.459
on this venture,
00:12:21.209 --> 00:12:23.209
on people who might be
or might not be illegal,
00:12:26.209 --> 00:12:28.209
and that was one that...
That was, interestingly,
00:12:30.751 --> 00:12:32.709
one thing we had to explain
to our residents,
00:12:33.792 --> 00:12:36.112
that, you know, we had to be
very careful how we proceeded,
00:12:37.292 --> 00:12:38.792
and we were willing
to be a part of it
00:12:39.959 --> 00:12:41.834
if the community itself
stepped forward,
00:12:42.584 --> 00:12:43.584
and they did.
00:12:46.167 --> 00:12:47.417
- Our mission is to help ensure
00:12:48.167 --> 00:12:49.667
the success
of the day labor center
00:12:50.125 --> 00:12:52.125
by providing volunteers
to help in the operation
00:12:53.167 --> 00:12:56.834
and to do fund-raising to
the unmet needs of that center.
00:12:58.334 --> 00:12:59.334
[soft guitar music]
00:13:06.125 --> 00:13:08.626
- We\'re just a little family,
and we\'re fighting to get ahead.
00:13:14.042 --> 00:13:15.417
He was two months old
when I left,
00:13:17.626 --> 00:13:18.626
and I had to see them.
00:13:22.209 --> 00:13:24.209
We decided they had to come here
to be together.
00:13:27.125 --> 00:13:29.125
Now that they\'re here,
I feel peace and warmth
00:13:33.501 --> 00:13:34.501
and love from them both.
00:13:36.334 --> 00:13:38.454
The problem is that it\'s harder
with your family here,
00:13:43.042 --> 00:13:45.959
and it\'s really risky
to bring them.
00:13:58.083 --> 00:13:59.918
There are cases where people
lose their way
00:14:02.542 --> 00:14:03.542
or their guides get lost.
00:14:04.292 --> 00:14:06.125
Also, many people
come through the desert
00:14:07.542 --> 00:14:09.042
because it is
a little bit cheaper,
00:14:10.584 --> 00:14:12.167
and so for this,
I imagine many people
00:14:13.501 --> 00:14:15.041
don\'t want to bring
their families,
00:14:15.042 --> 00:14:16.709
because the desert
is very dangerous.
00:14:17.792 --> 00:14:19.792
There are many animals,
and you can die of hunger
00:14:21.125 --> 00:14:23.584
or of heat exhaustion.
00:14:26.667 --> 00:14:29.042
It was risky because our son
was separated from his mother.
00:14:30.459 --> 00:14:32.459
The boy was in Los Angeles,
and she was in Tijuana.
00:14:32.959 --> 00:14:34.292
- They put me in jail
in Tijuana.
00:14:34.959 --> 00:14:36.834
For 13 days, I didn\'t eat
or drink anything
00:14:40.959 --> 00:14:42.959
out of desperation.
00:14:43.959 --> 00:14:46.626
But thanks to God,
we made it okay.
00:14:48.542 --> 00:14:50.823
More than anything, I wanted
to come to be with my family,
00:14:53.959 --> 00:14:55.959
to have the three of us
together.
00:15:07.792 --> 00:15:09.667
- We borrowed some of the money
from friends.
00:15:12.125 --> 00:15:13.542
We are paying it
little by little.
00:15:13.918 --> 00:15:15.626
We have a loan from the bank
in Guatemala
00:15:16.209 --> 00:15:20.626
that we are paying back monthly.
00:15:27.667 --> 00:15:28.667
When you go to El Sol,
00:15:29.667 --> 00:15:31.167
you\'re never sure
you\'ll get work,
00:15:32.792 --> 00:15:34.912
because you have to wait
for your number to be called.
00:15:36.918 --> 00:15:38.459
Or sometimes no one comes
to hire us.
00:15:41.834 --> 00:15:44.034
So you have to wait and see
if work comes to you or not.
00:15:47.375 --> 00:15:48.959
Right now,
there is very little work,
00:15:49.918 --> 00:15:52.918
and many are unemployed.
00:15:55.250 --> 00:15:57.584
- It must be tremendously
disheartening, to say the least,
00:15:58.959 --> 00:16:00.959
for those who are unable
to find steady work,
00:16:01.959 --> 00:16:03.959
and unfortunately,
that seems to be the plight
00:16:04.959 --> 00:16:05.959
of day laborers,
00:16:06.417 --> 00:16:08.167
especially in these
bad economic times.
00:16:10.417 --> 00:16:12.083
- Right now, I go for days
without work.
00:16:14.959 --> 00:16:15.959
But God is great.
00:16:19.125 --> 00:16:20.285
I\'m going to find a good job.
00:16:20.709 --> 00:16:21.709
She says she\'s scared.
00:16:23.959 --> 00:16:26.751
I am too,
but you have to have faith.
00:16:29.834 --> 00:16:31.417
- When I see
those young men out there,
00:16:32.959 --> 00:16:35.334
many of them are, you know,
just teenagers or in their 20s,
00:16:37.083 --> 00:16:39.125
and it reminds me, you know,
what would\'ve happened
00:16:40.459 --> 00:16:44.167
if I\'d been born down there,
and that could\'ve been me.
00:16:47.083 --> 00:16:48.083
[mellow guitar music]
00:16:52.792 --> 00:16:54.792
- [singing] Tomorrow
I\'ll have to get up early,
00:16:58.709 --> 00:17:00.125
and the neighbor\'s dog
will bark.
00:17:02.918 --> 00:17:03.918
They\'ll bark at me
00:17:05.959 --> 00:17:10.042
once and again.
00:17:11.959 --> 00:17:13.584
Tomorrow, I\'ll leave
in the morning,
00:17:18.209 --> 00:17:19.709
since the roosters
will wake me up,
00:17:22.584 --> 00:17:23.584
and they\'ll sing
00:17:25.375 --> 00:17:26.375
once and again.
00:17:28.959 --> 00:17:30.039
With the machete in my hand
00:17:32.459 --> 00:17:33.539
and the club on my shoulder
00:17:36.083 --> 00:17:37.083
and the rucksack filled,
00:17:39.375 --> 00:17:40.375
the tools.
00:17:43.083 --> 00:17:44.083
I\'ll turn in early.
00:17:46.626 --> 00:17:47.746
Some things need to be done,
00:17:50.125 --> 00:17:51.125
like talking with Malín,
00:17:53.626 --> 00:17:54.626
the owner of my heart.
00:17:57.250 --> 00:17:58.250
Like talking with Malín,
00:18:00.876 --> 00:18:04.334
the owner of my heart.
00:18:18.667 --> 00:18:21.125
- I live here in Jacaltenango,
in the central church parish.
00:18:21.959 --> 00:18:25.959
I have five children,
four boys and a girl.
00:18:31.709 --> 00:18:33.667
Coffee is the crop
I make the most money from.
00:18:36.959 --> 00:18:38.334
But there is much work
in coffee,
00:18:39.042 --> 00:18:40.042
so much work.
00:18:40.918 --> 00:18:41.958
It has to be weeded often.
00:18:42.501 --> 00:18:44.821
It takes a lot of attention
because there is so much to do.
00:18:44.959 --> 00:18:46.667
After weeding,
you have to fertilize,
00:18:48.501 --> 00:18:50.501
because if you don\'t,
it won\'t produce coffee.
00:18:50.959 --> 00:18:52.125
And farmers, they work hard.
00:18:54.459 --> 00:18:56.417
I suppose that if I went
to the United States,
00:18:57.584 --> 00:19:00.064
I imagine that a North American
would not work as hard as I do.
00:19:04.375 --> 00:19:05.667
They would not have the ability.
00:19:06.209 --> 00:19:08.167
And even in the factories
or big businesses,
00:19:11.542 --> 00:19:13.584
they wouldn\'t be able to.
00:19:16.876 --> 00:19:19.792
150 pounds, right?
00:19:32.000 --> 00:19:33.280
It\'s a pity they pay us only $60
00:19:36.876 --> 00:19:38.459
for 100 pounds of coffee,
100 pounds.
00:19:40.000 --> 00:19:41.040
It\'s so little, so little.
00:19:42.209 --> 00:19:44.542
This is unjust.
It\'s not right.
00:19:56.167 --> 00:19:57.542
Where does your bread come from?
00:19:58.959 --> 00:19:59.959
From the land!
00:20:00.417 --> 00:20:01.709
From the land comes everything.
00:20:02.959 --> 00:20:04.542
That is why a farmer
is so important.
00:20:05.083 --> 00:20:05.876
He is worth a lot!
00:20:06.083 --> 00:20:07.292
He should be respected.
00:20:19.209 --> 00:20:20.626
- The few cents
that Pancho makes,
00:20:22.959 --> 00:20:24.209
they don\'t cover our expenses.
00:20:25.125 --> 00:20:26.709
The $6 he makes gets used up
right away.
00:20:30.959 --> 00:20:31.959
But I don\'t buy meat,
00:20:33.334 --> 00:20:34.958
and I only buy
the children\'s lunches.
00:20:34.959 --> 00:20:36.250
We just buy bread in the morning
00:20:36.959 --> 00:20:38.584
and give the kids 25 cents
for school.
00:20:40.083 --> 00:20:41.667
Most of our work
goes to the children.
00:20:43.834 --> 00:20:46.501
It is not enough!
00:20:52.125 --> 00:20:55.125
[noise of sewing machine]
00:21:04.959 --> 00:21:07.042
- People leave because
there is no development here.
00:21:09.417 --> 00:21:10.457
The governments talk a lot
00:21:11.042 --> 00:21:13.042
about development
during political campaigns.
00:21:14.459 --> 00:21:16.501
Here the government leaders
are people with money.
00:21:22.834 --> 00:21:24.834
They think about their own
money\'s development
00:21:26.959 --> 00:21:29.334
but not about the development
of the general population.
00:21:30.417 --> 00:21:32.417
The people with money
look to the development
00:21:34.375 --> 00:21:36.959
of their own social group.
00:21:38.834 --> 00:21:40.375
To find a job
in the career I studied,
00:21:42.959 --> 00:21:44.584
some say you have to have
a connection
00:21:44.876 --> 00:21:46.584
with project managers
or politicians.
00:21:48.959 --> 00:21:51.083
And I don\'t like to mix in
with politicians like that.
00:21:53.375 --> 00:21:55.626
For that reason, I decided
to go into business for myself
00:21:57.959 --> 00:21:59.959
and become a tailor
and learned carpentry as well.
00:22:06.918 --> 00:22:07.918
I was actually thinking
00:22:11.417 --> 00:22:12.501
that I\'d continue studying
00:22:13.834 --> 00:22:15.959
and maybe that would help me
a little bit too.
00:22:18.000 --> 00:22:19.000
[lively music playing]
00:22:21.000 --> 00:22:24.000
[people conversing indistinctly]
00:22:29.042 --> 00:22:30.459
Most of the
two-story houses here
00:22:34.959 --> 00:22:36.542
belong to people
working in the U.S.
00:22:39.292 --> 00:22:41.417
That one too.
00:22:49.292 --> 00:22:50.542
On the table here is a diploma.
00:22:55.709 --> 00:22:57.789
But it signifies that I made it
only to the mid-level
00:23:03.417 --> 00:23:05.876
of rural sustainable development
in the field of economics.
00:23:05.959 --> 00:23:08.042
Here it\'s very hard to complete
a university degree.
00:23:11.042 --> 00:23:13.242
Here you have to leave home
and go to the city to study,
00:23:16.834 --> 00:23:18.034
and that costs a lot of money.
00:23:19.417 --> 00:23:20.417
To finish the degree,
00:23:23.167 --> 00:23:25.000
you\'d have to pay a lot of money
every month,
00:23:27.959 --> 00:23:29.709
and because
of our economic situation,
00:23:30.959 --> 00:23:31.999
I just couldn\'t afford it,
00:23:32.501 --> 00:23:34.083
especially because
of our children.
00:23:34.959 --> 00:23:37.250
If I\'d only been able to cover
our children\'s expenses...
00:23:39.876 --> 00:23:41.167
but for us,
it was just too hard.
00:23:43.167 --> 00:23:44.667
You have to watch out
for everyone.
00:23:45.375 --> 00:23:47.083
I would have liked
to finish the degree,
00:23:49.834 --> 00:23:51.417
but you have to put
the children first
00:23:52.501 --> 00:23:56.083
and forget about what you want.
00:23:59.918 --> 00:24:05.959
[steady bass music]
00:24:18.459 --> 00:24:21.459
[children speaking indistinctly]
00:24:23.709 --> 00:24:25.667
- In my case, I\'m working
for the government,
00:24:26.375 --> 00:24:27.375
and it\'s very difficult.
00:24:28.876 --> 00:24:30.375
I only get paid
every three months.
00:24:33.209 --> 00:24:35.834
The situation is very difficult
because every day, prices go up,
00:24:41.250 --> 00:24:43.417
and my family sometimes
doesn\'t have anything to eat,
00:24:45.334 --> 00:24:46.454
and we have to borrow money.
00:24:47.501 --> 00:24:49.501
For that reason, I\'ve dreamed
of going to the U.S.
00:24:51.876 --> 00:24:53.626
to provide a better life
for my children.
00:24:54.501 --> 00:24:55.584
Because of that situation,
00:24:56.959 --> 00:24:58.959
a lot of teachers
as well as other professionals
00:25:00.125 --> 00:25:03.959
are leaving for the U.S.
in search of a better life.
00:25:15.751 --> 00:25:17.751
- People go out and leave
their home and families.
00:25:20.209 --> 00:25:26.959
What they can\'t earn here,
they are able to earn there.
00:25:28.876 --> 00:25:35.083
This is the only way we\'ve found
to make things better.
00:25:36.709 --> 00:25:37.709
[soft guitar music]
00:25:41.459 --> 00:25:43.459
- [singing] 500 years ago,
my grandparents had
00:25:48.792 --> 00:25:50.334
such a beautiful
and pretty pigeon.
00:25:55.417 --> 00:25:56.918
Each morning,
she\'d sing for them,
00:26:01.542 --> 00:26:02.542
and her happy singing
00:26:04.334 --> 00:26:05.334
would make them smile.
00:26:08.626 --> 00:26:09.626
Like a white cloud,
00:26:11.542 --> 00:26:12.542
this pigeon was.
00:26:14.083 --> 00:26:15.626
And with no fear,
she got to her nest.
00:26:22.083 --> 00:26:23.083
But someone arrived
00:26:26.918 --> 00:26:27.918
and shot her.
00:26:29.959 --> 00:26:30.959
And, hurt, she flew.
00:26:33.209 --> 00:26:34.209
And, hurt, she flew.
00:26:37.459 --> 00:26:38.459
But someone arrived
00:26:40.876 --> 00:26:41.876
and shot her.
00:26:44.167 --> 00:26:45.167
Bleeding, she flew away.
00:26:47.417 --> 00:26:48.417
Bleeding, she flew away.
00:26:50.918 --> 00:26:53.078
- The situation of the violence
of the 1980s took place
00:26:54.834 --> 00:26:56.375
in the rural areas
in Huehuetenango
00:26:57.959 --> 00:26:58.959
and up in the mountains.
00:27:00.918 --> 00:27:02.417
Some of those people
fled to Mexico
00:27:03.667 --> 00:27:04.751
trying to save their lives.
00:27:06.334 --> 00:27:08.667
- The commander, mayor,
and Father Arnulfo were together
00:27:10.918 --> 00:27:11.918
in the municipal building
00:27:12.918 --> 00:27:15.125
when the commander said,
\"We\'re coming in a helicopter
00:27:14.959 --> 00:27:17.250
\"to find out how many bombs
to kill everyone in this town.
00:27:17.959 --> 00:27:19.250
We are going to kill everyone.\"
00:27:20.209 --> 00:27:21.709
\"Everyone must leave
right away,\"
00:27:22.667 --> 00:27:24.083
the commander said
to the priest.
00:27:25.125 --> 00:27:26.626
\"We can\'t leave,\"
the priest said.
00:27:26.709 --> 00:27:27.709
\"We can\'t leave.
00:27:29.083 --> 00:27:30.501
\"These people
are not bad people.
00:27:30.959 --> 00:27:31.959
\"They are good people.
00:27:32.000 --> 00:27:33.876
They are workers,\"
he said to the official.
00:27:34.918 --> 00:27:36.459
\"Everyone must leave
immediately,
00:27:36.209 --> 00:27:37.917
\"because we are going
to kill everyone.
00:27:37.918 --> 00:27:39.917
You can\'t leave anyone here,\"
said the commander.
00:27:39.918 --> 00:27:40.918
\"No, we cannot leave.
00:27:42.459 --> 00:27:43.499
You cannot bomb the town.\"
00:27:44.292 --> 00:27:45.959
Because of this,
Father Arnulfo said,
00:27:46.125 --> 00:27:48.667
in order that the colonel would
understand that we are workers,
00:27:50.542 --> 00:27:52.542
\"Let us begin building the road
from here down,\"
00:27:52.959 --> 00:27:55.167
and so we began, with picks,
hoes, sticks, and shovels,
00:27:56.918 --> 00:27:58.792
boulders so big,
we\'d move them with ropes.
00:28:02.209 --> 00:28:03.209
So many people.
00:28:04.959 --> 00:28:06.876
And that was when we worked
to save our life.
00:28:08.959 --> 00:28:11.480
We began the work on the road
to the surrounding communities.
00:28:11.481 --> 00:28:13.459
That was when we worked
like the Maya before us.
00:28:14.959 --> 00:28:16.501
Forced, it was forced,
obligatory.
00:28:18.209 --> 00:28:20.042
If we didn\'t go to work,
they would kill us.
00:28:20.959 --> 00:28:22.959
They would bomb us.
00:28:31.501 --> 00:28:33.501
- The men went out to work
in the fields with fear.
00:28:35.959 --> 00:28:37.709
- But if there was just
one person alone,
00:28:37.959 --> 00:28:38.959
they would kill him.
00:28:40.334 --> 00:28:42.792
Three or four helicopters
would be flying around watching.
00:28:45.250 --> 00:28:47.531
You had to work in a group
with a white flag flying above.
00:28:48.626 --> 00:28:50.626
The people would be working
with a hoe or a machete
00:28:52.417 --> 00:28:54.292
and the white flag above them.
00:28:55.292 --> 00:28:57.292
- [singing]
My grandparents stopped talking
00:28:57.501 --> 00:28:58.501
while she was flying,
00:29:00.250 --> 00:29:01.250
since her wound...
00:29:01.459 --> 00:29:03.167
- So Indiantown
became like a sanctuary
00:29:04.375 --> 00:29:06.542
for all the Guatemalan refugees
fleeing the violence,
00:29:09.167 --> 00:29:11.167
because that area
is an agricultural area also.
00:29:12.959 --> 00:29:14.959
At the same time, they every day
worked in Jupiter.
00:29:16.959 --> 00:29:18.083
They had construction work
00:29:20.292 --> 00:29:21.292
and also landscape work.
00:29:22.709 --> 00:29:24.792
So those day labor organizations
came to Indiantown.
00:29:27.918 --> 00:29:29.501
They started recruiting
the people,
00:29:30.083 --> 00:29:32.417
and some of them were traveling
to Indiantown, to Jupiter,
00:29:37.751 --> 00:29:41.501
and then finally,
they decided to stay here.
00:29:44.209 --> 00:29:45.209
- Close El Sol!
00:29:46.501 --> 00:29:47.501
Close El Sol!
00:29:49.125 --> 00:29:50.125
Shut it down.
00:29:50.542 --> 00:29:52.250
Illegal alien hiring:
against the law!
00:29:52.792 --> 00:29:53.792
Enforce the law!
00:29:53.959 --> 00:29:54.959
Close the border!
00:29:55.584 --> 00:29:57.125
- Illegal immigrants
is a oxymoron.
00:29:59.918 --> 00:30:01.876
- The residents of Jupiter
became very angry,
00:30:02.709 --> 00:30:03.709
because they were saying,
00:30:04.876 --> 00:30:06.292
\"Why these people
are being here?
00:30:06.375 --> 00:30:07.918
\"Why they don\'t try
to do something?
00:30:09.083 --> 00:30:10.167
\"These people are illegal.
00:30:10.626 --> 00:30:12.375
\"They must go back
to their home country.
00:30:12.709 --> 00:30:13.918
\"They are trashing our place.
00:30:14.709 --> 00:30:15.792
\"They are doing bad things.
00:30:16.959 --> 00:30:18.834
They are harassing
our... our daughters.\"
00:30:22.250 --> 00:30:24.791
- We have no background on these
people that are here illegally.
00:30:24.792 --> 00:30:26.083
We don\'t know what they\'ve done.
00:30:26.084 --> 00:30:27.792
You know, did they murder?
Did they rape?
00:30:27.959 --> 00:30:29.667
- With the illegals
comes everything.
00:30:30.626 --> 00:30:32.125
You get the crime.
You get disease.
00:30:32.959 --> 00:30:34.959
- They\'re stealing
people\'s telephone bills,
00:30:35.792 --> 00:30:37.438
electric bills
out of their mailboxes
00:30:37.439 --> 00:30:38.959
and coming in
and using that as proof
00:30:39.125 --> 00:30:40.709
that they live
in the city of Jupiter.
00:30:40.751 --> 00:30:42.831
- I know people my own age
that got permits for guns.
00:30:44.959 --> 00:30:45.959
It\'s not safe.
00:30:46.000 --> 00:30:47.416
- It\'s not
the immigrant problem.
00:30:47.417 --> 00:30:48.959
It\'s the illegal immigrant
problem.
00:30:49.542 --> 00:30:50.792
- We\'re a nation of immigrants.
00:30:52.459 --> 00:30:54.834
Politicians and those opposing
immigration enforcement
00:30:57.125 --> 00:30:58.125
will use that.
00:30:58.834 --> 00:31:00.417
But I find that,
frankly, insulting.
00:31:01.542 --> 00:31:02.626
We\'re a nation of citizens.
00:31:03.626 --> 00:31:04.876
Public policy in this country
00:31:05.959 --> 00:31:07.709
should be for the benefit
of citizens...
00:31:07.918 --> 00:31:09.918
Not for corporations,
not for religious groups,
00:31:10.709 --> 00:31:12.709
not for ethnic groups,
not for foreign nationals
00:31:12.918 --> 00:31:13.792
but for citizens.
00:31:13.918 --> 00:31:15.125
- Public policy for citizens,
00:31:16.584 --> 00:31:17.584
not for illegal aliens!
00:31:18.959 --> 00:31:20.417
- People even here,
they\'ll yell,
00:31:20.459 --> 00:31:21.980
\"Who\'s gonna pick
your vegetables?
00:31:21.981 --> 00:31:23.124
Who\'s gonna mow your yards?\"
00:31:23.125 --> 00:31:24.834
And I usually respond...
Thank you, sir.
00:31:25.167 --> 00:31:26.292
I usually respond by saying,
00:31:27.292 --> 00:31:29.042
\"Well, who did it
before they were here?\"
00:31:29.959 --> 00:31:31.791
I mean, it was Americans
doing those jobs.
00:31:31.792 --> 00:31:32.792
Somebody did it,
00:31:32.959 --> 00:31:34.958
and so it was Americans
before they got here.
00:31:34.959 --> 00:31:36.959
- I\'m a carpenter,
a high-end trim carpenter,
00:31:37.626 --> 00:31:39.792
and I see the effects of
immigration on the lower ends,
00:31:41.417 --> 00:31:42.626
the framing end of carpentry,
00:31:42.959 --> 00:31:43.959
and that concerns me.
00:31:44.709 --> 00:31:46.584
It could affect
the line of work that I\'m in,
00:31:47.834 --> 00:31:50.167
and I\'m over here supporting
the cause to shut El Sol down.
00:31:53.459 --> 00:31:55.579
It\'s... it just... it\'s illegal.
It shouldn\'t be here.
00:31:55.959 --> 00:31:56.959
- Close El Sol!
00:31:58.209 --> 00:31:59.209
Close El Sol!
00:32:01.959 --> 00:32:03.083
- They do not speak English.
00:32:03.709 --> 00:32:05.709
They would like to not have
the English language
00:32:07.292 --> 00:32:08.292
as the official language.
00:32:09.501 --> 00:32:11.250
- \"Mexican graduate
from Palm Beach...\"
00:32:15.292 --> 00:32:17.000
- The Jupiter illegal alien
hiring hall,
00:32:18.042 --> 00:32:20.375
whose proper name is El Sol
Neighborhood Resource Center,
00:32:22.250 --> 00:32:23.450
which is a bit of a euphemism,
00:32:25.292 --> 00:32:27.375
is really symbolic of
what\'s wrong with our country.
00:32:28.626 --> 00:32:30.459
Here we have elected
municipal officials
00:32:33.459 --> 00:32:35.042
who are blatantly violating
Section 8
00:32:39.375 --> 00:32:40.501
of federal immigration law,
00:32:42.125 --> 00:32:44.209
which says that it is unlawful
to hire illegal aliens
00:32:45.959 --> 00:32:47.119
and provide a means to do so.
00:32:48.667 --> 00:32:49.667
So it\'s not only illegal,
00:32:51.042 --> 00:32:52.876
but they are using
local taxpayers\' money
00:32:54.876 --> 00:32:56.834
to fund their perceived
\"charitable\" cause.
00:33:00.501 --> 00:33:02.209
- The town took a building
that we bought
00:33:03.751 --> 00:33:04.959
for the value of the property.
00:33:05.584 --> 00:33:07.000
It was a building
sitting vacant.
00:33:07.834 --> 00:33:08.834
We put it to a good use.
00:33:09.709 --> 00:33:10.709
We just provided a place
00:33:11.000 --> 00:33:12.959
that enabled the community
to come together
00:33:13.959 --> 00:33:15.501
and, together,
make itself better.
00:33:16.375 --> 00:33:18.542
- We\'re required by the town
of Jupiter under our lease
00:33:19.459 --> 00:33:21.709
to not make any guarantees
about the immigration status
00:33:22.959 --> 00:33:24.083
or compliance with any laws
00:33:24.918 --> 00:33:26.459
that employers
have to comply with,
00:33:26.959 --> 00:33:28.334
because we are not the employer.
00:33:29.876 --> 00:33:31.167
- El Sol evolved because of laws
00:33:33.751 --> 00:33:35.751
and because of the lack
of enforcement of laws.
00:33:37.709 --> 00:33:39.542
Our police department
contacted the INS,
00:33:40.709 --> 00:33:42.125
and the response
from the INS was,
00:33:43.000 --> 00:33:44.876
they weren\'t going
to do anything about it.
00:33:46.626 --> 00:33:48.786
And we found that we simply
could not pass an ordinance
00:33:50.751 --> 00:33:52.584
and have folks removed
from Center Street
00:33:54.918 --> 00:33:57.000
unless there was another place
for them to assemble,
00:33:59.209 --> 00:34:00.459
and that was based on case law.
00:34:01.042 --> 00:34:03.125
- Being a complex issue,
people confuse, if you will,
00:34:05.209 --> 00:34:06.709
the differences between policies
00:34:08.709 --> 00:34:10.083
and actions
that we need to take.
00:34:11.959 --> 00:34:12.999
Fine, seal up the borders,
00:34:13.667 --> 00:34:15.250
even though
that\'s impossible to do,
00:34:15.542 --> 00:34:16.792
but the fact is that, you know,
00:34:17.918 --> 00:34:19.417
there is
an immigrant population.
00:34:19.584 --> 00:34:20.624
How do you deal with that?
00:34:21.459 --> 00:34:23.740
- Originally, I felt that this
was simply a federal issue.
00:34:24.959 --> 00:34:26.959
The federal government
has the responsibility
00:34:27.459 --> 00:34:28.459
to secure our borders
00:34:28.959 --> 00:34:30.584
and should be
stopping this problem.
00:34:31.584 --> 00:34:33.751
But we in Florida are bearing
the expense as taxpayers.
00:34:35.918 --> 00:34:37.918
So I said, you know,
\"There should be something
00:34:38.042 --> 00:34:39.202
the state can do about this,\"
00:34:39.959 --> 00:34:40.959
and that\'s when I decided
00:34:41.125 --> 00:34:42.876
to sponsor the
Florida Safe Borders Act,
00:34:43.876 --> 00:34:45.626
and it said that no state,
local, county,
00:34:48.292 --> 00:34:50.292
or city government
should use any taxpayer funds
00:34:52.667 --> 00:34:54.209
to help pay for or support
any entity
00:34:56.876 --> 00:34:58.709
that assists illegals
in procuring jobs.
00:34:59.959 --> 00:35:01.751
- You know, I take issue
with anyone who...
00:35:02.417 --> 00:35:04.292
Anyone who would say
that we are a community
00:35:07.042 --> 00:35:08.167
who doesn\'t enforce our laws
00:35:08.751 --> 00:35:10.417
or we are not
a law-abiding community.
00:35:10.542 --> 00:35:11.542
Of course we are.
00:35:11.792 --> 00:35:13.209
- The questions
are very complex.
00:35:14.959 --> 00:35:17.199
If it\'s a homeowner who is just,
you know, using somebody
00:35:18.375 --> 00:35:19.918
to help clean his yard
for a day or so,
00:35:22.000 --> 00:35:24.000
then, really, they don\'t have
any legal obligation
00:35:24.584 --> 00:35:25.959
to ask for documents
or pay taxes
00:35:26.918 --> 00:35:27.918
or do anything like that.
00:35:29.167 --> 00:35:31.167
It then gets a little more
questionable, you know,
00:35:35.334 --> 00:35:37.000
if it\'s somebody
that\'s hiring people
00:35:38.250 --> 00:35:40.610
over a long period of time,
as far as their legal issues go.
00:35:42.792 --> 00:35:43.872
- As a resident of Jupiter,
00:35:44.292 --> 00:35:46.125
I don\'t know why
they would have done this.
00:35:46.292 --> 00:35:47.542
It affects my property values.
00:35:47.834 --> 00:35:48.834
I live around it.
00:35:49.042 --> 00:35:50.708
You know, moving here
three years ago,
00:35:50.709 --> 00:35:51.958
I didn\'t know this was gonna be,
00:35:51.959 --> 00:35:52.959
and if I saw it now,
00:35:53.042 --> 00:35:54.542
I really don\'t think
I\'d live here.
00:35:54.959 --> 00:35:56.626
- I believe that our town
has let us down
00:35:57.584 --> 00:35:58.584
in this particular case,
00:36:00.375 --> 00:36:01.584
and I\'m really disappointed.
00:36:02.834 --> 00:36:05.000
Our mayor, she\'s just...
She just doesn\'t understand.
00:36:06.626 --> 00:36:07.751
- It\'s not about government,
00:36:08.375 --> 00:36:10.375
and certainly we lease
the building to El Sol,
00:36:13.292 --> 00:36:14.375
but that would mean nothing
00:36:15.876 --> 00:36:17.584
if the community
hadn\'t come together.
00:36:18.083 --> 00:36:19.667
- I\'m convinced
that our congressmen
00:36:20.626 --> 00:36:22.876
and the federal government
has done nothing for decades
00:36:23.959 --> 00:36:25.667
because they understand
the balance.
00:36:27.459 --> 00:36:29.125
Well, we... some may not
want them here,
00:36:32.209 --> 00:36:34.209
but they begrudgingly accept
that we need them.
00:36:36.667 --> 00:36:38.209
So I pragmatically,
as just a leader
00:36:40.542 --> 00:36:42.083
in a small community
in our country,
00:36:43.125 --> 00:36:44.792
recognize that, yeah,
we do need them.
00:36:44.959 --> 00:36:46.584
We need immigrants
in our community,
00:36:46.959 --> 00:36:48.501
and it\'s part
of the global economy,
00:36:49.417 --> 00:36:50.577
that that\'s the way it works,
00:36:51.209 --> 00:36:52.417
and we have to find solutions.
00:36:53.083 --> 00:36:55.167
- There should be no debate,
controversy, discussion
00:36:56.792 --> 00:36:57.876
over illegal immigration.
00:36:58.250 --> 00:36:59.375
The laws should be enforced.
00:36:59.959 --> 00:37:02.501
If people don\'t like these laws,
if they consider them unjust,
00:37:04.834 --> 00:37:05.834
then change them.
00:37:06.167 --> 00:37:07.167
That\'s the American way.
00:37:07.626 --> 00:37:09.292
- The law has to be reviewed
all the time
00:37:10.959 --> 00:37:12.751
and be confrontated
against the reality
00:37:16.709 --> 00:37:18.000
but a reality
that has to be seen
00:37:18.792 --> 00:37:20.375
with the eyes
of a human being as well.
00:37:21.334 --> 00:37:23.334
- We don\'t know
who these people are coming in.
00:37:23.959 --> 00:37:25.709
Yes, a lot of them
are economic refugees
00:37:25.959 --> 00:37:26.959
coming here for jobs.
00:37:27.209 --> 00:37:28.449
But a lot of them might not be.
00:37:30.250 --> 00:37:32.709
There\'s no reason why we can\'t
find the illegals that are here
00:37:34.584 --> 00:37:38.083
and make sure that they go home.
00:37:41.334 --> 00:37:42.334
- Nobody\'s illegal.
00:37:43.834 --> 00:37:44.834
I believe in God.
00:37:45.959 --> 00:37:46.959
We are not criminals.
00:37:47.501 --> 00:37:48.501
We are not delinquents.
00:37:49.167 --> 00:37:50.327
We are not people that steal.
00:37:51.876 --> 00:37:52.876
We want to work,
00:37:53.834 --> 00:37:55.709
and I say we,
because I am also an immigrant.
00:37:56.959 --> 00:37:58.083
- There\'s a 287(g) program,
00:37:59.542 --> 00:38:00.667
which any police department
00:38:01.959 --> 00:38:03.959
or sheriff\'s department
can do that locally,
00:38:05.042 --> 00:38:06.042
and what that is,
00:38:06.542 --> 00:38:08.792
they send a certain number
of their deputies or whatever
00:38:08.959 --> 00:38:11.209
to a training school put on
by Homeland Defense people,
00:38:12.751 --> 00:38:14.709
and they learn how to be
like a federal agent.
00:38:14.959 --> 00:38:16.292
So if somebody gets pulled over
00:38:16.501 --> 00:38:18.166
and they don\'t have
a driver\'s license,
00:38:18.167 --> 00:38:19.167
no other proof of ID,
00:38:20.542 --> 00:38:22.875
they can hold them there until
one of these officers come,
00:38:22.876 --> 00:38:24.834
and then they can arrest them
to deport them.
00:38:25.959 --> 00:38:31.918
[steady bass music]
00:38:35.959 --> 00:38:37.292
- We give them a chance
to learn.
00:38:37.584 --> 00:38:39.417
They wanted someone
for $7 for five hours,
00:38:39.959 --> 00:38:40.959
and nodody would take it,
00:38:41.167 --> 00:38:43.417
so he said,
\"All right, I\'ll pay $8.\"
00:38:46.792 --> 00:38:47.792
- Seven.
00:38:47.959 --> 00:38:49.709
80.
00:38:51.584 --> 00:38:53.584
- Today my lieutenants and I
came up to the El Sol
00:38:54.250 --> 00:38:56.250
to take a look at what the city
of Jupiter has done
00:38:56.751 --> 00:38:58.834
to deal with their day labor,
alien immigrant issues.
00:39:00.959 --> 00:39:03.083
We have quite a ubiquitous
population of day laborers
00:39:06.375 --> 00:39:07.415
in the city of Lake Worth,
00:39:07.959 --> 00:39:09.751
and what my lieutenants and I
decided to do
00:39:10.209 --> 00:39:11.292
was to proactively come up,
00:39:12.459 --> 00:39:14.042
take a look at what
the city of Jupiter
00:39:14.417 --> 00:39:16.000
and their police department
has done
00:39:16.626 --> 00:39:17.666
with respects to the issue
00:39:17.959 --> 00:39:18.959
to see what we could glean
00:39:19.000 --> 00:39:20.833
and take back down
to the city of Lake Worth
00:39:20.834 --> 00:39:22.792
to help the city officials
ultimately decide
00:39:23.209 --> 00:39:24.792
how they want to deal
with the issues.
00:39:26.584 --> 00:39:28.584
We were quite impressed
with the way this El Sol
00:39:28.834 --> 00:39:29.834
has taken on this issue
00:39:31.250 --> 00:39:35.751
in terms of at least providing
services for this population.
00:39:51.501 --> 00:39:57.501
[rhythmic drumming]
00:40:02.709 --> 00:40:05.109
- I always talk about my family
because I live for my family.
00:40:06.959 --> 00:40:08.584
I work for my family
and nothing else.
00:40:11.959 --> 00:40:13.292
And many others do this as well.
00:40:14.751 --> 00:40:16.334
The majority come
for their families
00:40:16.751 --> 00:40:17.959
so the families can get ahead.
00:40:20.250 --> 00:40:22.290
They catch some of us,
and many of us are cut short.
00:40:24.876 --> 00:40:27.076
In my case, I have a brother
who was here for two years.
00:40:33.125 --> 00:40:34.125
He\'s an easygoing guy,
00:40:38.918 --> 00:40:40.334
and he never causes
any problems,
00:40:43.667 --> 00:40:45.667
but Immigration caught him
and deported him.
00:40:49.959 --> 00:40:51.751
Here we\'re afraid
to go out on the street.
00:40:57.250 --> 00:40:58.959
They\'re always
putting pressure on us.
00:40:59.501 --> 00:41:01.042
Immigration
is always on our trail.
00:41:02.959 --> 00:41:04.834
But the truth is,
we always try to do right.
00:41:09.626 --> 00:41:10.626
We learn the laws.
00:41:12.959 --> 00:41:14.959
For example, I\'ve been here
for about nine years,
00:41:17.250 --> 00:41:19.209
and I\'ve gotten familiar
with the laws here,
00:41:20.959 --> 00:41:24.292
and so we\'re not going
to get mixed up in problems.
00:41:26.584 --> 00:41:28.167
When you\'re walking
down the street,
00:41:28.959 --> 00:41:30.125
you pass white guys who yell,
00:41:33.375 --> 00:41:34.918
\"Hey, get back
to your own country!\"
00:41:38.542 --> 00:41:40.823
There are a few cases of this
in Jupiter, but not as much.
00:41:46.375 --> 00:41:48.042
But the minority
protesting out there
00:41:51.584 --> 00:41:52.959
pretend to detest the Hispanics,
00:41:55.792 --> 00:41:57.876
but that\'s not true,
because they depend on our work.
00:42:02.501 --> 00:42:03.626
Yes, there are always people
00:42:06.959 --> 00:42:08.834
who\'ll discriminate
against us, saying,
00:42:11.459 --> 00:42:13.417
\"Ah, there go the Hispanics,
those sons of\"...
00:42:14.626 --> 00:42:15.918
They say something bad about us.
00:42:17.125 --> 00:42:19.125
But I think that\'s wrong,
because in this world,
00:42:23.584 --> 00:42:24.584
we\'re all equal.
00:42:25.334 --> 00:42:27.209
Either brown or white
bleed the same color.
00:42:28.667 --> 00:42:30.918
Gringos don\'t bleed blue!
00:42:37.876 --> 00:42:39.751
And we are contributing
to our country too,
00:42:41.375 --> 00:42:42.375
to a good future there.
00:42:42.918 --> 00:42:48.417
We create sources of work
for those without jobs.
00:42:52.042 --> 00:42:53.584
The majority of people
who live here
00:42:54.959 --> 00:42:56.375
and send money back to Guatemala
00:42:59.501 --> 00:43:01.501
usually have the goal
of building their houses.
00:43:03.542 --> 00:43:05.417
And when they begin
building their houses,
00:43:07.375 --> 00:43:09.542
they are giving more work
to the people who live there,
00:43:11.125 --> 00:43:14.292
to the people who don\'t have
the opportunity to come there.
00:43:26.918 --> 00:43:27.918
- I am a professional.
00:43:28.292 --> 00:43:30.125
I am an accountant,
trained in computers,
00:43:31.501 --> 00:43:32.792
but I make my living in masonry.
00:43:36.250 --> 00:43:38.250
Unfortunately,
our economy causes suffering
00:43:41.626 --> 00:43:42.918
and is pulling our country down.
00:43:45.876 --> 00:43:46.876
For that reason,
00:43:46.959 --> 00:43:49.083
many who received education
in various other fields
00:43:51.792 --> 00:43:54.459
work in construction, carpentry,
electricity, or other trades.
00:43:58.626 --> 00:43:59.626
But in construction,
00:44:03.959 --> 00:44:05.999
where you might have made 100%
one or two years ago,
00:44:08.667 --> 00:44:09.667
you are only making 20%.
00:44:11.459 --> 00:44:12.876
The economy has fallen
that much.
00:44:12.959 --> 00:44:15.334
But everyone has to find a way
of meeting their daily needs,
00:44:21.792 --> 00:44:22.832
because if we didn\'t work,
00:44:24.334 --> 00:44:25.834
what would become
of our children?
00:44:27.000 --> 00:44:28.000
[lively guitar music]
00:44:30.959 --> 00:44:32.751
And for that, I have family
in the States.
00:44:36.876 --> 00:44:38.167
Victor is there and Gaspar too.
00:44:41.250 --> 00:44:42.290
I also have nephews there.
00:44:43.167 --> 00:44:45.334
They knew it was necessary
to educate their children,
00:44:48.876 --> 00:44:52.334
so they emigrated
to the United States.
00:44:54.959 --> 00:44:56.250
- The economy is worsening now.
00:44:57.292 --> 00:44:59.292
And this is causing
a lot of the deportations,
00:44:59.959 --> 00:45:02.792
and a lot of people
are being sent back.
00:45:08.959 --> 00:45:10.959
Right now, I\'m helping
my brother on this project.
00:45:12.167 --> 00:45:14.167
It\'s a new project
that will bring drinking water
00:45:15.083 --> 00:45:16.375
to the Santa Cruz neighborhood.
00:45:18.959 --> 00:45:21.167
It\'s a private project
benefiting about 250 families.
00:45:23.959 --> 00:45:25.709
No institution
is helping us fund this,
00:45:27.751 --> 00:45:31.292
and so people are doing the work
with their own hands.
00:45:38.042 --> 00:45:40.122
In 2005, I tried to take
advantage of an opportunity,
00:45:43.167 --> 00:45:44.918
and so I decided to go
to the United States
00:45:47.042 --> 00:45:48.042
simply because I had to.
00:45:50.667 --> 00:45:52.417
I had thought I would be there
three years,
00:45:53.501 --> 00:45:54.621
but they sent me back early.
00:45:55.834 --> 00:45:57.792
I didn\'t stay
for the three years I wanted to.
00:45:58.000 --> 00:45:59.959
But thanks to God,
I was able to make a little.
00:46:01.792 --> 00:46:03.209
My objective
was to build a house,
00:46:05.125 --> 00:46:09.417
but at least I am back
with my family.
00:46:21.959 --> 00:46:23.119
- My brother is... was young.
00:46:23.959 --> 00:46:25.125
He didn\'t have commitments,
00:46:25.667 --> 00:46:26.667
no wife, no children.
00:46:31.125 --> 00:46:33.000
But he was doing what was best
for my parents,
00:46:35.459 --> 00:46:37.125
because I have a sister
who is special.
00:46:39.751 --> 00:46:40.751
She has problems.
00:46:41.250 --> 00:46:42.792
And so my brother
wanted to help her,
00:46:46.417 --> 00:46:48.125
and he left our parents behind.
00:46:50.959 --> 00:46:52.959
It is very difficult
to have to recall all this.
00:46:56.459 --> 00:46:58.459
My mother said,
\"I will give him my blessing,\"
00:46:59.167 --> 00:47:00.167
and he left.
00:47:01.375 --> 00:47:03.083
And the words he said
to my parents were,
00:47:03.876 --> 00:47:05.751
\"I am going for you,
my dear little parents,
00:47:05.876 --> 00:47:06.956
to give you a better life.\"
00:47:09.042 --> 00:47:14.542
But lamentably,
he returned without his life.
00:47:21.584 --> 00:47:23.584
- There are people who die
on their jobs there.
00:47:25.209 --> 00:47:27.209
Many from Jacaltenango
have returned home dead.
00:47:31.792 --> 00:47:35.375
They only come back
to be buried here.
00:47:39.292 --> 00:47:40.292
[soft guitar music]
00:47:43.959 --> 00:47:46.079
- [singing] And a boy
crying out in pain in the street
00:47:49.626 --> 00:47:51.042
and his mother
suffering for him.
00:47:55.876 --> 00:47:56.876
There\'s only crying
00:47:58.667 --> 00:47:59.876
and just begging for charity.
00:48:02.000 --> 00:48:03.160
What can I do with ten cents?
00:48:09.834 --> 00:48:10.834
Oh, my God.
00:48:13.834 --> 00:48:15.542
If these people
did something for them,
00:48:19.250 --> 00:48:21.000
if they took care
of so many kids like him,
00:48:25.209 --> 00:48:26.751
how many mothers
they\'d make happy.
00:48:33.292 --> 00:48:34.292
Oh, my God.
00:48:37.167 --> 00:48:38.876
If these people
did something for them,
00:48:43.083 --> 00:48:44.083
if they had a kind heart,
00:48:48.959 --> 00:48:56.292
Guatemala would change
in just one day.
00:49:11.459 --> 00:49:12.459
- He was in Jupiter.
00:49:15.626 --> 00:49:16.918
He worked there for four years.
00:49:20.083 --> 00:49:21.834
He left us a great example
of what love is,
00:49:24.834 --> 00:49:26.074
what it is to love one another.
00:49:26.918 --> 00:49:28.501
He always told us
to love our brothers
00:49:31.083 --> 00:49:32.834
because life is something
you can\'t buy.
00:49:33.751 --> 00:49:35.584
There are often times
when this causes one
00:49:37.709 --> 00:49:39.542
to reflect on how one is,
how one really is.
00:49:43.000 --> 00:49:45.080
We try to believe that
everything works for the best.
00:49:48.000 --> 00:49:50.000
But there are moments
when that\'s hard to believe.
00:49:54.125 --> 00:49:55.325
We hope that God will help us.
00:49:55.959 --> 00:49:56.959
More than anything,
00:49:57.626 --> 00:50:00.083
I hope that those who are there
will value their sacrifices,
00:50:02.876 --> 00:50:04.000
value the work they\'re doing
00:50:05.250 --> 00:50:07.334
to achieve their goals
and return to their families,
00:50:10.459 --> 00:50:16.375
which is the essential thing,
their children, their wives.
00:50:23.709 --> 00:50:25.876
- Jupiter\'s a very special
community for many reasons,
00:50:27.167 --> 00:50:28.918
and I\'ve had the privilege
to be in office
00:50:30.667 --> 00:50:31.747
for a little over 20 years,
00:50:32.584 --> 00:50:34.167
and there were a number
of immigrants
00:50:34.667 --> 00:50:36.375
who came from the area
of Jacaltenango.
00:50:39.209 --> 00:50:40.918
And that was the start
of a relationship
00:50:41.417 --> 00:50:42.667
between not just Jacaltenango
00:50:43.459 --> 00:50:44.959
but Guatemala
and Jupiter as well.
00:50:48.709 --> 00:50:49.959
It started with Mr. Camposeco,
00:50:50.626 --> 00:50:52.375
who thought it would be
very interesting
00:50:52.501 --> 00:50:53.621
to have the mayor come here,
00:50:55.083 --> 00:50:56.584
and we were able
to exchange gifts,
00:50:58.083 --> 00:50:59.083
exchange resolutions,
00:51:00.417 --> 00:51:01.497
and talk a little bit about
00:51:03.209 --> 00:51:04.876
what was important
to each community.
00:51:05.542 --> 00:51:07.542
Our gift paled in comparison
to the mayor\'s gift,
00:51:08.959 --> 00:51:10.959
which was handmade
by people from Guatemala,
00:51:13.667 --> 00:51:15.542
and they took the time
to write my name on it,
00:51:16.959 --> 00:51:18.959
and it was just very special
and very personal,
00:51:20.792 --> 00:51:22.792
and I think that spoke
to the warmth of the people
00:51:26.584 --> 00:51:27.792
that I\'ve met from Guatemala.
00:51:30.417 --> 00:51:31.577
- The mayor, one of her ideas
00:51:32.709 --> 00:51:34.459
was that this creation
of the sister city
00:51:35.792 --> 00:51:37.792
is because we can create
a program in Guatemala,
00:51:38.584 --> 00:51:39.584
in Jacaltenango,
00:51:40.125 --> 00:51:41.501
in order for people
to have a job,
00:51:43.125 --> 00:51:44.542
in order for people
to have skills
00:51:46.083 --> 00:51:51.042
to avoid to travel and immigrate
to United States.
00:51:52.876 --> 00:51:53.996
- El Sol has been a shelter,
00:51:55.918 --> 00:51:57.918
a place where they can
discuss their own problems,
00:51:58.959 --> 00:52:02.125
a place
where they feel embraced.
00:52:04.751 --> 00:52:06.751
- We were really living
in two separate cultures,
00:52:07.709 --> 00:52:09.959
and the center has enabled
the cultures to come together
00:52:11.250 --> 00:52:12.410
and to learn from each other.
00:52:12.792 --> 00:52:14.872
- We had a vision to try
to be part of what should be
00:52:17.209 --> 00:52:18.751
a comprehensive
national solution
00:52:20.834 --> 00:52:22.834
to dealing with a very complex
and difficult issue,
00:52:24.167 --> 00:52:25.876
and personally,
as an elected official
00:52:26.667 --> 00:52:27.959
and a member of this community,
00:52:29.000 --> 00:52:30.959
we\'re thrilled with the success
that we\'ve had
00:52:32.375 --> 00:52:33.501
and feel even more confident
00:52:34.375 --> 00:52:35.876
that we need to be
replicating this
00:52:36.959 --> 00:52:38.250
elsewhere across the country.
00:52:38.417 --> 00:52:39.977
- As long as there is a need
for a place
00:52:40.667 --> 00:52:42.167
for workers and employers
to come,
00:52:42.792 --> 00:52:47.209
we will be here regardless
of the outside influences.
00:52:48.542 --> 00:52:50.622
- It\'s unlikely people go there
because they want to.
00:52:50.959 --> 00:52:52.125
They go because they have to.
00:52:53.375 --> 00:52:54.918
The saddest,
most lamentable thing
00:52:56.083 --> 00:52:57.667
is that they suffer
when they arrive.
00:52:57.959 --> 00:53:00.083
Separation from one\'s children
is the hardest thing.
00:53:04.375 --> 00:53:06.375
They cry when they have
to leave their children.
00:53:09.959 --> 00:53:10.959
They suffer.
00:53:11.083 --> 00:53:12.163
- We have to live together.
00:53:14.959 --> 00:53:16.876
We have to live,
each one doing his own part.
00:53:18.125 --> 00:53:19.205
We have to help each other,
00:53:21.083 --> 00:53:23.959
because without one,
the others can\'t live.
00:53:25.626 --> 00:53:31.626
[drum and flute music]
00:53:49.751 --> 00:53:51.876
- I\'m from here in Guatemala.
00:53:54.334 --> 00:53:58.292
I went to Jupiter because
I have families, friends.
00:53:59.667 --> 00:54:01.334
I took a decision
to go to United States
00:54:02.000 --> 00:54:03.876
like, seven years ago.
00:54:05.834 --> 00:54:08.292
I\'m here again
for a funeral here.
00:54:12.959 --> 00:54:13.959
My parents are here.
00:54:14.667 --> 00:54:15.959
My grandmom, she\'s living yet.
00:54:17.751 --> 00:54:19.417
And I have many more cousins,
families.
00:54:22.042 --> 00:54:23.282
Now I have a baby of 11 months,
00:54:26.959 --> 00:54:28.959
and I would like him to know
where he comes from.
00:54:30.209 --> 00:54:31.209
[firecrackers popping]
00:54:32.918 --> 00:54:35.918
[crowd cheering]
00:54:39.959 --> 00:54:40.959
- Brothers and sisters,
00:54:42.959 --> 00:54:44.959
families are encountering
many dangers today.
00:54:46.959 --> 00:54:48.959
The danger that fathers
have to go to \"El Norte\"
00:54:51.792 --> 00:54:53.459
because our country
doesn\'t give them
00:54:56.417 --> 00:54:57.457
what they have a right to,
00:54:58.375 --> 00:54:59.959
and so families
are disintegrating.
00:55:01.375 --> 00:55:03.626
The women are left behind
to deal with the dangers alone.
00:55:05.083 --> 00:55:07.083
The children are growing up
without their fathers.
00:55:07.959 --> 00:55:10.959
[man whispering]
00:55:27.167 --> 00:55:28.542
- You are rolling?
- I\'m rolling.
00:55:28.667 --> 00:55:29.876
- Okay, you\'re rolling.
00:56:14.584 --> 00:56:16.292
- [singing]
Jacaltenango is my cradle,
00:56:17.542 --> 00:56:18.662
the cradle where I was born.
00:56:23.125 --> 00:56:25.125
Jacaltenango is my land
where I\'m going to die.
00:56:28.751 --> 00:56:34.918
Jacaltenango is my land
where I\'m going to die.
00:56:38.834 --> 00:56:44.792
I wish I had wings.
00:56:47.792 --> 00:56:49.834
And jump in between flowers
and get God\'s blessing.
00:56:53.083 --> 00:56:59.292
And jump in between flowers
and get God\'s blessing.
00:57:01.959 --> 00:57:03.959
I\'d like to be the sun
and go through your window
00:57:11.751 --> 00:57:12.751
and kiss you softly
00:57:14.501 --> 00:57:15.501
in the morning light.
00:57:17.375 --> 00:57:18.375
And kiss you softly
00:57:20.209 --> 00:57:23.876
in the morning light.
00:57:49.626 --> 00:57:50.751
Jacaltenango is my village,
00:57:52.501 --> 00:57:56.959
the village where I was born.
00:57:59.626 --> 00:58:01.626
Jacaltenango is my land
where I\'m going to die.
00:58:05.459 --> 00:58:06.459
Jacaltenango is my land
00:58:10.959 --> 00:58:14.584
where I\'m going to die.
00:58:16.375 --> 00:58:18.459
- They sell for $5 here.
00:58:22.959 --> 00:58:24.292
Very little.
Distributor: Bullfrog Films
Length: 58 minutes
Date: 2010
Genre: Expository
Language: English; Spanish / English subtitles
Grade: 10-12, College, Adult
Color/BW:
Closed Captioning: Available
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