Tapachula was a powerful experience for everyone, and they said that it made the border in the north seem so much clearer and the walls so much higher. I gained a new appreciation for what Central Americans endure to arrive in the US and felt nothing but awe for the people making that journey.
After Tapachula we went on to spend 3 days in San Caralampio, an ejido that was established in the 1930s and whose small farmers have grown corn there for decades. Not only were the people wonderful to be with, they also told us many stories about how their livelihoods have been
affected by NAFTA and corn imports, while their families and communities are severely impacted the high number of people migrating north. During a meeting with 25-30 youth from the community, mainly teenagers, all of them knew somebody in the US, several had already worked
in the US, and a majority planned to migrate there in the future. We were certainly able to see how difficult it was for community leaders to organize in light of the emigration of young men and women, and how family, culture, and tradition were being uprooted by current economic models.
After Tapachula we went on to spend 3 days in San Caralampio, an ejido that was established in the 1930s and whose small farmers have grown corn there for decades. Not only were the people wonderful to be with, they also told us many stories about how their livelihoods have been
affected by NAFTA and corn imports, while their families and communities are severely impacted the high number of people migrating north. During a meeting with 25-30 youth from the community, mainly teenagers, all of them knew somebody in the US, several had already worked 
in the US, and a majority planned to migrate there in the future. We were certainly able to see how difficult it was for community leaders to organize in light of the emigration of young men and women, and how family, culture, and tradition were being uprooted by current economic models.
No comments:
Post a Comment