I just came across this very poignant video created by PBS. If you have 15 minutes, I encourage you to watch it. It captures the beauty of Guatemala's landscape, the people, but most of all it captures the great poverty and one's motivation to come into the US illegally or even put their child up for adoption.
The "Red Neck" theory that "these" people take jobs away from Americans is such crap. What American would work 12 hours in a meat packing plant for $7.00? This isn't even minimum wage. How many Americans are willing to work for minimum wage anyway? It costs more to live than they would be making.
As you watch the video, think about who you know that has literally risked their life to get a job to support their extended family and be away from them for two, three, four years or more? I personally know a woman who walked three days through the desert and rubbed garlic over her body to ward off snakes. When she got here she couldn't walk for two weeks because her feet were a swollen, infected mess. Accompanying her through the desert was her pregnant sister, a young brother and her 16 year old son. The trip was riddled with risk... dehydration, bandits and more. I know guys who live on tortillas and coke and the odd home cooked meal a friend delivers becuase they don't want to decrease the amount they can send to their family in Mexico.
OK... enough of my rant. Just watch the video and see where our sweet little Cecilia was born and what her fate could have been. jzqd
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http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/watch/player.html?pkg=rc82guat&seg=1&mod=0
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