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Jade Gagnon

Fall 2007

Geography Capstone 401Kids in Tlaquilpa

Panorama of Tlaquilpa

Students at the airport

Capstone researchers

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¡ Family, God, and Work

¡ Edward C. Banfield: Amoral Familism

“Immigrants are perpetual mourners because they must leavehome repeatedly to achieve their goals.” - Dr. Nelly Salgado De Snyder 2007

Eugene and I with Marcelina and her family

http://latino.si.edu/researchandmuseums/presentations/mckiernan_paper.html

¡ Drug and alcohol abuse

¡ Pregnancy

¡ Additional Responsibilities

¡ Perpetual Truancy

Lourdes,- 7 years old-daughter of Julia Ishmael-9 years old-son of Julia

Vanessa and Emily-daughters of Lucia

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“I felt discriminated against, like I was worth nothing, like trash.”

Alexis Silva Carreno, speaking about how he felt when left in the care of his extended family

AstacingaTlaquilpa

Veracruz

30%

70%

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2

Non-migrant children

Migrant children

“I would say that about 70% of the children in Tlaquilpa have family in the United states.”

-Armando Cantero Pelaez

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Kids in the Tlaquilpa schoolPhotos by Eugene Boyd

“The money of the United States helps a lot to the population here, but still there is the problems of the family disintegration and there is not attention for the sons and daughters so then they have these problems like pregnancy, alcoholism, or drug addiction because the father in not there.” -Armando Cantero Pelaez

“Are there a lot of kids that don’t go to school?”“Yes, a lot of them work in the camp.”

-Interview with Armando Cantero Pelaez

“My daughter knows that her father Pedro is in the USA to support the familybut she doesn’t know who he is as a person.”

-Interview with Julia by Gina Livingston

Armando and I at the school

“Missing parents causes less obedience.”-Interview with Mariana Carrera Vasquez by Zach Barnes

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¡ Assume Authoritarian role

"I am sad when he is not here; I miss him...I feel I cannot solve all the problems by myself.I have to be both father and mother.. it is hard because I am a woman and sometimes the children don't mind me.A man is always necessary in the family."

- An informant from research done by Nelly Salgado de Snyder 2002

¡ Depression

¡ Increased absence from the home

¡ Infidelity

Julia and her friend in Tlaquilpa

“Family changes after one migrates, there is a physical separation, but also more-almost like a physical divorce. Also, there is a lack of fidelity that changes the relationship.” -Interview with Jacinto Fernandez by Sarah Janes

“They don’t want us to go but they see we have to, they know its only for 2-3 years and then we come back.” -Interview with Jacobo by Heidi Jackson

“He changed, he became much more serious.”-Interview with Marcela by Gina Livingston

“They get pregnant over the phone.”-Interview with Juana Aguilar by Zach Barnes

Lucia with her daughters in Astacinga

“He is working and fighting so that we canMove ahead.” -Interview with Lucia by Sarah Janes

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Immigrants stay Return to theircommunities

Vs.

U.S.A. Mexico

“Because I missed my familyand my country. The family is the most important. If I was single I would stay there (USA).” -Ricardo 2007

Interview with Ricardo in Cordoba market

“When you comeback it’s not thesame, you thinkthat it’s more better over there(USA).”-Interview with JacoboBy Heidi Jackson

¡ Bring characteristics of individualism

¡ Alcohol abuse“They get bored here they have nothing to do here. In the United states they worked all the time so here

they don’t do anything because they brought the money so they don’t have to work as much, therefore they start drinking.” -Armando Cantero Pelaez

¡ Men resume the authoritarian role "My husband is like a piece of furniture. When he came back, there was no room for that piece of furniture. It is like an antique piece of furniture that is very valuable and has been in the family for a very long time, so I cannot sell it but I don't have a place in the house because the house is full. When I walk into the bathroom, I bump into this piece of furniture. Then I go into the bedroom and I get scared because there is this new piece of furniture there. It is like a ghost piece of furniture that I don't want to get rid of and will never get rid of because it is very valuable."

- An informant from research done by Nelly Salgado de Snyder 2002

“The family dynamics are different when he’s here because he’s in the house, he’s not far away and we are used to him being far away.” –Interview with Lucia by Sarah Janes

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HIV/AIDS has developed in rural Mexican states that have the highest migration rates to the United States

-New York Times 2007

“Knowledge of birth control is equated with experience in sex andwomen who have knowledge are considered to be ‘light women.’”-Nelly Salgado de Snyder interview with Mexican woman

¡ The principal reason for leaving the family is to better the quality of life of the family, as a whole, however this objective predominately results in the disintegration and impoverishment of the family unit.

Our host family in Tlaquilpa

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Realize that most migrants have families, and that this is the mainreason why they are here (USA), to support their families.

“Wherever you go you have to learn their rules and respect themotherwise you are going to have problems you with them and them with you.”

-Armando Cantero Pelaez

Kids and I in Tlaquilpa

“The government (Mexican)needs to create more jobs To sustain our families.”-Interview with Ramon Sanchez By Sarah Janes

¡ Develop more programs like Puentes/Bridges

¡ Community based programs that provide therapy

¡ Establish programs that educate families on the impending HIV/AIDS epidemic

“My conversation with you has helped me feel closer to my son in Wisconsin.I feel like he is not being mistreated now that we have talked.”

-Interview with Juana Aguilar by Zach Barnes

Interview with Juana Aguilar and Luisa Sales Ponchos

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