My Cinco de Mayo article was published today, and AP may pick it up!

I write articles and submit them for publication to various local papers, and the paper here Tuscola decided to print the article I wrote about the impact of Hispanic immigration on the central Illinois region. The editor not only liked it the article, but thought it had an appeal beyond Cinco de Mayo, and is submitting it to AP for their consideration!

Woo hoo! :bounce:

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AMERICAN DREAMERS: MEXICAN IMMIGRANTS HAVE MADE HUGE STRIDES SINCE COMING TO U.S.

CENTRAL ILLINOIS -- Francisco Tomas' version of the American dream is found on a hill overlooking the Kaskaskia River.

It was in shambles when he purchased it two years ago; an uninhabitable, crumbling wreck that could just as easily have been condemned and razed as put up for sale. But Tomas saw promise in the two-bedroom, one-bath hovel. He, his family and friends spent all of their free time restoring it. Today, while modest in size, it is showcase-fresh and stands in large testament of Tomas' determination to build a better life for him and his family.

"When I had the opportunity to buy this house a friend asked me, 'Why do you want this old house?'" Tomas said. "I worked pretty hard to have something. Finally, I have all this."

Tomas is a Mexican immigrant whose journey to the house in rural Douglas County started in the 1970s when he left his family and farm in Michoacan, a southwestern Mexico state, for the promise of work and opportunity in the United States. Tomas' tale is not unlike that of thousands of other migrants -- primarily Hispanic -- who were drawn to central Illinois for seasonal work in the fields, but who ultimately established roots here. Once regarded as the region's "hidden population," that is no longer the case. The Hispanic population in central Illinois is increasing rapidly, and second and third generations are graduating from schools and obtaining jobs in nonagriculture enterprises.

"What Hispanics are doing is changing," said William Peterson, a researcher at the University of Illinois School of Agriculture. "Before 1990, most of the Hispanic population in rural areas was associated with agriculture. What we are now seeing is a transition away from that. Now, instead of being on farms, they are working at Wal-Mart, in the factories and in the service industries. They are not a hidden population any longer. They are no longer isolated."

Tomas first landed in Missouri, where he worked in the fields. He later migrated to central Illinois to work in the broom-corn fields. For the past 15 years he has been employed at the LittleFuse plant in Arcola. "Down there in Mexico there are no jobs. There is little money," Tomas said. "One day a friend of mine asked if I'd go to the United States with him. He said, 'Come on, it is a good deal.'"

Like so many migrants who followed the seasonal work in the region's orchards and berry fields, Tomas would return to his homeland after the season ended. That changed in 1986 when the federal government offered amnesty to undocumented workers living in the United States. "Those years I had no papers and just crossed the border," he said. "I had the opportunity when amnesty was offered, so I got my papers and became legal."

It also reunited him with his family, whom he brought to this country in 1990. Today, Tomas' wife, Brjida, and five of his six remaining children -- one died in a trucking accident in 1993 -- live in the United States. His son, Juan, lives with him. Another son, Francisco Jr., lives in the house next door.

Using U.S. Census Bureau figures, Peterson estimates there were 13,069 Hispanics in central Illinois in 1990. That grew to 35,496 in 2000. Predictably, many have settled in Arcola, Mattoon and Charleston areas near the rich farm fields that attracted them initially, but increasingly those who work outside the fields are establishing communities in towns like Decatur, Champaign and Effingham, near their employers.

Peterson's figures exclude undocumented immigrants, which Fred Tsao of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights says number in the tens of thousands. "Central Illinois, like many other areas of the state and country, has for many years attracted foreign workers to do work that would largely go undone. It is physically demanding work, but it draws people willing to do those jobs," Tsao said. "The past five to 10 years we have seen more of a critical mass of migrant workers who have saved money and are now settled into the area."

Tsao said the 1986 amnesty program -- meant to stem the tide of illegal immigration -- had a reverse affect. "There were 3 million undocumented immigrants at the time," Tsao said. "Many came in for farm work and settled in Texas and California. It was a one-shot solution to immigration reform and 2 million of the 3 million took advantage of it. It was supposed to shut down undocumented immigrants, but the demand increased. Today we estimate there are 9 million of them, 400,000 to 500,000 in Illinois alone."

Tsao attributes the spike to several factors: The Mexican economy collapsed in the early 1990s and passage of the North American Free Trade Agreement hit Mexico's agriculture sector hard as U.S.-grown products began pouring over the border. The U.S. economy also was booming. "U.S. employers needed workers and the workers needed work," Tsao said. "Even though they are undocumented, very often it is a 'don't-ask-don't-tell' policy."

Peterson said their presence here has a significant impact on central Illinois' economy, infusing $206 million into it in 2000.

Adrian Garcia, pastor of the Jesus Es El Senor Methodist Church outside of Arcola, said most of the immigrants in this region come from Tomas' home state of Michoacan and other parts of southern Mexico. He estimates that 70 percent are from Mexico and 30 percent from Central America. "The people like this area. They like the countryside because it reminds them of home," Garcia said.

Garcia, who was invited by the church to relocate from Mexico City in 1992, said he also has seen a change in the population. "Since the 1990s to 2000s it has changed dramatically. When migrants started coming to this area it was mostly single people. In 1990, we started getting entire families applying for green cards. "The families were looking for stability. It is hard for them to keep moving with children. Education of their children became more important to them. The family issue stabilized people," he added.

Edith Tomas (no relation to Francisco) and her husband, Estanislao, own the La Mexicana Grocery in Arthur. She said she came here in 1980 with her aunt, received her education and wanted to stay. "We have work here," she said. "It was hard at first. I didn't know much English. Now I have an education and am fluent in English, and own a business."

The language barrier is one of many obstacles immigrants must overcome. The other is trying to assimilate to a new culture, especially in a rural area such as central Illinois, where communities tend to be tight-knit. Garcia said a few residents look at the immigrants with disdain and mistrust. "People feel others are following them with their eyes," Garcia said. "That is why they don't live in some towns. They don't feel comfortable there. I know people living in southern Illinois who come here on weekends because of this. We really are from another country but diversity is part of this culture, and people here seem more accepting than in other places. We work hard, and people respect that here."

Martha Ostos Shafter, who once lived in the migrant workers camp in southern Illinois and now operates the health clinic here, also feels that uneasiness even though she married an Anglo, speaks fluent English and is member of the Douglas County Board of Health. "I like the United States. I really do. I came to this country in 1983 thinking everyone was fair, but I've changed my mind. Some of the people here don't accept different people," she said. "Some of my neighbors don't say 'hi' to me, but they do when I walk by with my husband. Why? Because he is Anglo.

"I feel sorry for them, because they have lost the opportunity to learn something from me. They lost the opportunity to learn about a different culture," she said.

Larry Rennels, owner of Rennels Appliance in Charleston, said his community is growing to accept its new population. "People in small towns don't like change in any fashion, but the change is occurring and our community is accepting Hispanics as equals," said Rennels, who sat on the Charleston city council for 16 years. "If the community opens its doors and lets these folks have a say and become part of our community, we will be stronger for it. Basically, a person is a person. It's not their skin color, not their nationality or even their language. It's what is inside that makes them a person," he said.

Garcia says he believes the cultural barriers will erode over time as the children and grandchildren of immigrants integrate into society. "The second generation is getting into the Anglo culture. They are not immigrants anymore," Garcia said. "When I hear, 'Go back to your country, you're getting our jobs,' I think to me, yes, but not to the children. We say we are open but we don't accept them."

Francisco Tomas doesn't feel he's discriminated against and said he's comfortable in the small-town atmosphere of Arcola. "People are very friendly here," he said. "We have a better life here. My kids speak good English and have good jobs. I work hard and have something to show for it. This is why I came to America, to have a decent life."


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Edit: typo

:yourock:

*bows* :D

Most people don't know that back in 1912, Hellmann's mayonnaise was manufactured in England. In fact, the Titanic was carrying 12,000 jars of the condiment scheduled for delivery in Vera Cruz, Mexico, which was to be
the next port of call for the great ship after its stop in New York. This would have been the largest single shipment of mayonnaise ever delivered to Mexico.

But as we know, the great ship did not make it to New York. The ship hit an iceberg and sank....and the cargo was forever lost. The people of Mexico, who were crazy about mayonnaise -- and were eagerly awaiting its delivery -- were disconsolate at the loss. Their anguish was so great, that they declared a National Day of Mourning which they still observe to this day. The National Day of Mourning occurs each year on May 5th and is known, of course, as Sinko de Mayo.

i love 'shaggy dog' stories! :P

I can see why they liked it... thanks. :)

:)

Damn fine job.
Had any formal training?

Thank you. :)

.....Congrats!! Give Tony a hug for as well!! :)

I'm giving him lots of extra TLC. :)