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Una Familia Especial

12.2.12
INTERESTING DATE TO WRITE AN ARTICLE ABOUT GOOD PARENTAL MODELING

Although Lidia my wife and I live 40 miles from Hillsboro, today, we decided to attend mass at St. Mathews’ Catholic Church and to visit the Hillsboro County Museum.  The service at the church was conventional and predictable.  We saw faces we had not seen before and enjoyed being in another church and community celebrating our Sunday day of obligation. 

Our week end trip took us to Church, coffee at McDonald’s and a tour of the exhibit at the Museum.  The weather was a bit cold and of course rainy.

POSTER by the Washington County Museum

As a student of “Migrant History,” I tend to be more observant than most people.   The most noticeable thing around Washington County is its demographics.  As I observe the people going about their daily routine, I think of the early 1970’s when I used to come and visit some friends in Hillsboro. Caramba!...it appears that there is a significant Hispanic Community in the area.  Prior to going to mass, we stopped at McDonald’s for our daily dose of good caffeine and we were there for about an hour.  Although I did not have my “clicker”, people counter, it is safe to say that 90% of the clients were not white and half or more of the people were carrying on “en Espaňol!”  No, I am not surprised, but the observation adds to what many are saying around town and in fact across the nation the word minority is quickly changing.  Add to this, the number of young mothers who were at McDonald’s  feeding their babies “un poquito de comida” or “Kids Happy Meal”..I don’t know.  Any person with an imaginary mathematical mind can extrapolate what our Oregon evolving community is becoming less white and less Anglo-Saxon.  I was happy to see families enjoying a meal at a well known establishment.  There were also more children than adults.  Immediately, I thought of the school system.

As usual, I have my recording device ready to take language/human utterances samples and a few photos/video to accompany a story.  My recording became more enjoyable and meaningful at the Washington County Museum. Upon our arrival I saw a family entering the museum.  GET READY FOR A BIT OF SPANGLISH.

La Familia Islas:  Byron-papa, Dora-mama, hijos-Monica, Kayla, y Byron.

This young family was viewing the visuals and enjoying the video on a topic of “Braceros.”  When I hear of this topic I humbly sigh at the notion that many of my family members from Jalisco came to the United States as “Braceros.”  Moreover, I personally met and helped many “Braceros” en el Puente de Piedras Negras e Eagle Pass (El Aguila), Texas.  I saw them entering the United States with old raggedy clothes and evidence of tiredness and even malnourished.

Aquí en esta esquina los boses se paraban a dejar a los BRACEROS. La agencia de migración vigilaba los hombres que formaban una fila y parecían unas hormiguitas caminando y cruzando el puente regresando a su MEJICO!.. de después de un periodo de tiempo en los Estados Unidos.   
 
Although I was in la frontera de Piedras Negras for less than a year, I have enough material to fill a 300 pp book.  It is here that I was forced to come out of of my shelter past into a life .. de la calle.  Nunca me paso nada GRACIAS A DIOS!  Pero estoy seguro que perdí mi vida cuando menos tres veces por qué no era fácil de sobre vivir en las calles de Piedras Negras.
 
Nuestra parada en Piedras Negras fue nomas para esperar nuestros papeles de residentes de EU..Mi papa Arturo no quería tomar lo fácil y pasarnos a la “Brava”… sino que todo correcto y como debido.  Later we will find out that ALL that waiting was not necessary…you see…mi papa era Tejano.  Oh well, haci lo quiso Dios dijo él.  La esperada me coincidió de conocer la vida de los BRACEROS..Pues quizá es una capa de plata como dicen los gabachos.  También conocí la vida “BRACERA” en Valyermo, California después..you can get more lucky than con la suerte SALINAS.  Hay veces que creo que he vivido 100 aňos!

REGRESANDO A LA HISTORIA ORIGINAL…
The following photographs are examples of items used to explain the life of the “Braceros.”   These were used at the Washington County Museum.

El costal, la riata un balde una banca y útiles para la concina más un catre eran las cosas esenciales para los “Braceros.”

END OF THE SPANGLISH…….

In the next room there was a Movie about the “Bracero Movement” which begun in the mid-1940’s. 

 

I also had the privilege of seeing them return from the various places that contracted them to do the work that was necessary to keep food on the American Tables and a part of society operating being that a large % of men were in the military. and do the work that others couldn’t do or refused to do because it was poorly paid.  Your guess is as good as mine…and you would be “Right.” 

Having worked with thousands of families over the course of my career, I immediately detected good parenting.  A few minutes went by after my observation I introduced myself.  They were discussing name of plants but could not identify the picture of a “Hop plant”… I immediately offered my help and told them a short story about my involvement in the hops.  I also invited them to visit our website.  What I had just witnessed was special and I proceeded to asked them to pose for a photograph and also to let me record their voices..Uno…Dos…Tres!! and Done!  I told them that the short encounter would be posted in our website; Window, “Poco de Todo.”

Below is a photograph of yesteryear’s hop harvest.

This coming Thursday 12/6/2012 attending the meeting of the Oregon Board of Education.  Recently, Oregon schools have had their share of “Marginal Marks.”  For those of you who don’t know, the entire management is now in the hand of Governor Kitzhaber and his CREW of professionals.  From my view point what is missing from all the “Politica” and “Solutions” is partly what I saw today.  Two parents with four children enjoying the “University of Learning.” NOT SCHOOLING THEM, but adding to their repertoire of experiences. My message to the Leadership will be simply… DO A BETTER JOB IN INFORMING AND KEEPING THE PARENTS CLOSE to the most significant and expensive investment we have…”OUR CHILDREN.” 

The exhibit “BRACEROS” will be in the Museum for six months.  I offered my help to the management and I am hopeful that they will call.  I shared my observation with one of the ushers/managers of the activities that there was no Mexican-American leadership presence.  She replied by saying that it was difficult to persuade people to volunteer. 

The highlight of our trip was meeting the “Islas Family.”  They seem to have all the attributes of a “caring family.” 

MI GRACIAS A LA FAMILIA “ISLAS” POR SU CONTRIBUCIÓN…Es un ORGULLO de haber estado en su presencia.  SIMPLEMENTE una FAMILIA MODELO DE HILLSBORO, OREGON,  USA!
ConAMISTAD!
SoyMiguel  
Esta foto no necesita palabras!

 

 

Aun la vida no es ideal en los Estados Unidos es una vida que viene de los sufrimientos de la gente de los EU y de raizes Mexicans y los migrantes que abrieron puertas para los millones de familias que se encuentran aquí. 

FORMAR NUESTRO FUTURO CON INFORMACION DE NUESTRO PASADO ESPECIAL ES ESENCIAL.
The past gives us all a baseline of information from which we can assess where we are how far we have come and create targets/goals for our future ourselves.  Some people say the “Sky is the limit”.. I agree with that notion…but I just want to add that knowing one’s history will give you a better assessment if you are going forward.

GRACIAS Y FELICITACIONES

La comunidad de Hillsboro y sus vecinos del Condado de Washington deben de orgullezerce por haber traido atencion que esecncialmente explca una de las razones porque la poblacion Mexicana ha crecido mas que otra nacionalidad o grupo etnico en Oregon y quizas la nacion.  Naturalmente tambien esta relacionado con el poco cambio que ocurre en Mexico para asistir a las familias que progrsen economicamente.  En el pasado se ha declarado que las remesas que los Mexicanos envian a sus familiares se ha considerado como la “primer economica” del pais. 

Los Braceros sin duda formaron una base de visitantes que genero un interes entres miles de familias Mexicanas a la aventura migrante.  Antes de los Braceros fuerson las personas de raizes Mexicanas que vivian en los estados que pertenecian a Mexico.  En resumen entre la vida migratoria de estos residentes y low immigrantes de Mexico principalmente se ha formado una NUEVA CULTURA EN WASHINGTON COUNTY Y SUS ALREDEDORES.  Los sombreros del evento indican la union que se celebra. 

MIL GRACIAS Y FELICITACIONES A LA GERENCIA DE LA CIUDAD DE HILLSBORO Y A LAS PERSONAS ASOCIADAS CON EL MUSEO DEL CONDADO DE WASHINGTON, OREGON. 

12.5.2012soymiguel

VIDEO 2.12.2012 El día del Presidente Abraham Lincoln tomamos una película para recordar parte de mi trayectoria como emígrate e migrante, Antemano les advierto que esta filmada con equipo simple pero con mucho CORAZÓN!

Aquí esta Miguel con su esposa Lidia narrando un clip de video en un lugar muy conocido en su juventud. La guarda raya entre Mejico y los Estado Unidos mantiene unos momentos de GRATITUD y de educación universal.
Gracias!

Soymiguelconlidia

NOTA
Cuando conocí a la Familia Islas me agrado su actitud y su conducta social. En la la plática les comente que El pasado de nuestra gente es importante para entender y agradecer el presente y la combinación de ambos podremos formar un FUTURO. A primer vista yo noto que los hijos de Byron y Dora van por muy buen camino.
Los maestros principales en la vida son nuestros padres y familiares. La educación que ellos comparten con nosotros en la educación de nuestro mundo y lo hace directamente e indirectamente toda nuestra vida. Cuando uno se matricula a la escuela normal la base que uno lleva a la clase y el apoyo 24/7 que les brindan los padres y los familiares es la FORMULA más bonita y permanente que puede cultivar e utilizar UNO COMO PARTE DE LA COMUNIDAD!
NUEVAMENTE la imagen de esta familia me conforma que hay una LUZ DE ESPERANZA en la familia ISLAS.
Me gustaría que se comunicaran directamente con su servidor y compartir su opinión sobre esta historia.

soymiguel@comcast.net