THE SEARCH FOR LEGITIMACY:
MEXICAN MIGRANT WORKERS IN MICHIGAN

Israel Cuéllar, Ph.D.
Rene Rosenbaum, Ph.D.
Julian Samora Research Institute
Michigan State University
June 16, 2002

*This report stems from the experiences of Israel Cuéllar, Ph.D. and Rene Rosenbaum, Ph.D., who along with various other volunteers, assisted the Mexican Consul’s Office process identification and passport documents for hundreds of migrants in Shelby, Michigan on June 15th, 2002. Special thanks for making this event a reality are due to Antonio Mesa Estrada, Consul of Mexico, Frances Aranguré, Penny Burillo, various members of the Western Michigan Migrant Resource Council and many volunteers. The authors are solely responsible for any and all conclusions and impressions reported within.

The Search for Legitimacy: Mexican Migrant Workers in Michigan

We left Lansing at 5:00 am and headed toward Shelby,located in the northwest region of the Lower Michigan peninsula. It was dark, drizzling and unseasonably cool for the middle of June. Dr. Rene Rosenbaum and I were not certain what to expect. The word from Grand Rapids, where two previous outreach sessions had been held during the past month, was that 1,500 migrant workers were turned back as the Mexican Consul’s Office was unprepared to process such overwhelming large numbers of applicants. The meeting in Grand Rapids was held on May 18th at St. Mary’s Church and was sponsored by the Hispanic Center for Western Michigan. Processing in Grand Rapids had begun early in the morning and had been extended into the late evening and the early morning hours. It was terminated at 2:00 am when the staff and various volunteers could no longer go on. Word was out that people were camping out overnight in Shelby to make sure they didn’t miss this opportunity to establish a grip on their legitimacy. It is difficult enough to navigate, reside, and to make a living in a foreign country when one does not speak or read the language, but to add to this handicap the absence of legitimate identification makes even the most routine tasks enormously problematic. It is precisely for this reason that the Mexican Matricula Consular ID has been growing in acceptance in numerous cities throughout the U.S. This program is designed to allow undocumented immigrants to enter public buildings, directly pay for utilities, register their children in schools, and open bank accounts. It goes a long way in establishing legitimacy.

When we arrived at 7 am in Shelby, there was indeed, a long line already formed, and its length grew steadily throughout the morning. Processing of applications for registration, identification and passports was taking place at the Thomas Read Elementary School gym. The facilities were excellent. There was new playground equipment for the younger children. There was a convenient, large parking lot in front of the gym that served nicely for forming one long, winding, orderly line of migrants folding many times back and forth across the parking lot. The gym inside, along with its bleachers and roped-off sections was ideal for processing large numbers of applicants. It was reminiscent of past college registration processes, in gyms, prior to the advent of online and telephone registration. The Western Michigan Migrant Resource Council (WMMRC) had done an excellent job of organizing the event and was deserving of a lot of credit for their efforts. WMMRC and its many volunteers took care of all the many details that make the difference between a disaster and a success. This event was definitely a success. Although the Mexican Consul’s Office was in charge of the actual certification process, volunteers were active behind dozens of typewriters, copy machines, and computers. The WMMRC played a vital role in both organization and carrying out supportive functions, down to hiring a janitor to make sure the gym remained clean. Various community organizations also deserve credit for their sponsorship of food and beverages for both volunteers and the staff of the Mexican Consul’s Office. Among some of the community sponsors who stood-out were La Fiesta Restaurant in Hart, which provided delicious free food; a local tortilleria (tortilla factory); the Gerber Baby Food Co., which provided cases of free apple juice; The Julian Samora Research Institute which paid for additional needed food and drinks; Shelby School District which provided the facilities, namely, the Thomas Read Elementary School Gym; the WMMRC which provided dozens of volunteers via its membership and a volunteer student organization, paid for most of the food and the janitorial services used throughout the 14 hours that the gym remained open. The WMMRC contributed to the day’s success in many other tangible and intangible ways. The point is that although the Mexican Consul’s Office and staff were crucial in providing essential staff, equipment, paperwork, and legitimization, the day’s success was a team effort that incorporated many important and vital community resources, organizations, and people.

Many of the migrants, who formed the beginning of the line, in particular, seemed to know the process already. Either they were unable to obtain their ‘matricula’ (registration, ID) or their ‘pasaporte’ (Mexican Passport) earlier in Grand Rapids, MI, or else they had been unsuccessful in getting registered at the Mexican Consul’s main office in Detroit. The term often used by the migrants was that they had been unsuccessful in “getting a number” referring to the process of being told that they no longer were issuing numbers for the day and without a number you can not be processed. Various migrants reported having driven in the past to Detroit from distant places in Michigan only to find that the numbers of applicants for consideration for that day had already been selected. The manner in which it works is that a line is formed outside the Consul’s Office, and at exactly the time of opening for business, someone from the Consul’s Office steps outside and issues sequentially numbered tickets to each adult person standing in line.

According to Dr. Rosenbaum’s calculations (Rosenbaum, 2002), Oceana County where Shelby Township is located has a total Hispanic resident population of 3,119, representing 11.6% of the county’s population and the highest percentage of Hispanics of any of Michigan’s 63 counties (see http://midata.msu.edu). Oceania is the state’s second highest agricultural producing county, following Ottawa County, a close neighbor. Agricultural related food processing is Oceana’s number one industry. During the agricultural season (roughly between April and October) there is an influx of migrants from South Texas, Florida, and Mexico among other places. Dr. Rosenbaum calculates there are as many as 3,648 hired farm workers alone during the agricultural season in Oceana County. Nobody knows the exact number of migrants that come to Oceana County during any given year. The estimates are extremely difficult to calculate for a variety of reasons delineated elsewhere (see Larson, 2000). It is known that Oceana County is in the center of the “fruit belt” of Michigan as well as the United States. It produces large numbers of cherries, apples, peaches, pears, and plums. It also has a high production of asparagus, pickles, a variety of vegetables, and Christmas trees, all of which utilize migrant labor. There are at least 270 farms that utilize hired farm labor, and 129 licensed labor camps in Oceana County having a total capacity of 2,695 persons (Rosenbaum, 2002).

The state of Michigan has been using seasonal workers for well over 100 years. Originally, the seasonal worker was of European background. Starting with WWI and particularly after WWII the seasonal worker and the migrant worker became of Mexican origin (Rochin, Santiago, & Dickey, 1989; Valdez, 1992). The current migrant stream from Mexico, and the southern most regions of the U.S., to Michigan and other states, is the largest migration in the world with conservative estimates of over 1.2 million migrants participating on an annual, cyclical basis. It is also, arguably, the longest reoccurring migration in the world.

At 8 a.m. exactly, an official from the Detroit Consul’s office stepped outside the Thomas Read Elementary School gym and began issuing sequential numbers from a large ticket roll. Only one prospective applicant was seen to attempt to “cut into the line” and was promptly admonished by the consul’s staff with a verbal warning that “none of that was going to be tolerated here.” The official informed all those standing in line in affirm voice and tone that they ( the applicants) were expected to hold out their number in their hand in such a manner that the number could be readily seen by the gatekeeper as they entered the gym. If anybody asked questions, they were provided only cursory answers and informed that once inside the gym their questions would be answered.

I saw this long line consisting of mostly young, Mexican, migrant workers forming and couldn’t help but wonder about each one’s story? Dr. Julian Samora had pondered the same when he wrote his classical treatise Los Mojados: The Wetback Story, in 1971. What had changed since then? Were the stories these applicants had to tell the same as that related by Jorge Bustamante, the participant investigator in Dr. Samora’s book? It had occurred to me that this could be a great opportunity to engage those standing in line in a conversation. I had made sure to bring my camera. I hoped that if I could gain their trust, perhaps I would be permitted to take their photographs and learn of their experiences.

I noticed early on that very few people from the community or the consul’s office were engaging the migrants in conversation, other than that related to processing the necessary paperwork. It was not a matter of not wanting to engage them in conversation, although for some that might have been the case, it was more a matter of respecting their privacy and not wanting to pry into their private lives. Clearly there was a lot of un-spoken apprehension about a possible INS raid, and is well known that these, largely undocumented workers can be skittish and distrustful, and for good reasons I might add. Their everlasting and greatest fear is being deported. The fact that they were standing in line to obtain an official identification card to be able to show their legitimacy was a confession of sorts that they were undocumented. I certainly did not want to increase their apprehension and concern by prying into their lives, but I wanted to know their stories. So I began by greeting them, “Buenos dias, como le va?” [Good morning, how are you doing, (informally)?]. Soon some began to ask me questions. It occurred to me how much I detest standing in line not knowing for certain if I am standing in the correct line, or if I need to be standing in that particular line at all. Standing in line a long time and being told that one did so unnecessarily is most disconcerting. Generally, it is lack of information that leads to these doubts and worries about having the necessary paperwork to process one’s application or whatever. This was the case for these hundreds of applicants. They weren’t quite sure if they had the necessary documents required to process their claim, and they weren’t getting their questions answered by anyone with any authority. I jumped on this opportunity to be helpful and to gain their trust in the process. They had plenty of questions, such as “Is a birth certificate absolutely necessary?” What are the various forms of identity that will suffice? Will a copy of my birth certificate qualify for making my application or is the original required? Will a U.S. driver’s license substitute, if identification from Mexico is lacking? If I already have a U.S. driver’s license, do I still need a passport? Will a marriage certificate in Mexico serve as a form of identification? These questions were numerous and there was no clear agreement among the applicant’s themselves on the answers to these and other questions and concerns. I knew I personally would hate to be waiting hours upon hours in line needlessly. I told them I would be glad to go inside and try to find the answers to their questions.

When I asked the Consul’s chief deputy for clarification on some of the migrant’s questions and concerns, I was told in no uncertain terms that he would not be answering questions and that the applicants would have to wait until they entered the gym to have their questions and concerns addressed. Furthermore, the representative from the Consul’s office did not want me or anyone else to be trying to answer questions as this would inevitably lead to greater confusion as, “Who knows what type of erroneous information I, or others, might be providing.” Needless to say, his reply quickly squelched my plan. It was apparent my concept of customer appreciation was different from his. I was acutely aware that each applicant was being charged $29 for the matricula (Mexican consulate’s Office ID) and $35 for the one-year pasaporte and $91 for the five-year pasaporte.

I left the gym and continued to talk to the many applicants waiting outside in the long winding line. I shared with them what I did know and tried to be helpful and courteous keeping in mind that they are the reason why we were there. They are the customer, as far as I was concerned. There was grumbling in the crowd as to why they were unable to have their questions answered. At least one migrant commented that it is necessary, when dealing with their own countrymen (meaning Mexicans), to be strict and firm, or else chaos and disorder will quickly surface to one’s regret. It occurred to me they are probably frequently treated as an under-class citizen without full rights and privileges. If there was any apprehension about this, it was relieved later on when the Mexican Consul, Antonio Mesa Estrada, in person was seen walking about the crowd and personally answering questions from the long line of migrants. During the long drive home that evening, Dr. Rosenbaum and I talked about how very awful it must be to live undercover, so-to-speak, and to be treated as a second-class citizen at best.

For the next six hours, I talked to hundreds of migrants waiting in line and took three rolls of 35mm film, with each roll having 24 pictures. The average time it took to process an applicant, from the time they first stood in line to the time that they obtained their identification and Mexican Passport, was about 8 hours based on my estimate. Some may have taken a little less time to receive their papers, and others took a little more time to process. I recall one couple that arrived at 11:00 am and asked me how long it was going to take if they got into line now. I later saw them around 7:00 pm and they were still not finished but were at the very last stage, waiting for their names to be called to receive their passport. The consul’s staff did not disclose the actual number of applicants processed throughout the day, but is was estimated to be around 800 and possibly as many as another 100 more were turned back at the door to the gym when it was closed promptly at 2:00 pm to allow for the processing of all of those inside. It was around 8:00 pm when the last applicants received their paperwork.

Dr. Rene Rosenbaum’s 10 hours were absorbed processing the paper work. He read hundreds of birth certificates, typed in the information on the matricula before it was sealed in plastic, checked and double-checked that each applicant had the required paperwork, that it was authentic and that it was in order before being issued either their matricula or their passport. I had the occasion to observe him and other workers help the applicants with their paper work. There was a sense of community and of service. What I saw was that most of the volunteers were former migrants themselves, they knew how to work, and they knew how to work hard and well. I even felt guilty, as I was enjoying myself talking and taking pictures while they were doing the real work.

What I learned from talking to them was mostly random bits of information sampled from here and there. I cannot generalize what I learned. I can only share it for others to make whatever use they can from it. It is totally impressionistic data, meaning that these are my subjective impressions. It is neither scientific nor generalizable, and its reliability can be questioned as well. I attempted to ask similar questions such as how long have you lived here and what is it you do? However, I didn’t ask everybody the same question(s) as this was not a planned survey. It was spontaneous and opportunistic. I do not consider it a survey at all, although the Consul of Mexico, Antonio, Mesa Estrada, often referred to it as such, perhaps he was being facetious. Periodically, as he saw me walking about engaging others in conversation he would ask, “Como va la encuesta?” (How is the survey coming along? He too talked to the applicants and the applicants noticed and appreciated this. They recognized him from his picture in the paper. He can be seen talking to them in several of the pictures I took. I was selective of those I approached, and I was selective of those whom I asked more delicate questions like, “How did you cross the border?” I too was selected-out by some who were eager to share information with me. I felt those closer to my own age or those who were older (late forties, early fifties) were most forthcoming with me. Thus, I know what I learned from them is highly biased information, but I feel it has some value, even if it may be skewed or misleading at times, as I suppose some of it is. I will let the reader judge for themselves as to what they wish to gather from it, if anything at all. If nothing else, the photographs that accompany this report tell their own stories as only pictures can tell.

I suppose I should say something about the photographs. I never took a photo directly of an applicant without first asking permission and secondly thanking them. I informed them that they did not have to agree to have their photo taken and that they could refuse to do so without any consequence at all. I was refused by three females who did not wish to have their photos taken. I think they were shy, or bashful, and that is the real reason they refused. All, surprisingly readily agreed to have their photo taken and I was approached on numerous occasions by the migrants themselves who expressed wanting me to take a photo of themselves and their families. Some expressed interest in knowing if their picture would, perhaps, be printed in the newspaper. When they asked this question, I always inquired as to their motive for asking, and it always was that they desired to have their picture in the newspaper. Not one person was apprehensive about being identified or deported on account that they would be identified as an illegal alien. This was one of the things that most surprised me. None expressed being fearful of being identified or deported on account of having their photo taken. I made it a point to bring this up in conversation several times but never sensed reluctance to be photographed on account of their legal status. I think that at some level they are in denial, or try to forget that they are here illegally. Even now, as I am in the process of having their photos digitalized and placed on the web, I have this apprehension that something unfortunate could possibly result from all of this. For example, if the INS or other agency of the government wished to take the time to track down an applicant based on their photo, I would feel very responsible. If anyone of these migrants were to experience a negative consequence for being so kind and generous by allowing me to photograph them, I would feel very awful. I think this is paranoia on my part, and that nothing like that will ever occur. I informed them that their photos would not be in the newspaper, as I am not a newspaper journalist, but that I hoped to share their photos with others via the Internet and the World Wide Web. This pleased them. I was provided with home addresses by some who wished a copy of the photo for themselves. I have sent them copies as promised and have destroyed their addresses (just in case anyone is interested in issuing a subpoena to me for their address). This is an example of the paranoia that accompanies this entire process. I think I learned that I am more suspicious than them when it comes to trusting others.

Generally, I learned that the migrants and their children are very respectful, cooperative, friendly, helpful, and patient. To my knowledge, there was never a tense moment, angry feelings or emotions expressed, or other negative interpersonal interactions, between themselves or between themselves and the staff or volunteers. Everybody seemed to agree that regardless of how long it was going to take, the legitimization they sought was well worth the trouble. Throughout the 12 hours or so that it took to process the applicants in Shelby, the applicants were not provided with an opportunity to eat, and I know that most of the adults went without eating for 8-10 consecutive hours. I recall at one point while in the gym with at least 300 applicants and their children present, it occurred to me that I have never been in a facility of this size with this many people present, including children where things were so orderly, calm and relatively quiet for so long.

First of all, I was surprised to learn that many had lived in Michigan for many years. The average residency in Michigan was about 2-3 years, with the range being from 12 years to 3 months. They all seemed to have relatives here, many were married, but some of course, especially the younger ones were not. About 50%, based on my estimates and impressions, were working in “plants” and other year around jobs. A good percentage of these had never worked doing agricultural field work at all. However, many started out working doing agriculture work and later began working in “plants.” Not all the work was in food processing or was food related either, although clearly the majority was related to the food-processing industry. One man worked at a palette factory, which supplied palettes to a food processing business. The Gerber Food Company, for example, uses apples from the “fruit belt” to make apple juice and uses palettes to transport their product. So in a way this worker’s job could be related to food production, but not exclusively so. Many of the people I talked to indicated they felt they were underemployed, meaning that they were not working even 40 hours a week They were acutely aware that this growing season was the worst they had ever experienced with 90 percent of the fruit-belt production having been destroyed by a late freeze in April that was preceded by an unusually warm spell during which all the fruit trees were fooled into an early bloom. Norm Myers, the Ottawa County Extension Agent, informed the Western Michigan Migrant Resource Council (WMMRC) only a few days earlier that this year’s losses due to the late freeze was the “worst in a century.”

A few female migrants with children reported they were having trouble getting food stamps. I didn’t quite understand all the ends and outs of this conversation, but the sentiments of one female with children were echoed by others who were quietly listening to her tell her story. It seems that there is a time requirement for eligibility, but other factors were involved as well. Some migrants were clearly hurting from the lack of work. One conversation related that work on the farm consisted more of cleaning up and removing rocks in the field as opposed to harvesting and doing regular hired work on the farm. The asparagus crop had been damaged by at least 50%, and for some unknown reason, the asparagus produced was somewhat more bitter than usual. The largest percentage of field workers appeared to be employed in asparagus production and were definitely feeling the crunch.

The necessary paper work for obtaining either a matricula or a pasaporte includes an original, or certified original copy (a photocopy will not suffice) of one’s birth certificate, showing the person was born in Mexico, and some form of identification from Mexico such as a voter registration card, school records, official vaccination record, driver’s license, etc. The legitimacy which the matricula and the pasaporte provide after obtaining them was, surprisingly, not clear even to those seeking them. The most common explanation for obtaining the passport was that it was necessary to obtain a driver’s license in the United States and Michigan in particular. The most common explanation provided for having the matricula was that if one were stopped by the police, or a state trooper, or the like, and did not have a driver’s license, one might be fined, but not necessarily placed in jail, and risk deportation if they were able to produce a matricula to the officer. That reason alone was worth the price of $29 for the matricula. The matricula represents a form of ID and registration with the Mexican government. An ID is something they value very much, because many did not have any at all. Incidentally, they used the term “ID” synonymous with “matricula” and often referred to the matricula as their “ID,” referring to it in English instead of Spanish. For those who had lived in Michigan for at least four years, some already had a Michigan driver’s license. I asked them why they were here (meaning why they were seeking documentation they essentially already had). They explained that in the past it was possible to obtain a Michigan driver’s license without any official documents such as a passport, but now it is necessary to have a passport in order to obtain a driver’s license. One past-migrant, who now drove a garbage truck and picked up large commercial dumpsters, had a commercial driver’s license. He said he worried that his license might someday not be renewed, and having his passport would at least make it possible for him to apply for a renewal in case it is necessary. He valued his job so much that he didn’t want to risk losing it.

Another reason cited for having the passport and or the matricula was that it would be easier to move back and forth between Mexico and the United States with these documents, but exactly how these documents helped without a visa was not made clear, at least to me. Apparently, border check points just within the Mexican side of the border are points of entry that are, to some, barriers getting back into Mexico. That is, there are barriers getting into the US, and there are barriers for those moving about in Mexico without an ID as well.

I was surprised to learn that a few had entered the U.S. through “La Sierra” presumably through the California border. To my knowledge the El Paso border is not referred to as “La Sierra,”and there are no other mountainous areas between the U.S./Texas, New Mexico or Arizona borders with Mexico having mountains. Several also reported coming in through the Arizona border. This was surprising to me as the general migrant stream to Michigan is either Florida or Texas. Several reported coming in through Reynosa, Tamaulipas, Mexico along the U.S. Mexico border in South Texas. It seemed to me that the flow of migrants from along the Southwestern U.S. border (Arizona and California) to Michigan is relatively new. Generally, it is believed that migrants who cross via the Arizona or California borders work in the West or Northwestern states. When asked how they entered they would use the term “al estilo mojado” (wetback style). They were acutely aware of tragedies that had occurred to many of their compatriots crossing into the U.S.

They expressed pride in their work and although they didn’t complain directly, they were not hesitant to note that work was work- not a party. One field worker confessed that he was unable to handle the “pickle harvest.” He said it was just too hard. He could not tolerate it. Picking the small pickle was intolerable in his opinion, and he himself was in awe of those that could do so. He also posed the following question to me, “Do you know why you do not find any Anglos working in the fields?” He answered his own question boastfully, “Because, the work is too hard!”

We met a former bracero who worked between 1954 and 1958. He had his papers with him and with the assistance of his nephew was seeking help in processing his claim to any withheld wages and benefits. He didn’t know who withheld his benefits, whether it was the Mexican government or the U.S. government, but he had heard that he was entitled and wanted help in processing his claim.

Many of those employed work on Saturday and had to request time off in order to process their application. Some expressed great appreciation towards their employer for allowing them to come to process their paperwork. Some of the companies in the immediate area encouraged them to get their paperwork while at least one other company was less sympathetic and would not allow them the time off from work on Saturday claiming they needed all their employees. A worker in the middle of processing his application, called his employer at 2:30 pm to ask permission to take time off, as he was due to be at work by 3:00 pm. He showed relief and great joy at being granted permission.

One of the impressions I gained from this group of migrants was that many were doing well with respect to work. Many drove good cars, they wore good leather jackets, boots and expensive jewelry. Some had cell phones. They were proud. Some owned a home and late model vehicles. Some, of course, did not. But some did, and that is the point. They were working and making money. As one put it, some migrants return to Mexico and tell the story that “One can literally use a shovel to pick up money in the U.S.” It reminded me of the metaphor, “The streets are lined with gold.” What one migrant, who had been here 10 years, owned a house and car, and had teenage children in school said, “It is not true about it being easy here but I can assure you that if you don’t mind working hard, you can make it here and when you do you will not want to return to live in Mexico as you will come to like it here.” He added, “It’s great to have a good job, and it’s great to live in the U.S., and it’s a great place to raise your children.” Several spoke of extreme hardships in Mexico, of governmental corruption, and public safety issues. The migrants I spoke with were not disgruntled with America and they didn’t blame the U.S. for tightening their borders. They expressed some understanding of this and appeared politically conservative. They encouraged their children to learn English and they themselves provided much evidence of incipient acculturation into the U.S. culture while retaining much of their traditional culture as well.

We were exhausted at the end of the day, as were the migrants. I felt that they were contributing significantly to the varied industries of Michigan. Both Dr. Rosenbaum, a former migrant himself, and I were proud to be a part of what transpired on this day and what it represented for so many. The children, photographed liberally throughout the day, showed in their faces the emotions we felt: pride and joy.

References

Rosenbaum, R. (2002, May 28th). Migrants boast Oceana County economy. Speech presented at the Hart Rotary Club Meeting, Hart, Michigan, unpublished manuscript, Julian Samora Research Institute, Michigan State University.
Larson, A. C. (2000). Migrant and seasonal farmworker enumeration profiles- final reports. Bureau of Primary Health Resources, Health Resources Administration. Retrieved June 16, 2002 from http://www.bphc.hrsa.gov/migrant/enumeration/enumerationstudy.htm.
Rochin, R. I., Santiago, A. M., & Dickey, K. S. (1989). Migrant and seasonal workers in Michigan: A study of their contribution, characteristics, needs and services. Research Report No. 1. Julian Samora Research Institute. Retrieved on June 16, 2002 from http://www.jsri.msu.edu/RandS/research/irr/rr01.html
Valdez, D. (1992). Divergent roots, common destines? Latino work and settlement in Michigan. Occasional Paper #4, Julian Samora Research Institute, Michigan State University.