Once upon a time, the "Martinita Story" takes place in December of 2008. Many Americans were unemployed and many Americans took the first job that came along. Through an employment agency, I found a job in a factory. About eight people worked around one table. When I first arrived, I overheard a mature Cuban lady sitting at the table say in Spanish to the Cuban lady sitting next to her, referring to an African American also working at the same table, “Se va a pasear y apenas trabaja (She takes a walk and hardly works)”. There were three American citizens working at the table, the African American mature woman being critized, a young Italian American male, and myself. The rest of the workers around the table were Latin immigrants who looked out for each other.
When I walked away to go to the bathroom, I took my purse with me because I did not want to leave it with my car keys and my wallet lying on the working table, common sense... Upon my return from the bathroom, the mature Cuban lady would say to the lady next to her in Spanish, “Va como la Cucarachita Martina al toilet. Cada vez que se levanta, se va a empolvar como la Cucarachita Martina. (She goes to the toilet like Cucarachita Martina. Every time she gets up, she goes to powder her nose like Cucarachita Martina)”.
The young Italian American male did not go to the bathroom, so they could not comment about him, although like all three Americans on that table, we all lost our jobs on Christmas Eve. By the way, I did not let anyone on that table know that I spoke Spanish and that I understood the comments in Spanish about Cucarachita Martina, and I had to keep myself from laughing! In case you do not know who Cucarachita Martina is, she is a Spanish children’s tale character, a cockroach that dresses up and powders her nose. I believe that there is also a “Cucarachita Martina” children’s song.
Honestly, I really liked the Cuban lady and all Hispanics there. However, it was not fair that the management and the employment agency, too, were showing favoritism towards immigrants. I respect immigrants and I think it is great that they come to the U.S. to survive, although I believe that they must wait their “turn”. In the U.K., immigrants do not get jobs until the British citizens have been hired and given priority. The same immigration rule, with all due respect, ought to apply in the U.S.
Let me also add my observation about the new breed of immigrants in general. Immigrants in the U.S. before the 50’s more or less, did not appear crippled with entitlement programs, which is why they prospered if you really think about it. The newer generations of immigrants in the U.S. perhaps believe that the U.S. is doing them a favor with entitlement benefits, when in fact they are being controlled and crippled. Take immigrants in Canada, for example. In Canada, immigrants assimmilate, and may even learn not just English, but both English and French to compete in Canada, and they do prosper, without entitlement accommodations. If we in the U.S. are going to give immigrants a chance, let’s do them a favor, and not a disfavor. Therefore, let’s not raise a generation of controlled dependency on social programs, which shows a lack of dignity treatment.
I must include that this “Martinita” recently went to a pay by scale local clinic for a routine medical visit, since this “Martinita” is trying to start a business and needs a trimmed budget. What a day in the life of “Martinita”! This Martinita waited about two hours because apparently the Hispanic doctor went to take a siesta. Finally, when this Martinita got to at last meet with the doctor, this Martinita politely asked how long the appointment would take, since this “Martinita” had a meeting and was running late (and thinking to herself, this "Martinita" in part thanked the siesta Latin rhythm for the disruptive delay, with all due respect). Well, the doctor was incenced and had the audacity to order this “Martinita” not to “rush the doctor”! Most patients at the clinic were low income, with the exception of a few, like this “Martinita”. It appeared that the doctor wanted to discourage patients like this “Martinita”, your typical more informed and less ignorant consumer from going there, an evident sign of discrimination against Americans who think for ourselves.
Besides, I had a feeling that the doctor was not a real doctor. There are a few doctors in the family of this “Martinita” and I really suspected that the doctor may have been faking the credentials, thus pushing aside American doctors, including Hispanic doctors who are American citizens, who have the legitimate medical credentials, and who may have to resort to doing something below their qualifications for a living.
One must not ignore the fact that immigrants are given certain social preferences, not to undermine what many went through to get to the U.S., of course, but then, many immigrants bring over the border the very same "godfatherism" habits that forced them to leave their own countries. Given such information, I would like to urge many organizations to, in addition to giving food and clothing if they must, to please guide immigrants so that they will start on a clean slate free from "godfatherism" patterns. The guidance in my opinion should also include giving credit to previous Hispanic and immigrant generations that paved the gates to today's immigrant portals.
Besides, I had a feeling that the doctor was not a real doctor. There are a few doctors in the family of this “Martinita” and I really suspected that the doctor may have been faking the credentials, thus pushing aside American doctors, including Hispanic doctors who are American citizens, who have the legitimate medical credentials, and who may have to resort to doing something below their qualifications for a living.
One must not ignore the fact that immigrants are given certain social preferences, not to undermine what many went through to get to the U.S., of course, but then, many immigrants bring over the border the very same "godfatherism" habits that forced them to leave their own countries. Given such information, I would like to urge many organizations to, in addition to giving food and clothing if they must, to please guide immigrants so that they will start on a clean slate free from "godfatherism" patterns. The guidance in my opinion should also include giving credit to previous Hispanic and immigrant generations that paved the gates to today's immigrant portals.
Immigration is an octopus with a zillion tentacles, and one of the key zillion dynamics is the fact that many Hispanics who are American Citizens are the target of hostility. On one hand, many Americans are fed up with the immigration issues, so instead of taking it out on immigrants, they take things out on Hispanics who are American Citizens. Not that anyone should take it out on immigrants on anyone. Taking frustrations out on people is plain wrong. On the other hand, many immigrants resent the fact that Hispanics who are American Citizens speak English with native fluency, and are assimmilated; even if many immigrants do not care to assimilate, they still resent others who choose to do so.
To return to the subject of the “Martinita” on that Christmas Eve, Santa Claus came by the factory with his bag of goodies. The nice Cuban lady and all immigrants kept their jobs. This “Martinita” and the other two American Citizen employees marched home with empty hands, while management ignored like the "Scrooge". The three unemployed Americans were kind of like Rudolph, not with a “Cucharachita Martina” powdered nose, no, with a red shiny nose and shoved aside.
Five years later, it is now 2013, and the "Martinita Story" is becoming even more familiar. Factories and many employers, upon hiring, tend to favor immigrants, and when they need to send employees home, many send home the American Citizens first. In a typical employee cafeteria, immigrants bring huge lunch boxes, while the typical American may eat a peanut butter sandwich or skip lunch, usually due to a limited budge. It appears that many with all due respect coming from all political ideologies are missing the point, to the extend that too often, immigrants who are dishonest, versus honest hard-working Americans, are treated with dignity and get the job breaks. “Martinita” story is awaiting a happy ending...
The author is "A Genre Ahead of Our Time" For more info, please visit LEVega.Net
Copyright @ 2013 by L.E. Vega -- No part of this blog may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the author, except for brief passages included in a review appearing in a newspaper or magazine.
Copyright @ 2013 by L.E. Vega -- No part of this blog may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the author, except for brief passages included in a review appearing in a newspaper or magazine.
