One man torn between going back to Mexico or chasing the American dream


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By TYESHA BOUDREAUX
The Daily Sentinel

Friday, July 20, 2007

As some Pilgrim's Pride employees who are being affected by the mass layoffs try to file last-minute documentation to stay in America, one local man is torn between returning to Mexico or staying in Texas to fight for the "American dream" that he has been chasing for years.

The man, who does not speak fluent English and wished to remain anonymous, came to America eight years ago with his wife, five children and his wife's mother.

His youngest and sixth child was born in America and is recognized as an American citizen, the man told Tony Jasso, who interpreted for him.

For the past seven years, he has worked at Pilgrim's Pride.

He's the breadwinner of his home. His wife does odd jobs to help support the family.

He has saved enough money to support his family, buy a home and buy a car.

"This is a very hard time right now," the man said.

The man said he found out through a letter from Pilgrim's Pride that he would be laid off from his job if he could not provide a valid Social Security card.

The letter explained that Pilgrim's Pride was contacted by the Social Security Administration and told that there was a discrepancy among some of their employees regarding Social Security numbers, the man said.

The numbers did not match up with the people who were using them, he said.

In order to continue his job, he has to either give a genuine Social Security number or a reason for the discrepancy.

Now the man has to decide whether to return to his home of Reynosa, Mexico, or stay in Nacogdoches and seek contract labor employment.

"Reynosa is not under the best condition," the man said. "The jobs and schools aren't good. Many of the factories have age limits and will not employ people over 30."

The man told Jasso that he did not try to gain American citizenship before because it is an expensive process.

"There are very few immigration attorneys in East Texas, and some of them want about $2,000 to even start the process," the man said. "When you have a large family, it gets pretty expensive. We paid a lot of money to come to America, and it (citizenship process) is even harder now because of Homeland Security. There's a shortage of immigration visas."

Pilgrim's Pride is short-handed now because of the layoffs, the man said, and there is a rumor that immigration employees will go from house to house in search of illegal immigrants to deport.

The man's oldest child, who graduated from high school last year, is having the same problem trying to seek work because he does not have a valid Social Security card.

Another of his other children is in the Nacogdoches High School band and is supposed to perform with the band in the Tournament or Roses Parade in Pasadena, Calif. on New Year's Day 2008.

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