Dissing History — Watergate Redux
Edward Barrios Acevedo     [Photo]

You would think that Dionicio Morales, at age 87, would be ready to hang up his hat and go fishing.

Not yet.

Chances are that the founder of the largest Hispanic non-profit community organization in the nation, the California-based Mexican American Opportunity Foundation, will visit his MAOF office at least a few hours each day or be giving a speech somewhere. His regimen for the past five years also includes three-times-weekly trips to the hospital for dialysis treatments.

Morales spent the majority of his life advocating for the Latino community in a career that includes a stint as a federal enforcement officer for the first-ever guest worker — a.k.a. bracero — program between the United States and Mexico. That was in 1942.

His job for the U.S. Department of Agriculture was to ensure compliance with the binational agreement that included basic labor protection and living-standard requirements.

In a series of interviews at his Pico Rivera home, Morales shared his views relating to the current congressional debate on immigration reform and President Bush’s proposed guest worker pact.  The graft and corruption Morales recalls witnessing puts him at odds with Bush and many of today’s Latino leaders.

The following summarizes some of his key concerns:

What do you think of today’s immigration reform discussions?

We have failed to work together, to work out a dialogue that is good for both Mexico and the United States.  If there ever was need for collaboration and fostering better relations, this is the time.

Do you think a guest worker program can work today?

No, I don’t. One concern is the ramifications it will have on the people who are already here doing the job — for example, one Mexican pitted against another Mexican, or a Mexican American.

What did you encounter in enforcing bracero program regulations?

I saw agribusiness have complete control over workers’ lives, almost creating psychological slavery based on, “If you don’t work hard enough, then we’re going to send you back to Mexico.” This was a real fear in the minds of the workers.

Were they being exploited?

I saw abuses on both sides of the border. For example, a Mexican would have to pay off a mayor in his town just to obtain an application and then pay more to others at the border to submit their application — a lot of money.

And on this side of the border?

Rackets run in individual camps regularly ripped the workers off.Coyotes would come to the camps in the middle of the night, bringing in prostitutes. The camp would deduct money from every worker, even if they didn’t sleep with prostitutes, and the camp would get a cut.

Some camps would bring in basic essentials for the workers and charge high prices because the workers had nowhere else to go.

Did you run into trouble?

Oh, sure. I had to put a few growers out of business for not complying with the standards. I was often asked, “Whose side are you on, the Mexicans or ours?”

If there is a new guest worker program, should unions be allowed to get involved?

Absolutely.  Unions can offer a voice to the workers and protections from a variety of abuses. Unions like the United Farm Workers should have input into the bill, because they are going to be affected by this guest worker program.

What other concerns do you have?

The health of guest workers should be the number one priority.  They are doing hard work in the fields and they need adequate health care by doctors who understand them.

We still need to talk about enforcement. Millions not included in any program may remain undocumented. Nobody penalizes the grower for hiring people without proper credentials. Would that really change?

Critics charge that Mexicans are taking jobs from Americans. But let’s make it clear — they’re actually taking jobs from other Mexicans and Mexican Americans who are already here.

(Morales, born in 1918, chronicled his experiences in the autobiography, Dionicio Morales: A Life in Two Cultures, published by Piñata Books, Arte Público Press, in 1997. Edward Barrios Acevedo is a columnist, counselor and teacher in Los Angeles. He can be reached at Edwardfactor@ yahoo.com)

© 2006
05/28/06
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