. Coast watch. Marine resources; Oceanography; Coastal zone management; Coastal ecology. Julia was so desperate to send her oldest son to college that she took the daylong bus ride from Frontera to Chiltepec several times, begging for a chance to be added to the list of H2B workers. Once accepted, she still had to con- vince her husband. Homesick upon ar- rival, Julia had to remind herself why she came. Her explanation, as translated to English: "I am going definitely," she told her husband. "It doesn't matter who will cry; nobody is stopping ; "But once I was here,
. Coast watch. Marine resources; Oceanography; Coastal zone management; Coastal ecology. Julia was so desperate to send her oldest son to college that she took the daylong bus ride from Frontera to Chiltepec several times, begging for a chance to be added to the list of H2B workers. Once accepted, she still had to con- vince her husband. Homesick upon ar- rival, Julia had to remind herself why she came. Her explanation, as translated to English: "I am going definitely," she told her husband. "It doesn't matter who will cry; nobody is stopping ; "But once I was here, I was regret- ting it because I was thinking of my baby," she says. "I was dreaming of him often, and there were nights I could not sleep. Can you imagine it? It is horrible; yes, it is horrible to leave your ; At age 49, Julia was one of the old- est Mexican pickers. Trained as a seam- stress, she had never picked crab before. Here she never mastered the art of pick- ing, nor did she earn as much as her faster co-workers. She did not return for a sec- ond season. But most of the Mexican women return season after season. The lure of a steady income may have been their pri- mary motivation, but the women now look forward to returning each spring. In all, about 300 workers from tbat area come to work in crab plants in Fairfield, Oriental and Colurnbia. About lOO women spend tke winter picking at tbe lone crab bouse in Obiltepec, but most only work during tbe ISTortb Carolina crab season. Unlike the local women who chat, hum or sing while working, the Mexican women often toil in silence. In contrast, music is free-flowing in their temporary homes. They celebrate Mexican holidays here and invite neighbors to join in the fun and food. Most have not learned fluent English, but they get along. They have made friends with storekeepers and church members here, friendships that are re- flected in the photos they take back to Mexico. And in some cases, the ties ar
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookcollectionunclibra, booksubjectoceanography
