Rybachek tracks the fate of the Guatemalan deportees
Guatemalan culture shock
Guatemalan culture shock
It is a particular shock for the children who went to school every day, had enough to eat and played with the same technological toys that all of the other
children had. In Guatemala, if the children are lucky, they attend school through the fifth grade. There are no middle and high schools. The children must work
alongside their parents. While before the teenagers had the dreams of any U.S. teen, now they have none. The conditions of the village are very poor with dirt
roads and no electricity, running water or sewage. The floors of their homes are dirt and the roofs made of tin. And when Rybachek was there, the children would
come up begging her in English for things like apples and juice, things they had regularly in the U.S., but now have none. The children have become much
thinner since she saw them in September.
“Poverty is different in the United States and Guatemala,” Rybachek said. “Even if you are poor, you can eat here. In Guatemala, no. If you are poor and
you don’t have food, you die. The kids, they die because of hunger. They die because of intestinal infections. They don’t have enough food. And the water is not
clean enough to drink.”
The closest medical clinic is about one-and-a-half hours away. But even if the family could pay for the doctor, more than likely, they wouldn’t be able to
afford the medications. “They must make sacrifices to go on living,” Rybachek emphasized.
Many of the families still have breadwinners who are being detained in the U.S. Without the breadwinner, a family is destitute in Guatemala. “If they have
someone in jail, their message to the government is ‘Please send my son back,’” Rybachek said. “’Why is he suffering this humiliation.’”
Others cannot understand the U.S. policies. “One person asked ‘Why does the government of the United States care so much for the birds and wild animals
and doesn’t protect humans,’” Rybachek said. “These are things that really make you feel like a cockroach. When I did that interview, I cried most of the time.”
For the families, legal immigration to the United States was never a realistic option. “The families from Guatemala can’t become legal immigrants. There’s
something about the American embassy,” Rybachek said. “Going there is the worst humiliation that you can imagine. If you are indigenous or you look really
poor, they aren’t going to give you any attention. In order to get a visa, you need to be very rich, have a large amount of money in the bank and have a lot of
houses.”
While Rybachek hopes to set up scholarship programs to help some of the children study in the United States, particularly the teenagers, the only real hope
she sees is immigration reform, particularly for the families whose children are U.S. citizens. “There is a lot of work to be done in this country,” Rybachek
emphasized. “We aren’t stealing anyone’s job. We are helping the country. The Latino community makes a big difference in the U.S. economy. I think this
country really needs us.”
children had. In Guatemala, if the children are lucky, they attend school through the fifth grade. There are no middle and high schools. The children must work
alongside their parents. While before the teenagers had the dreams of any U.S. teen, now they have none. The conditions of the village are very poor with dirt
roads and no electricity, running water or sewage. The floors of their homes are dirt and the roofs made of tin. And when Rybachek was there, the children would
come up begging her in English for things like apples and juice, things they had regularly in the U.S., but now have none. The children have become much
thinner since she saw them in September.
“Poverty is different in the United States and Guatemala,” Rybachek said. “Even if you are poor, you can eat here. In Guatemala, no. If you are poor and
you don’t have food, you die. The kids, they die because of hunger. They die because of intestinal infections. They don’t have enough food. And the water is not
clean enough to drink.”
The closest medical clinic is about one-and-a-half hours away. But even if the family could pay for the doctor, more than likely, they wouldn’t be able to
afford the medications. “They must make sacrifices to go on living,” Rybachek emphasized.
Many of the families still have breadwinners who are being detained in the U.S. Without the breadwinner, a family is destitute in Guatemala. “If they have
someone in jail, their message to the government is ‘Please send my son back,’” Rybachek said. “’Why is he suffering this humiliation.’”
Others cannot understand the U.S. policies. “One person asked ‘Why does the government of the United States care so much for the birds and wild animals
and doesn’t protect humans,’” Rybachek said. “These are things that really make you feel like a cockroach. When I did that interview, I cried most of the time.”
For the families, legal immigration to the United States was never a realistic option. “The families from Guatemala can’t become legal immigrants. There’s
something about the American embassy,” Rybachek said. “Going there is the worst humiliation that you can imagine. If you are indigenous or you look really
poor, they aren’t going to give you any attention. In order to get a visa, you need to be very rich, have a large amount of money in the bank and have a lot of
houses.”
While Rybachek hopes to set up scholarship programs to help some of the children study in the United States, particularly the teenagers, the only real hope
she sees is immigration reform, particularly for the families whose children are U.S. citizens. “There is a lot of work to be done in this country,” Rybachek
emphasized. “We aren’t stealing anyone’s job. We are helping the country. The Latino community makes a big difference in the U.S. economy. I think this
country really needs us.”
By Jonathan Gramling
On May 12, 2008, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents implemented what was
then the largest immigration raid in U.S. history when it arrested 389 undocumented workers at
the Agriprocessors plant in Postville, Iowa. Approximately 290 of those arrested were from
Guatemala. Some of those families have been deported to Guatemala while still others who
were not arrested returned home. Many of their children, particularly the younger ones, are U.S.
citizens.
Sandra Rybachek and other Guatemalans from Madison sent donated money and supplies to
the families who remained in Postville, making several trips to drop off food, personal hygiene
and other supplies. Last September and again in February, Rybachek visited some of the families
in Antigua and Calderas, Guatemala to check on some of the Postville, Iowa families.
While Calderas is situated in the beautiful mountains of Guatemala, according to Rybachek,
it is also a village of extreme poverty. There are few work options for the people. “People work for
the rich people or on farms,” Rybachek said during an interview with The Capital City Hues. They
make $2.50-$4.00 working from 6 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The ladies receive less pay than the men,
but they work together. The women do the same kind of work. In Guatemala, most of the kids work
with the parents. There are 4-12 kids per family with the average being around six children. How
can the parents feed these children?”
On May 12, 2008, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents implemented what was
then the largest immigration raid in U.S. history when it arrested 389 undocumented workers at
the Agriprocessors plant in Postville, Iowa. Approximately 290 of those arrested were from
Guatemala. Some of those families have been deported to Guatemala while still others who
were not arrested returned home. Many of their children, particularly the younger ones, are U.S.
citizens.
Sandra Rybachek and other Guatemalans from Madison sent donated money and supplies to
the families who remained in Postville, making several trips to drop off food, personal hygiene
and other supplies. Last September and again in February, Rybachek visited some of the families
in Antigua and Calderas, Guatemala to check on some of the Postville, Iowa families.
While Calderas is situated in the beautiful mountains of Guatemala, according to Rybachek,
it is also a village of extreme poverty. There are few work options for the people. “People work for
the rich people or on farms,” Rybachek said during an interview with The Capital City Hues. They
make $2.50-$4.00 working from 6 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The ladies receive less pay than the men,
but they work together. The women do the same kind of work. In Guatemala, most of the kids work
with the parents. There are 4-12 kids per family with the average being around six children. How
can the parents feed these children?”
Sandra Rybachek (l) sings a Guatemalan song as she is
accompanied by Antonio Quintanilla at
Wil-Mar Neighborhood Center
accompanied by Antonio Quintanilla at
Wil-Mar Neighborhood Center