BAY ST. LOUIS, Miss. -- The color of Hancock County is changing. To the blue roof tarps and white FEMA trailers, add this: brown workers.
It’s a trend seen across Katrina country as Hispanics who worked in construction in other parts of the United States were drawn by the prospect of good money.
In this town and neighboring Waveland, the pre-Katrina demographics had been 80 percent white, 15 percent African American and less than 2 percent Hispanic. Since Katrina, however, Hispanics are very visible at the few restaurants now open and especially at the largest debris removal sites.
Workers like Osmin, a Honduran who had lived for years in California before seeking his fortune from Katrina. He acts as the foreman of a group of fellow Hondurans hired to remove debris, drywall and sheetrock from a Bay St. Louis school. The others, too, had come from outside states like Texas and North Carolina. They also asked that their full names not be used because some were here illegally.
Click 'Play' to visit a job site in Bay St. Louis, Miss., where workers originally from Honduras are among the clean-up crew.
After nearly three months of 10-hour days and two hours of driving each way to their hotel, has it been worth the effort?
“Not really,” is Osmin’s quick reply. The crew gets $8 an hour and they’re never sure if they’ll have a job after the current one. Osmin, for one, plans to take off soon for California to see his daughter.
Many of these Hispanic workers are in the country illegally, which means they fly under the radar of social services and employment centers.
But they have become a critical part of the workforce, filling in a gap that most locals are unable or unwilling to deal with.
“The need far outweighs the help that’s available,” says Tee McCovey, a Mississippi Department of Employment Services supervisor. “And it will be like that for years.”
“Help is help,” he adds. “If I’m drowning and the hand is black, white or brown I just want to be helped out.”
Some locals don't want work
McCovey, who supervises job centers along the Gulf Coast, calls it “workforce malnutrition” and says many locals don’t want to work either because they’re too busy dealing with their homes or they’ve decided to live off the cash and other benefits coming from governments and charities, at least for now.
Some 150,000 unemployment claims have been filed since Katrina and many unemployed, he says, have this attitude: “Why do I want to go do that when I’ve been given a whole year’s worth of wages?” That’s especially true of those who didn’t have high incomes to begin with.
Another issue is that many locals haven’t returned, making it harder for businesses re-opening to find workers. Food service jobs used to start at $5.50 an hour, 35 cents more than the state minimum wage, but that’s up to $8, McCovey says. “It’s an employees' market.”
When locals do return to the workforce, the expectation is that many will be working in different areas. Casinos were major employers along the coast and some have shut down for months. Casino Magic in Bay St. Louis, for example, laid off nearly all its 1,100 employees.
“Our primary employment was services,” says Tish Williams, head of the Hancock County Chamber of Commerce. “And now it’s going to be construction.”
Retraining efforts include a $5 million federal program to have community colleges teach construction trades. And Mississippi has its own incentives, such as paying an employer 50 percent of its cost to train an employee over six months.
Until and unless more locals return to the workforce, outside workers appear to have a place here.
McCovey doesn’t know of any demographics on the wave of outside workers. But he puts the overall number at “thousands and thousands” and recognizes a large Hispanic contingent.
Working long days, the Hispanic workforce largely keeps to itself and few have brought their families, suggesting that they’re here not to settle down but make money and move on.
Not much friction
As a result, there’s little visible friction with locals. A derogatory joke about Hispanics by an off-duty sheriff at a Bay St. Louis gas station did nearly spark a fight with a man whose wife is Hispanic.
But McCovey and others haven’t heard of widespread problems, or even complaints like those raised in New Orleans, where Mayor Ray Nagin asked business leaders, “How do I make sure New Orleans is not overrun with Mexican workers?”
At the Hancock Medical Center, the county-owned hospital, administrator Hal Leftwich says “99 percent” of the debris removal crews, which reached a peak of 60, have been Hispanic.
“They’re hard-working,” he says, recalling that more than a few walked around with a worried look when, early on, federal relief workers included folks in Immigration and Naturalization Services.
Brother Ronald Talbot, president of St. Stanislaus College Prep, a Bay St. Louis high school that saw $19 million in damage, had a similar experience. “They’ve been lifesavers,” he says of Hispanic workers. Nearly 70 workers were at the campus at the peak of removal, he says, and 80 percent of those were Hispanic.
“They’re hard-working and pleasant,” he adds of the Hispanics he’s come across. “I’ve a much different view on immigration now.”
Many 'missing' don't want to be found
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hispanic people for the most part just want to work and make a living, they want their little piece of the American dream....nothing wrong with that
Jes, Dallas, TX (Sent Dec 9, 2005 1:22:52 PM)
People are just realizing that this country was built on immigrants? If a local white won't do the work because they've just received a years worth of salary for sitting on their buts, why shouldn't someone else do the job? It's time that people realize that Hispanics drive their buses, clean their hotel rooms, picks up their trash, washes their cars because they do what they need to do to survive. Resourceful, hard-working, reliable people built this great nation and unless you're an American Indian, you're an immigrant too.
John Do, Los Angeles (Sent Dec 9, 2005 1:23:06 PM)
I am Mexican American, born in Texas, raised in Missouri. Many people have forgotten that America was built with immigrants coming from all nations; and we live in a free world, with opportunities available for everyone. Many people are only singling out Hispanics regarding work issues not only in Katrina but other states as well, but it's time Americans wake and stop being lazy and prejudice. These Hispanics are buying your produce to eat, are eating in your restaurants, are still keeping your economy on the go, so you should be thanking them, even though they are making less then whats fair.
My Father, Uncles, Aunts, Brothers, Cousins, and many other family members have served this country in World WAR II, Vietnam War, Gulf War, and in Iraq. If you all will remember, the highest percentages of deaths to serve in WAR II and Vietnam were of Hispanic race. Nobody complains when Hispanics are the very first to be put in the front lines of War and give their lives for non-Hispanics, to have a benefit a better life or those whose families had influences that helped them skip the armed forces to college and never know what War was like. Now, jobs of all kinds have left our country due, to corporations, no longer wanting to pay higher wages; IT companies, Long Distance companies, etc. are contracting to India, Japan, and other countries for customer service representatives and paying less than minumim wages, and no 401K benefits, no insurance, meaning, thousands of Americans are without their jobs. But you don't hear anyone in the Media expressing these issues; they are set on only Hispanics!
Have you been to San Francisco, CA., to Chinatown?
How many anglos, blacks or hispanics do you see working in their shops? They have their own schools and teach their chinese language, cultural and their are many sweat shops their, no body seems to care about. There are jobs in that city that are only given to people of Chinese descent; yet you don't hear Americans crying about that!
Yet how many anglos pick fruits, vegetables,work in the vineyards and farms for a living, making less than minimum wages, and their children are on the move from state to state by season to make a living. Most of the children get less than a 6th grade education! Yet, this has been going on for over a century, tell me that no child left behind program is enforced on these environment. Living in less then shacks to provide shelter and being exposed to all kinds of chemicals, that cause cancer, lung disease, deformations of children, no medical assistance unless they seek a Hispanic church. It's time to stop belly aching about Hispanics, and if you want to complain, then don't buy your jeans made in China, your tv's made in Japan, your purses made in India and etc. America is multi-cultural so if you want to move where there are no other races to complain about, you better get a ticket to the moon.
Helen, Lees Summit, MO (Sent Dec 9, 2005 1:26:27 PM)
I hope that this shows people that just because some immigrants are here illegally dosent mean they are just here for a free ride, if anything it shows the opposite. They will do the jobs other people wont & work hard and for that I really hope this does change peoples outlook on issues with immigration in America.
Carmen, Hawthorne, California (Sent Dec 9, 2005 1:26:31 PM)
While the victims of Katrina live on tax dollars and relief incentives from the government and charities...who else will clean up their cities? It's obvious that Hispanics are doing work that no one else seems to want. If the local citizens were smart they would get into the job market NOW instead of waiting for their benefits to run out and the workforce to swell back up. I am proud of the forethought and enterprising mentality of the Hispanic workers to GO WHERE THE WORK IS!
Rebeca, Honolulu, Hawaii (Sent Dec 9, 2005 1:26:52 PM)
It's times like the Rebuilding of Katrina Damage that people can appreciate the Hispanic Workers, and not to say that Hispanic Workers are hard working and Americans are lazy, but do you expect the Government to give them everything that are refusing to work, because they have enough wages. You teach a society that they do not have to work, that they will be taken care of by "Big Brother" then they will not work, you teach a society to work because they have to be a productive member of society, then thats just what they will do. New Orlean residents for the most part were taught to be taken care of, now they will expect it always. Talk about Suppresion as a society. This a chance to reteach a City and teach "Real" Freedom as a people.
Tim, Plainfield, Indiana (Sent Dec 9, 2005 1:29:28 PM)
The human spirit of those residents from Katrina-ravaged cities and towns has to be so terribly low right now that they dont know if they are coming or going. Those coming into the city, no matter what color their skin, should be welcomed for the job that they are trying to do! And yes, they may be doing the jobs that no one wants to do (and possibly getting paid considerably less) but they are not taking an advantage of a bad situation - they are making the most of it ... with most of them trying to make money to send back to their families. Listen folks, compassion goes a long way!
Kim, Austintown Ohio (Sent Dec 9, 2005 1:30:22 PM)
Te bottom liine is that without hispanic workers this country would not be able to function. They are just llooking for a chance to help their families. Let them work and give them a break.
David Baker, Norfolk, Virginia (Sent Dec 9, 2005 1:32:05 PM)
There’s already so much racist sentiment associated with Katrina, why fuel it? The reality is that the clean-up and removal process is an extremely difficult and painstaking one. If immigrant day laborers want to help, who are we as Americans to say that we don’t need their help? Aren’t we an “nation of immigrants”? I say we should be grateful that there is even a labor force willingly wanting to help, it’s an EXTREMELY strenuous and backbreaking job.
Eddie Cisneros, Los Angeles, California (Sent Dec 9, 2005 1:36:51 PM)
People seem to forget that this country was built with the sweat and strength of Immigrants. This is just another example of how much this country relies on the work that Immigrants are willing to do, that sometimes our own citizens are not. I am proud to to be Mexican and proud of my fellow people that are here to work for their families. If only we could remember them and the work they do when our government treats them unfairly. Lets all remember the sacrifies they make to secure that our agriculure is picked and our homes are bulit.
Alexa, Sacramento, CA (Sent Dec 9, 2005 1:39:25 PM)
I absolutely agree with my friend Blanca. People were complaining about how Mexicans take all the American jobs and now that theirs extra work out there are they trying to work NO they'd rather live off of what they are given. Without us working in the fields you wouldn’t have food on your table and now without us you wont have a clean table to eat on its time people realize how much of an affect my people have on this country. If you were to take out all the immigrants out of this country our economy would crumble without a doubt. We are here to help and to make a living for our families.
Enrique Reyes Jr. Pendleton, Oregon (Sent Dec 9, 2005 1:45:39 PM)
I find it offencive as a Latino that they call mexicans "brown" what is that all about. Catagorizing the brown in with tarps and trailers. This is an official complaint about the verbage in this article. ¡Viva Mexico!
Joel Olea, Eugene, Oregon (Sent Dec 9, 2005 1:45:49 PM)
As an H.R. Manager to a predominately hispanic workforce I can tell any employer that you'll be hard pressed to find a more loyal or hardworking crew. People complain that they are stealing our jobs. But we need to take a long objective look at ourselves. Not all american workers hold the same standards and work ethics that our parents and grandparents built this country on. The hispanics do and many small businesses couldn't function without them.
Darlene, Rockford, IL (Sent Dec 9, 2005 1:51:20 PM)
I hope the media does more coverage on how hispanics have been helping rebuild all areas hit by the hurricanes.Usually they focus on negative issues of immigration and promote hispanics as a problem in this country.This shows how Hispanics come here to work and are willing work in jobs that most Americans dont want to do.Its time America recognizes this and promotes it.
Pedro,Stockton,CA (Sent Dec 9, 2005 1:53:33 PM)
WHY???? BECAUSE THE CORP. PEOPLE DO NOT WANT TO PAY PREVAILING WAGE. MY HUSBAND IS A CARPENTER WORKING IN N.O. SINCE END OF SEPTEMBER. THE PAY IS NOT ENOUGH TO PAY ROOM AND BOARD. THE ROOMS THAT THE CONTRACTOR HE WORKS FOR WILL NOT PAY FOR THE ROOMS STARTING JAN. THEY HAVE SEMI TRAILERS WITH COTS NOW AND SMALL BLDGS. WITH PIECES OF WOOD ON WOOD BLOCKS TO SLEEP. YOU GO NEXT DOOR FOR A PUBLIC BATHROOM. IT IS NO WONDER THEY HAVE THE POVERTY DOWN THERE, THE ONES THAT KNOW HOW TO PLAY THE SYSTEM CAN MAKE MORE MONEY LIVING OFF THE GOV'T. SO, WHY WORK??????? IF THE GOV'T COULD WORK On COMMON SENSE WE WOULD HAVE IT MADE.....IN OTHER WORDS SAVE THE BIG BOYS MONEY AND BRING ON THE MEXICANS!!!!! THEN IF THEY GET HURT WE CAN PAY THEIR MEDICAL BILLS!!!!!!
DEB,ILLINOIS (Sent Dec 9, 2005 1:54:55 PM)
Lets be realistic.We all know that Hispanics are a driven force of the U.S economy, if the imigrants did do tha types of jobs that they do. There would not be any food in any super market.That fact that people are dont see that is realy funny. I would like to see anyone else get up at 5 am to be at work by 7 and gat back home by 8 pm thats what most imigrats do every day . I for once want to Thank Them
Pascual, Sherma Oaks, CA (Sent Dec 9, 2005 1:57:54 PM)
I think it would be great to see the hispanic population not only rebuild these cities, but also have the opportunity to grow with them. If they are willing to put in the sweat and tears, then they should have the opportunity to benefit from their hard work. If the locals don't want to take part in rebuilding their city, then they deserve to lose it. Any local who stays at home collecting unemployment for a year, doesn't get the right to complain about things when they change. And if they even dare to make racial comments about the "brown imigrants", then they deserve to be shot!
christina, denver, colorado (Sent Dec 9, 2005 1:58:01 PM)
The American way is to work hard & provide for your family that is what these LATINO'S are doing they leave behind their country for an opprotunity to work & in the process they are humitlated but never humbled it is true that many LATINO'S are hard working even more so than American born LATINO'S this makes me proud.. On the other hand you have these American's who are born in this country and take advantage of social services.. as you read in the story above.
Cynthia TX (Sent Dec 9, 2005 2:05:05 PM)
stop unemployment checks and start giving incentives to those who do work!
Al (Sent Dec 9, 2005 2:05:16 PM)
I have a construction business in Phoenix and I will only hire Hispanic workers now. I don’t care if the are here legally or not. Every Hispanic I have hired works harder and doesn’t complain as much as other people I have hired
Paul Phoenix, AZ (Sent Dec 9, 2005 2:06:09 PM)
It's good to have people who want to work. all job are honorable. It's so sad to see people who don't want to do these types of jobs attack the latino community. The latino's have contributed so much to America in the past 30 years than the so called Americans have. They do the job and they don't quit until it is finished. Thank You to all hard working Latino's.
Mr. Tee ,Las Vegas NV (Sent Dec 9, 2005 2:07:18 PM)
I'm very happy that Hispanics are being reconized for their hard work and dedication but no matter how positive the outcome there will always be someone with a negative response. It's so frustrating because of our status we don't speak up and are often taken advantage of.
Amor, Salt Lake City (Sent Dec 9, 2005 2:08:44 PM)
Although I am hispanic, I partially sympathize with people who fear that illegal immigrants threaten American jobs. However, I think many Americans use immigrants as scapegoats for their economic woes, and overemphasize the "problems" of immigration, while completely ignoring the contributions that these disadvantaged people make to our society. The lady who referred to stucco work is an example. She talks about immigrants doing stucco work for four bucks an hour. Certainly that can happen, however I sincerely doubt that many people, even immigrants, would be willing to work for such little pay. Its just a simple case where a person encounters an anomaly and then generalizes about a whole group of people based on anecdotal evidence, which is generally worthless. If her son's skills as a stucco worker are valuable enough, then he will be succesful and should welcome competition. After all, competition is the American way.
Humberto Perez, Houston, Texas (Sent Dec 9, 2005 2:11:31 PM)
This is the best case scenario (in real life) to all who promote anti-immigrantion. We do the jobs no one who is legal wants to do. Yet we are chewed up and spit out and terrorized on a daily basis.
Omar Medina (Sent Dec 9, 2005 2:12:25 PM)
We are more white that the snow falling in the North East right now. We are not the "BROWN" people as Hispanics are portrayed in this report. We are proud Spanish speakers with multicultural roots. But the color or your skin is not important. More important is what can you do for yourself, your family and your neighbors.
Juan A. Galvez, Miami, Florida (Sent Dec 9, 2005 2:18:01 PM)
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