Sam and Sarah Jones (not their real names) have been through a lot to get where they are today. Sam has traveled between the United States and Mexico since he was sixteen years old, while Sarah moved from Mexico in January of 2000, along with her daughter Mary. Sam Jr. and his wife and two children also live with them in the house.
Sam works as a welder in a Mobile shipyard and speaks enough English to get by, while Sarah cleans the house of a local family and speaks almost no English. While times are relatively good right now, Sam’s job is unpredictable and sometimes he is unable to find work. The family relies on Mary, 13, who speaks perfect English, to act as translator for her parents. Mary dreams of becoming a professional actress, and Sam and Sarah fully support her in everything she does. “If she says she wants to fight, we’ll buy her gloves” says Sam of his daughter.
Perhaps the largest obstacle for the family is the racism they encounter here. Even young Mary shows an acute awareness of racism when describing a man who refused her family service at a gas station: “Thank God we have no other people like that, to make us ashamed of who we are, just because we’re Mexican.” This family is not ashamed of who it is. Despite being taken advantage of by grocery store clerks and phone companies, they remain a strong and proud family. “I think we’re in good shape…we help each other out; we’re there for each other.”
