Article reposted in part from: Wisconsin Stories
Wisconsin Stories: Passing Through
Migrant workers pick cherries in Door County.
Photo by Hagedorn Studio. WHS CF 5339 WHi 28571
Wisconsin Mexican-American Wave
3,000 Texas-Mexicans came to Wisconsin during the 1930s; also this was the first wave of Hispanic migrant workers. In 1943 the Emergency Farm Labor Program was issued which permitted the contracting of foreign workers.
The Use of Mexican Migrant Workers in Today’s’ Wisconsin
More than 90 percent of migrant workers today are of Mexican heritage. Many originate from southern states or Mexico. For years and even today, workers migrated with their family.
Journey to WI
An emerging present day trend is for employers to hire a group of young men from Mexico through contract companies. They usually will be transported by charter bus and thus live in groups while residing here. Still others had relatives already on Wisconsin soil and so they came from pure word of mouth basis, therefore would relocate from a single Mexican community into our villages, townships or cities within Wisconsin. For example I know for a fact Manitowoc has a large population of Hispanics from Guanajuato, a central state within Mexico, which they immigrated to the county either legally or as Illegal Aliens because family members had already settled into this region.
One of my favorite Professors of Urban Regional Geography UW-Green Bay Marcelo Cruz; (native to Quito, Ecuador) relocated to Green Bay 1994; Has stated once in a course that the huge spur of Mexican meatpackers to GB within the 90s came because "It's one of the major industries in which Latinos made inroads, and had relatives or acquaintances to those already living here which influenced others to follow."
Many Spanish-speaking migrant workers have started to find employment in non-agricultural industries like roofing, meat/vegetable packaging, grocery’s or non-seasonal work like dairy farming. Although most employers would like these seasonal workers to remain in Wisconsin all year, many still return home in the winter months. However, each year a greater number of migrant workers "settle out" of the migrant life-style and make Wisconsin their permanent home. Today Wisconsin is home to some 100,000 Hispanics!
Quote:
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"Latinos have a very strong work ethic and come here because of the quality of life, the quality of schools and employment opportunities. They contribute to the economy and work hard and sustain the economy."
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~Juan Jose Lopez, treasurer of the Madison Board of Education on an interview with Milwaukee JS back in 2001.
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