<p>BigG - you are full of crap, that’s the worst piece of you know what I have ever heard of. People in other countries may not have as much as we have here, but it doesn’t mean they do not treat each other with dignity. People come here for more resource, not because we are such wonderful people.</p>
<p>BigG:</p>
<p>According to your info, they were gipped of $20 each. There are many countries where people feel lucky to be paid $1 an hour. But that’s no reason for Americans to pay their own workers $1 an hour, whether or not they are here legally. Try substituting some cultural practice you don’t like.
What is also appalling is that the parents seem to have promised one rate and paid at another, taking advantage of the workers’ vulnerability. As easy as taking candy from a child and even more reprehensible. Children don’t need candy. These men need the money desperately, which is why they were willing to work for ten hours straight at a backbreaking job that two able bodied young men could not do.</p>
<p>These men need the money desperately, which is why they were willing to work for ten hours straight at a backbreaking job that two able bodied young men could not do.
Which is why unions have been formed- because together workers can demand working conditions, that doesn’t endanger or demean the worker.</p>
<p>Personally,I would be so upset by the situation in order to prepare the house for guests, that I would not enjoy myself at the party unless reparations were made to the workers & demand that my parents make amends in order for me to be present, if that was what was required.</p>
<p>Let’s leave the particular situation aside for a moment. If anyone decides that they will hire workers with whom they choose not to communicate properly, and who are not under the auspices of proper work laws etc., and then decides to pay them whatever they feel like, how can that ever be ok? </p>
<p>That aside, I know where to go to pick up laborers on the corner, and I still choose a local landscape company to do the work. I know it costs more. However, that landscape company is a legitimate business in my community. Yes, those people on the corner need work and money, and I know it. The only way I can legitimately help them is to GIVE them money. I can not hire them legally, and it is not for everyone to just break the law because they don’t like it. If the law is wrong, work to change it in the proper manner. You can’t have a discussion about hiring “illegal” workers without a discussion of law.</p>
<p>I will say that I know many landscapers who hire immigrants to work for them- I don’t know if they are legal or not- the reason they hire immigrants is because they are often very hard workers, but most of the landscapers, do pay them well.</p>
<p>( However, I also imagine that the owner of the property is being charged much more by hiring the landscaper, than they would be if they were working directly with the labor)</p>
<p>Of course there are shoddy business people all over in all types of businesses - people who don’t pay in ssi taxes legitimately withheld, or buy workers comp insurance or pay under the table - no point in casting aspersions on any one type of business. ^ The same could be said for any business that employs unskilled labor - painting, building, cleaning, restaurants. Why assume that a legitimate business is illegal? Of course some always will be - that’s life.</p>
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<p>I really can’t see myself doing that. The party is today, we’ve been cooking for hours, and we’re expecting 100+ people. I have family from across the country flying in today. My mom has been stressing over this party for months and to disrupt things the day of would make me feel even worse. I’ll speak with her later and try to make her understand that she shouldn’t do it again. </p>
<p>Anothermom2- After my parents turned away the professional, because they wanted to see if they could get a lower, they called him back and he never returned their call. So they actually were going to go with the legal landscaper, but he didn’t call back in time; the people they ended up hiring were a last resort.</p>
<p>So they were willing to pay more for a legal landscaper but exploited the fact that these were illegals? Argh…</p>
<p>I’m sorry you are going through this. None of it is your fault. I agree not to make a fuss today. But I see nothing wrong with talking to your mom. I might even suggest seeking out the men and giving them a “tip” and a thank you for the work well done.</p>
<p>well I might add college bound that when I was 17 I was a PITA and anti social anyway.
;)</p>
<p>I hope you are able to put it out of your head and enjoy the party & remember you don’t have to be your parents.</p>
<p>Marite, you said,
The correct spelling is “gypped” derived from Gypsy, which is an ethnic slur because Gypsies are noted for cheating and stealing. Pretty much the equivalent of saying they were Jewed out of $20. Not to pick on you, but once I learned the derivation of that commonly used expression I stopped using it and find it offensive.</p>
<p>Thanks for pointing that out NJres! I will try to avoid this term from now on.</p>
<p>Collegebound, I have had more than one landscaper not call me back, and my front yard also looked less than good, so I sympathize. I wish you the best in your party and college career. (In our case there was no rush and we bought a lawn mower, hedge trimmer, and weed wacker. For two years we did our own lawn - and hated every minute of it. Finally we got a good professional to take over.) It is nice that your family will be there to wish you well.</p>
<p>Oldfort,</p>
<p>In most of the countries from which illegal immigrants hail, people may treat others of their own socioeconomic class well. But the lower classes are oppressed by higher classes. People kowtow to social superiors.The socioeconomic classes that supply the illegals are treated like crap in their home country. This information is from conversations with Mexican and Guatemalan immigrants. </p>
<p>My information is , admittedly, second hand. Do you have direct experience of life in Guatamala or Mexico that contradicts what I have heard and read?</p>
<p>In many countries the workers in the subject post would have been beaten for even trying to question their employer</p>
<p>The US is one of the few places on Earth where the underclass is treated with any degree of dignity. (Some of the European countries do even better)</p>
<p>Even when we round up people for deportation, they get something of a judicial review and reasonable treatment. The border patrol does not machine gun human beings out of hand. This is not true in many countries.</p>
<p>My parents had a motto (worked very well against peer pressure): “It does not matter what others do; what matters is that we do the right thing.”
It does not matter that there are families that kill their daughters for bringing shame to them–because they were raped. We do not do this. We are the USA. It does not matter that in some countries, children as young as 4 are made to work. We do not do this. We are the USA. it does not matter… We are better than this. Well, I hope we are.
The OP understood enough Spanish to know that the workers were quite rightly upset.</p>
<p>Marite,</p>
<p>I was not suggesting $1.00/hour. $8.00/hour, cash in pocket, with lunch and transport included, for unskilled labor involving minimal risk of injury is very fair. $6.00/hour for similiar circumstances is a bit chitzy. There is the real possibility the parent thought $6.00/hour was the agreed upon rate.</p>
<p>When younger I worked at agricultural tasks for less than half minimum wage. I have also worked very legal construction jobs for minimum wage with significant risk of death or maiming.</p>
<p>At present the legal minimum wage is $7.25/hour. There are provisions for less pay in some circumstances.</p>
<p>I am a first generation immigrant, not from Mexico or South America, but from a place where 30 years agao also thought it was an under develooped country. There was a class system also. But my father didn’t come to this country because he thought Americans were gentler and kinder, he came for political reason and better upward opptunity for his kids. We grew up having “servants” in our household, but we always paid them and treated them with dignity. My parents always made sure we treated our house staff with respect. As kids we weren’t allowed to “order” them around.</p>
<p>oldfort,
I think not imprisoning or killing political dissidents out of hand qualifies as “kinder and gentler”.</p>
<p>Also domestics who live in proximity to a family are always treated with more respect than agricultural laborers. This is just good sense.</p>
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<p>I couldn’t have said it better, marite. Thanks.</p>
<p>Is that how you justify that kind of behavior? Immigrants from those countries should be grateful because we don’t kill and imprison them?</p>
<p>Wait a minute, this is not the election and politics forum, and there is a very good reason why I stay away from it. Wah, wah, wah…(Peanuts)</p>
<p>OP - congratulations on your milestone, try to enjoy it. It is nice so many people are coming to your special occassion.</p>
<p>Thanks for all of the input everyone. And oldfort- I did really enjoy it; there was a huge turnout and I got to see people I haven’t seen in a very long time. I had a lot of fun.</p>
<p>As far as speaking with my parents, that will probably never happen. My grandmother passed and my parents are in mourning (I, unfortunately, last saw her when I was very young. She moved back to my parents’ home country in Africa, so I don’t remember her.) Bringing it up would just be borderline inappropriate. So I’ve decided to chalk this up to experience, so to speak, and hope that I never repeat the same mistake. It was good to see that people agreed with me, though!</p>