Latinos

We have a small house, which we use weekends and summers, in Springs on the eastern end of Long Island. Whenever we need a workman to replace shutters on the house, clean and paint the exterior, plant trees or plants on our grounds, the work is usually done by Latinos. Generally Latinos (immigrants from Mexico and on down south) hang out at certain road corners, waiting for a truck to stop and hire them for the day. They are often hired by a non-Latino. There are also Latinos who have graduated from the ranks of workmen and now have their own band of laborers for hire.

The work Latinos do is pretty menial, but they are serious laborers who need the money to send home to their families. Their pay is small and they earn every penny. These are the workmen who have helped keep our house in repair. When I heard of American youths, in Eastern Long Island especially, gang up and persecute these workmen (to the point of murder in some cases), I am sickened. They rationalize their actions and murder by claiming that Latino immigrants are taking jobs away from local youth.

In over 40 years that we have had our house in Springs, I have never found a local youth willing to be hired for the menial jobs that the Latinos perform. The only “crime” that Latinos commit is that they’ve kept the local properties look attractive and well-cared for.