by José Martinez

Jornaleros and Justice

I usually write very formal news articles as a freelance reporter, but this will be an informal simple “storytime.” I’m going to write how I speak. I like it better that way. For those that don’t know me, I’m a student at the University of Texas at Austin who is studying to become an investigative journalist. Today I’m going to tell y'all about jornaleros and how they made me realize the tremendous privilege that journalists have and how journalism is all about the long-term impact.

Over the past few years here in Houston, Texas, I’ve gotten to know the jornalero community at a much deeper level. Jornaleros are day workers who don’t have a dependable income. They’re the ones you usually see at esquinas, which are Home Depot parking lots or gas stations, where they’re waiting for some construction work. Most of them are undocumented and are simply trying to provide for themselves or their family abroad. Several of the workers come from Central America and Mexico while a few are from Africa. 

I first met the jornaleros a few years ago when I was an advocate with the Fe y Justicia Worker Center here in Houston. Their goal was to educate workers about their rights and provide them with resources such as legal help and financial assistance. A few mornings a week, we would wake up, pack some water, and gather little informational booklets to go distribute them at the esquinas. We would drive up to the parking lots and see dozens of the jornaleros whistling and waving their hand at all the cars that would drive up. They would do this because any incoming car could be a potential employer. Believe it or not, competition is fierce for them. There are dozens of jornaleros at one esquina and only a few employers drive up every day.

When we would walk up to them, they thought we were there to offer them work, but that wasn’t the case and you could see their face of disappointment when we said we’re here to spread information. I don’t blame them. They’re barely surviving and if they can’t get work, they can’t pay rent or feed their families. Their sole focus is on finding work. Sometimes, work at the esquinas is slow and it can get boring standing there under the heat for hours, so most of the workers take the time to speak to us. It was heartbreaking to hear the struggles they were going through. They would tell us about their experience back in their home countries and how terrible it was. Most of them were threatened by gangs while others had no hope for an income in their country. They would then recount their border crossings and tell us about their desires and dreams. I would ask them, “So what’s keeping you hopeful?” and they answered, “Mi esposa y mis hijos.”

After conversing for a while, they always thanked us for the water bottle and information we gave them about their rights under federal law. As the months passed, I thought, “Why don’t more people know about them?” There were dozens of esquinas in Houston and we didn’t have the resources to go to all of them, so we could only visit some of them every few weeks or so. We needed more awareness, so I decided to put my journalistic skills to the test. I pitched a story about the jornaleros to a few editors and two of them were happy to publish their stories.

I went out and chased the story. I traveled to multiple esquinas getting testimonies to obtain some context. I listened to their worries. I listened to their stories. I became a friend to them. After a while, I received enough information and I went back home to write for a few days. I would take breaks to hang out with family, eat, or just relax by watching some TV. When I finished the story, I went through a few rounds of editing with my editors and soon enough, the story was published after a few weeks! I shared it with my friends and urged people to go help the jornaleros out by donating. But...something was off. The workers that I interviewed were still struggling, were still undocumented, and were still left without justice. Yeah, I guess I managed to spread a little awareness, but I wanted systemic change.

I have the privilege of having DACA which allows me to work and have more resources at school. I can follow my passion and chase whatever story I want, but these workers couldn’t do that. They have no work permit and they don’t have the freedom to follow their dreams. They were forced to stand in the heat and do manual labor for hours. Even worse, they would get cheated of their wages or abused due to their undocumented status. For the next few years, I will still be in school with most of my struggles being exams and tea, while the workers’ struggles will be survival and feeding themselves. I felt this horrible feeling in my stomach. I was out here sharing their stories and gaining reporting experience which would help me in the future, but the workers were not gaining anything; they still didn't have justice. My reporting felt hypocritical. It’s insanely important to recognize the privilege that reporters have. We are allowing these communities’ voices to be heard, but most of the time, only reporters get the immediate benefit. Reporters get extra clips for their resume and experience that will help them in their career, but the communities we’re reporting on are usually left intact. I felt like my reporting was useless. In the end I just wanted the workers to have the same freedom I had, but their situation remained the same. However, for true change to happen, it takes time and it took me a while to truly understand that. 

That’s why I share the jornaleros’ stories, so that people can build empathy for them and fight for them. There will be a day when the jornaleros won’t have to worry about surviving anymore. They’ll be able to relax and enjoy life. They’ll be able to follow their dreams. Consider helping them out by going to houstonworkers.org and donating. A few dozen dollars go a long way in helping them. Thank you for reading everyone. Let’s keep fighting until there are no more oppressive institutions in place.

José Luis Martinez is an aspiring investigative journalist at the University of Texas at Austin. He loves hard rock and salsa and is a Type 4 Enneagram.