Day 23: Buena Vista Social Club (1997) by Buena Vista Social Club

6:00 PM

So I'm taking a Spanish class this quarter that focuses on Latin American film. The professor is pretty chill, although sometimes he says some thing that are straight out of left field. "So this film is an example of neorealism that was popularized by Italian filmmakers, focusing on everyday aspects of life, like work, school and THE AMERICAN PIG MUST DIE!" Now imagine that being said in Spanish. 

Of course, I'm exaggerating just a bit. Just a little. But anyways, obviously, we must watch lots of Latin American films, all in Spanish. Tonight, I have to go to a screening of a film called "Harvest of Loneliness: The Bracero Program." From the little that I know, that shit was fucked up.

9:11 PM

Yeah...that shit was fucked up. I got out of the screening about 1 hour ago, and went to the library. But the whole time that I walked up Ring Road, I couldn't help but become distressed. In this film, I saw faces that looked like mine, except the joy had been beaten out of them. You can see how ashamed they were. And I feel ashamed. Agricultural industries took advantage of these men and their dreams. They were promised 10 times what they could make in their countries, only to have their overlords immediately go back on their word while working in the U.S. It pains me to see these men, now old men and with grandchildren, to break down at the mere thought of the hardships they had to endure. Leaving their families to hopefully send money home, only for them to have to spend their 15 dollars a week of money on food, food that was promised to them in a contract that was never upheld. In the end, many were left with only pennies to their name. 

Let's not forget the hardship that they faced in actually getting to the U.S. Many had to traverse to shipping stations, only to be wrangled like cattle.

IF chosen, they were packed into trains, where they would travel whole nights without sleep. Many couldn't find places to use the bathroom, so they had to do it where they were. It's reminiscent of the Middle Passage, where stolen Africans were forced to endure horrible conditions for months. In this sense, these laborers were lucky. But any injustice is still enough to bring a man to tears.

Once arriving, these men were to endure further dehumanizing examinations, many to only be told they were not good enough to work and sent home. Those that stayed were stripped naked and forced to be "decontaminated." This decontamination included being sprayed from head to toe in DDT. Yeah, that DDT. The insecticide that we learned is a possible carcinogen and a leading cause of the decreasing numbers in bald eagle populations. These poor men had it sprayed in their faces so as to not contaminate Americans. 

Once the decontamination phase is over, these Mexican migrants were given one of two shifts: 5AM to 5PM or 5PM to 5AM. They were denied water until they finished their work, many suffering from extreme dehydration. When not at work, up to 2000 men were crammed in small living quarters, whose temperatures would reach 120 during the summer. Many died, and no retributions were given to their families. Those that didn't die were left sick or injured for the rest of their lives.

This had deep effects on their families, many who had small children who could not see their fathers. Wives suffered, not having enough to spend on their children, falling into deep debt. And just the pain of being away from a loved one was unbearable. Seeing one of the wives of a bracero break down in front of the camera almost brought me to tears, reminding me of my own mother.

At first, listening to Buena Vista Social Club, a Cuban album, was a mere joke as to get me in the "mood" to see a movie about Latinos. But it's no longer a joke. It truly pains me to see my people and people of color from all over the globe being exploited by the greedy and corrupt. People always tell me I should be grateful that I have the opportunity that I have to study and be happy in this country. Many people have told me "You're an American. You enjoy these liberties. Stop bitching about it." 

I am grateful to have this opportunity. But at what cost did I get this opportunity? How many lives had to be destroyed for me to live in this land of milk and honey? How do you expect me to ignore the truth and not get angry? 

The sad thing is that we're so comfortable we don't give it a second thought. It's in the past; why should it concern me? But when you think that people to this day are being exploited and civil liberties are being abused in the name of "freedom," it's hard to ignore.

I found myself praying for the first time since my sister was in the hospital. I don't know to who or what, but I could only ask: why? Maybe the answer won't come from the heavens, but I know the answer is in the hearts of good men and women that see the truth of the matter.

That'll be all for tonight. I hope that maybe I have enlightened you in some sense. But as always, enlighten yourselves.

Nothing but love, as always.

Peace bruthas and sistas...