Harvest Project in La Mesa de Abajo Oct. 23-30, 2007
August 26 letter from Mike Gray
AFSC - IMYM JOINT SERVICE PROJECT
Greetings, friends,
My sabbatical has ended, but I can’t get Mexico out of my mind. From Cinco de Mayo to Esmeralda Clark’s quincenara, I crossed borders and cultures many times. I struggled to understand. And I struggled to explain. The border is wider than a fence. Culture is more than a language and a set of clothes.
My summer reading included Antonio’s Gun and Delfino’s Dream, by Sam Quinones. The book is a collection of stories about the Mexican migrant experience in our time. It places the people in an economic and cultural context and allows them to be who they are; warts and all. It is an un-romanticized look at an issue that is becoming increasingly polarized. I believe that Quinones, a working journalist, has painted an objective portrait of his subjects. I would recommend this book for those Friends who can’t visit Mexico and get your stories first-hand.
For those who would like to visit Mexico, the Joint Service Project will be offering two trips this Fall. In October, we plan to return to La Mesa de Abajo to help harvest beans and corn. For nearly a decade, the Joint Service Project has been working with the villagers on this mesa. We do at least two projects a year there. We have seen many changes in the village during this time. The harvest has changed little. Beans are still harvested by hand.For the harvest, you will get a family to live and work with. Beans are picked in the morning, while there is some dew on the plant. Corn stalks are cut with a machete, morning or afternoon, tied in sheaves called “monos” and left in the field. You will also get a chance to thrash and sack some beans. Other work options will present themselves during our stay. You may have some other option to offer.
We will leave from Tucson on October 23 and return to Tucson on October 30. Cost for this project will be $400.00. This fee will cover all expenses from Tucson and back. Hospitality in Tucson on the nights before and after the project will be offered to participants. Knowledge of Spanish is helpful, but not required. US passports are also not required for this trip.
Another project for the week of Thanksgiving will be advertised soon.
Mike
