FRONTLINE / World That Summer Barbecue

As long as there is the level of greed and inequality that there is on the planet, no border fence will stop someone from wanting to feed their family. On the other hand what kind of greed can only pay $7.00 to grown men trying to feed their family.

I've seen the prices of meat in the supermarket, prices seem high enough for plenty of profit to provide higher wages. No wonder many steer toward drug dealing in our society, if society can't even provide living wages

Life isn't fair. No one in Guatemala is entitled to work in the US without immigrating. The immigration system protects US citizens from once-extinct diseases and foreign criminals. What you might ask yourselves is what drove the meat-packers from Brooklyn to actively recruit illegal aliens.

Sorry, but the "don't have money/don't have kids" stuff is simplistic and moronic. This isn't what happens in poorer countries and the Third World in general. Some constructive criticism would be welcome. This kind of statement might be welcomed at RushLimbaugh.com, but it isn't here.

The point I got from the story was that most of these poor rent small homes. This is similar to what I see in Mexico. It's likely that there are afew very large land owners that basically rule these communities and make it impossible for the communities to grow and prosper. I believe this to be the real problem with Latin America where the majority of the wealth is in the hands of very very few people. This really is the primary reason that most leave. The governments of latin america desperately need to address this problem.

Lush lands like that of Guatemala should be yielding tons of food... agriculture, animals, as well as resources which are easily exportable and could provide for ample economic growth for the people.

it's funny how America liberates countries from so call *socialism and communism* and leave those countries in disarray and blame them for trying to cross a border to get work to feed their families, you have to admire Castro, whatever is said about him, the education in Cuba is super high, the health care system is awesome and most cubans love their country.

Thiz Great Land waz invaded by Boat People over
the Great Waters. Once a land filled with mass
buffalo and scattered Soviergn Nations.
In CA Natives scalps were taken for bounty at one
time. Religion,language,culture forever changed.
How can a people lay claim they discovered America when thiz mighty land already occupied
by a People?

I am sad and hopeful for the plight of the people of guatemala...I have to agree with one of the last postings about how US multinationals controlled Guatemala and then overthrew the government covertly,,,,this situation had happened time and time again all over the south american continent and central america...we see the revolt of US control and manipulation by the multinationals over these contries and now the Continent of south america is going left and social...the disparity of wealth and lands is so unfair in those countries. Venezuela, bolivia, among others are now going socialistic to try to help the poor that have been disinfranchised by the elite for so many decades...well have to see what happens....

The big trouble with Latin America is the awful corruption with their government starting off with Mexico.There's corruption in every area in those countries from every angle you look at.In the end the poor people just can't have a better life because their goofy leaders just think about themselves and don't give a damn about their own people.
America,however,must protect its own borders specifically from criminals who want to benefit from the wicked fruits of their crimes.
Nonetheless,a good solution for this immigration issue in America today in dealing with the more than 12 million illegals already living over there,would be to do the same thing that the Canadian government did here in Canada right in the beginning of the last decade.Let them stay in the country legally by requiring them to meet a certain number of points and certain criteria.
In order to stay legal in America,they should:
1)Speak English pretty good.
2)Have no criminal record in the country at all.
3)They must have lived in the country for at least 5 years in order to become a legal resident.
4)They must not have been on Welfare or applied for during all the time that they lived in America.
5)They should be charged a US$2.000 dollars fee for entering the United States illegally.
And the ones who can get approved should become legal in the country but with restrictions.Instead of getting a green card as many immigrants get in America,these other people should get a "Blue Card" with restrictions such as:
1)They can not become American citizens but only landed immigrants.
2)They could get a driver's license and be allowed to drive but with limit.
3)They could travel back to their countries but only for a certain period of time.
4)They could get jobs but only with certain positions.
5)They should never be able to vote for any election within the United States.
Here in Canada,there was a big refugee backlog in the early 90's and the government allowed many of the illegal immigrants to stay on "humanitarian and compassionate grounds" which is in no wise the so called "amnesty".
Y'see,with an amnesty any baloney they tell an immigration officer would be accepted because they'd already gotten an amnesty.However,on humanitarian and compassionate grounds they must be qualified first by meeting all of these requirements.It worked good in Canada and I think it should work good in the States too.Even Europe is trying to do the same now.
And especially now that America is broke I'm sure that the government could make a lotta money by charging some fees from those illegals who already live there in America.Who knows,it just might work out good.

Hey Craig:

I know how you feel; however, many cultures on this planet have children, not just for having babies, but to help out on farms or pay debts via labor.

For many centuries in Europe(and even in America), the more kids you had, the better you were off maintaining a farm or even a plot of land just to eat.

I can sympathize with the illegal. But only so far. I care not about the backs story. Everyone has some drama in the background.
On the other side, the illegal alien drags down everyone elses wages. On the margin, the resident meat cutter takes the job of a mechanic that the mechanic has to accept or take the job of a technician at a lower wage. The technician has to take the lower wage or take an instrumentation job at a lower wage,,,ad infinitum.

THe bad guy was the business owner who is TAKING ADVANTAGE of the Guatemalan situation (or Mexican, or Chinese, or Indian) to make more money. Very little difference between that guy and Ozkar Schindler, before his epiphany. Kind of ironic

The sad part about the illegal immigration in US is the status quo of the political system. No body in public office can do anything to help the 12 million people under the shadows without risking their jobs. Getting an immigration reform will be almost impossible if we as American Citizens don't understand what the real problem is. The idea of less regulation and less government leaves holes for corporations to take advantage of the immigrants. This has happened for at least the last 2 decades. This condition has brought prosperity to most parts of the country. When there is growth there is prosperity. What other country has grown economically as strong as the US. There is no doubt that only the interests of Wall Street rule when deciding about immigration reform or health care reform or any other reform for that matter.
US has had the infrastructure since 20 years ago to check immigration status of every worker, student or citizen. If all the myths were truth that illegal immigrants cost the country billions of dollars every year, bring diseases, crime, etc.(Check LouDobbs.com) at least 15 years ago, that infrastructure would've been implemented. Make no mistake, the US Corporations are not stupid, they just act as if they are when it is on their best interest.

I have a better idea... do not exploit animals, do not exploit Nature, do not exploit human beings... GO VEG!!!!

As an african immigrant, and I was a legal resident in America, now an American citizen, I feel very sorry for those people who got through all this terrible journey of life.

These people they didn't have any choice, they had to feed their families, in doing so they had to search around, wonder around and found the richest country which is close to their countries, and they found America (USA), so they had to cross the border in order to get a job make money and feed their families. Ofcourse, crossing the border illigally is dead wrong, but they dont have any choice, they had to do what they got to do to feed thier families. I think some kind of immigration reform must be done in order to fix or atleast minimize illigal immigration.

Craig, it must be nice living in that simple old head of yours! Say something, all of the sudden, problem solved! You should become Sarah Palin! You are just that good!

Population control is needed, but you are trying to deny poor people the right to procreate, That was an ignorant comment! Try coming up with a solution next time!

Illegal immigration is indeed not only a social problem but a political problem. We are not the only nation in the world who has difficulties dealing with large numbers of people illegally immigrating past their borders for a BETTER opportunity. I don't understand how people don't realize that it is us who is the cause of this phenomena. We, as American citizens and consumers, demand low-cost qualitiy items. If we don't get that from one business, we'll seek out another who will satisfy our wants and needs. Believe it or not, we have basically forced these companies to hire these illegal immigrant workers to produce a good or service at a lower cost so we will be happy. Because these companies are able to save money on domestic labor we are able to save on their product or service they produce or provide. Same goes for outsourcing.

If everyone would truly educate themselves with non-biased resources, I think we could collectively come up with a solution. Unfortunately, misinformation, predjudice, and bias will always prohibit us to ever become a cohesive decision-making society.

What really gets me is the word, "ILLEGAL". That means that these people from other countries are, "NOT LEGAL". If I break the law I have to pay. These illegal immigrants are breaking US law and yet you people are screaming out for them. If I break the law and go to prison, who will take care of MY family? Giving my tax dollars to illegal workers and those who DON'T work is wrong. I pay my taxes to take care of LEGAL AMERICANS. If your country sucks, MOVE! Please do it legally though. Illegal workers are no different than the Mafia. They go outside the law to make money. I have NO problem with immigration as long as it's legal. That's all I ask.

The anti-immigrant sentiments that are in evidence here and all over this country are not only heartless, they're just stupid, from a purely utilitarian economic standpoint. Do you think the market is a zero-sum game? Do you think the money earned, goods produced, prices lowered by immigrants just goes into a black hole somewhere, that immigrants somehow exist outside of the rest of the economy? Do you think that it's a good use of your money- your money, expropriated by the IRS, backed up by men with guns- to round up non-violent men and women whose only "crime" is trying to take part in a "free" market and make money for their families? Do you think it's economically productive to ban workers from working, to fine companies for hiring people, to use law enforcement to terrorize people who have committed no crime against anyone? Do you think it's evil that immigrant workers can mean lower prices for food and other goods, allowing everyone in this country to eat and drink and live well?

Sure there are strong moral reasons for thinking that arresting men and women for the crime of getting a (otherwise entirely legal) job is terribly wrong, but supposing you're entirely heartless and godless, unless you're filthy rich and don't care about the health of the entire economy, you have an interest in a genuinely free market that is open to people who want to work, who want to be productive. Those workers did far more in their time here for this land and all its peoples than the agents of the parasitical State that arrested them, the State that lives off of other's labour. These immigrants are not asking for handouts, they are not asking for special favours, they are merely asking for a chance to labour and be a part of the market, for themselves, their families, and, consciously or not, everyone who enjoys the fruits of a free market.

Give me a break..I hire immigrants sometimes to do construction jobs for a few days and the will not work for less than $10 bucks per hour.not $7.50

The truth of the matter is that: These people are uneducated, and without leaders who give a damn about them. And for the life of me, I cannot understand why Latin American people seem so stupid not to overthrow the government that keeps them living in filth. Once these people come here and live for free off the tax-payer's; they never want to go back and reconcile the life that drove them here... Now that White people themselves and their children are being pinched by the illegals,they are now having to taste what The Black people have been dealing with since the Regan years... In essence, this country is reaping what it has sown...

Craig Eliot - That's not how it works bud... welcome to Earth.

WOW!
these people live better than me.
I saw the fancy cars and nice homes in the video.
It is a great country that imports workers to
under cut americans by 60% and ruins its citizens welfare.
Speaking of welfare how many of these illegals
were collecting my tax dollars. OH yes! it is the land of milk and honey for them.
I also wonder why the money sent home was not used to improve the lives of their families.
if one days work is worth 2 months of pay in their country why was it apperently squandered?
guess Frontline sees the world through a propaganda agenda
oh well let them break the middle class who cares except honest American workers!

IMPORT ANOTHER 20 MILLION
YA FOOLS1

we just need legal way for imigrants to work here, on a pass were they have to return after certain seasons,were there not exploited here and thereand when they dont return,they can loose working permits....any imigrant caught bringing guns or belong to a gang,the whole family can loose woking permits or face deportation with out permission to return,at least they will be paying taxes and the owners of co. will also be responcable

I want to know why I should care about the woman with cancer???? I have a tumor in my brain, I live in Chicago,and can't get my own healthcare!!!!! I go to the local clinic it basically looks like 3 world country. Has anyone even thought what the history is of South America was before Spaniards promised Christ to them? Why doesn't the Christ or their Sun god give them a job!

There was a time not so long ago when most of these jobs were strong union jobs. The atmosphere of anti-union prevailed due to the presidential approval starting with Reagan and has continued without the public being aware of much of this. About a decade or so ago buses were picking up folks near the southern border and driving them north to fill these jobs. The local communities were stuck with the medical, school and feeding problems that went along with all of this while the companies pretented they had nothing to do with this. The journalist Eric Schlosser wrote a wonderful piece regarding this subject back in 2001 'Back to The Jungle: A view from the Twenty-first Century. If you want factual info check it out.

I am very disappointed inn Frontline for this very unbalanced report! Very basic questions were not answered and the report seemed to say it was alright to exploit people even if it means letting the exploiters go unpunished. What appears to be a human rights issue in reality is a human abuse issue.
The US has the most liberal immigration policy ( we often confuse an immigraTION policy with an immigrANT policy) in the world. However, we cannot provide jobs for the world's poor (remember 6.5 and counting BILLION) and trying to do so will, in the end, harm everyone. The report was extremely one-sided and will only make matters worse. I expect more from PBS and because of your failure on this any extra money I was to donate to PBS will go to NumbersUSA. Thankfully Bonnie Erbe has produced a better report in her To The Contrary report.

Thank you Frontline, this report on these Guatemalan workes has been taken way out of proportion,starting with our laws and order, or social issues. My comment is that Frontline gives us reports like this to reflect on them, not to point fingers which is the easy thing to do.I could criticize half of the comments some good and others not even deserving to be mentioned.
Some are so ignorant that they are totaly out of line and they have no place in this site. to see a human tragedy such as the one from the man with a wife and 4 kids I can't begin to imagine what I would do in such situation, the only thing I can do as a man with a family is to congratulate this man for having the BALLS ( I thing is appropiate) to leave everything behind. Good luck!