Just a few nights ago my wife and I watched the recently released movie “A Million Miles Away” – a true story about José Hernández, the son of Mexican migrants who started as a farm worker, and became an engineer and an astronaut. He was the first Latino to fly to the space station in the NASA space shuttle.
I am not one to cry, but I must admit that it was tough to keep a dry eye throughout much of the movie. I was overcome with a mix of emotions from sheer joy, admiration and respect for the real-life characters of the Hernández family.
I have learned first-hand throughout my life to always bet on hard-working immigrants. The risks they have taken, the courage, tenacity, and perseverance they have demonstrated to pick up and make such a massive change cannot ever be underestimated.
It was also a classic story of a relentless pursuit of an American dream. A significant inspiration for my wanting to leave a comfortable corporate life in the United States came from working with immigrants.
When we left the corporate world and decided to move to Mexico, I said to my wife: “now it’s time for me to become an immigrant.”
I understand that my circumstances were much different than those of most immigrants, but I still wanted to feel the excitement, the stress, the fear of the unknown, and the need to “just put your head down, work damn hard, and figure things out” that so many immigrants feel.
If you think about it, when you become an immigrant, it’s the ultimate bet on yourself – and that’s not easy. When you bet on yourself, there is no one but yourself to blame if things don’t work out well.
For most of my adult life I have been surrounded by immigrants. While growing up, my parents owned a commercial cleaning company in Madison, Wisconsin that I worked at throughout high school and college. The majority of the employees were immigrants, most from Mexico, but also many from other parts of Latin America, Eastern Europe, and even Africa.
I marveled how most of them finished an 8-hour day job to then go directly to work another 8-hour night shift for my parents’ company. Weekend overtime opportunities? They were always the first to raise their hands. I couldn’t help but be amazed and respect their incredible work ethic – while at the same time keeping a strong sense of family and community.
Many of them had left members of their families behind to come work in the United States, yet they maintained a laser-sharp focus on making enough money to go back to their home country. or to help their family members come live with them in their newly adopted country.
Later on, in my professional career and in leadership roles for my company’s Latin American division, we often worked to help our employees who were looking to move to other countries within the region.
First it was the Colombians looking for better opportunities elsewhere, then a huge flow of Venezuelans and Argentinians. I remember countless conversations with the employees and often their families to understand their motivations and ambitions so I could figure out how we could best help them.
It’s hard to forget the looks on the faces of the families as they agreed to take a new job in a new country, an unknown adventure and challenge in a unique way for each member of the family.
I feel that much of present-day wealthier society’s ills come from essentially a “comfort crisis.” If you haven’t read it, the book “The Comfort Crisis: Embrace Discomfort to Reclaim Your Wild, Happy, Healthy Self” by Michael Easter is a great one.
Immigrants know what it’s like to embrace discomfort – they have personally made the choice to do it. I personally have benefited from and enjoyed the process, despite it not being easy, and I think many others would too.
Travis Bembenek is the CEO of Mexico News Daily and has been living, working or playing in Mexico for over 27 years.
This country has always been advanced by migration. Curiously, I know of only one immigrant ancestor who went back to Europe and that was before the Revolution after her husband died. My more recent immigrant ancestors from Ireland despised (one was famous for his remarks as a politician) what was then the occupation by the U.K. I find it beautiful that so many Mexicans can, in contrast, expand their horizons into two countries rather than (like most of mine) replace one with the other.
I love this piece. Becoming an immigrant is indeed the “ultimate bet on yourself.” Well said. I have never been happier or felt more at home in a place than Mexico.
I agree that living as an immigrant is a wonderful exercise in being a perpetual learner, & a perpetual adapter to new experiences and a refreshing approach to living. I am grateful for the opportunity. Immigrants have made a significant contribution to the economy and life in North America.
I have had the pleasure and privilege of being an immigrant to Canada, the US and now Mexico, and will cherish it forever. I have gone wherever the opportunity to grow and learn that life in North America has presented to me, without reservation. I am proud to call my a North American, now retired and living in the Lake Chapala area.
Well written, being a Canadian with over 3 years living in Cancun, Tulum, and the state of Guerrero, I feel nothing but privileged to be here at this most important time in Mexicos history. I TEACH the Industrial Reveloution 2.0 as I call it to everyone who will listen to my bad grammar Spanish, thanks to Duolingo and Google Translate which is about 90 percent correct on the translations. A 10 percent error margin is not acceptable, as an engineering student I can’t imagine anything less than 99.999 percent ( 5 9’s) when engineering a space rocket, and strapping a human into it. With the advent of AI, unfortunately Google translate will be used and a 10 percent error in translations will be the difference between yes and no, or life and death. This article well written didn’t mention one important item, that being you have to learn the language of the country as an Immigrant. For those taking up the challenge, start off with Duolingo it’s free, and additictive for all ages kids to even my 76 year old aunt. For me today was 989 days in a row. Then I would take private Spanish lessons to learn the street language of your town or city as it varies throughout Mexico. I love people saying that they don’t understand other mexican words and meanings and they are speaking mexican to a mexican!!! In the Spanish dictionary there are 70,000 words, in the English dictionary we have e 170,000 words. So learning the same Spanish word for 5 different unique meanings is also a challenge. And so, I love sharing my vast life experiences here, as I am passing it forward and that costs nothing, and I feel great making a difference to Mexico, thr gift of knowledge, this is my high that I get daily as I don’t drink, do drugs ,drink Coke, rice and corn based products as all of these affect the mind and body causing inflammation, diabetes and general unhealthy soul and brain. And so, for those who are here from abroad.. VIVA MÉXICO 🇲🇽
Great story, Travis. I couldn’t agree more. I now look back over my years in NY, and all the immigrants I learned the most important things from – mainly, amazing attitudes, commitment, joy, fearlessness and family and community. Throughout all my jobs there was ALWAYS a character – usually Mexican in my experience -who got me to shake some kind of privileged ‘comfort’ mindset back to an attitude of gratitude and a fun approach to hard work. That film and that book also sound good! Thanks for writing this.
“to feel the excitement, the stress, the fear of the unknown,”… oh you bet. I still recall my first year or so here adjusting.
So you are from Madison? I used to work for Kraft in Chicago so I also spent time at Oscar Mayer with the mile long ‘Hot Dog Highway’
Dear Travis – I so appreciate your work on this paper and the perspective you provide through your own columns
Travis: I have lived in Madison WI for 33 years, still do, have a farm near Spring Green. However, I came to Mexico in 1965-67 and lived in Tlaxco, Pue. a village without a road, without running water, nor electricity, and only 60% spoke Castellano (others Otomi) at the ripe old age of 19. Mexican peasants taught me from this 18th century village , a back to the past “what it meant to be an American”. I am a resident of Ecuador, lived there 17 years, a resident of Mexico, and a citizen of the USA. I am an Ecusamex! Ecuadorians tell me that I speak Spanish with a Mexican accident, and are confused when I ask at the grocery store where the cacahuetes are.When I ask my Ecuadorian friends “how is my Spanish,?’, they tell me that I am fluent and only make two mistakes every sentence, but we always understand you. I come back from 6 1/2 month from Ajijic, my Winter home, and I cannot remember the Englis word for “cousin”, and when returning during the summer to Ecuador , I cannot remember the Spanish word for daughter-in-law. I step back into Mexico for a short stay in Ecuador and “chuchake”, a Quiche word for cruda, is delightful in sounding like one feels. My oldest ahijada from Baptism in Mexico, this infant is now 57 and my compadres, Prosporo y Leonides. are still living 98 and 91). I have lived in 3 centuries and I get confused as I move every year among my three countries. I forget where I left my cherished blue shirt, where is it at, in Madison, Quito or did I forget it in Ajijic. Now just for memories sake, I stayed in a fully furnished 2 bedroom lovely apartment in San Miguel Allende, 4 blocks from the church which rented for $250 a month, but that was another century ago!
Jim – Please look me up when you are in Ajijic. I can be found in West Ajijic , Col. Los Sabinos
Yeah, true ,ive had the same experience with my Mexican staff in the US and a few in Mexico.- I’d kill for them. I have Italian immigtant grand parents so get the cpmmon threads.but my experience here in San Miguel at least is much worse. I find , in general. Mexicans here lack motivación, are lazy and mediocrity abund and what’s with all the lying! If you are not going to show up , let me know so we don’t fuck up the rest of my schedule. Immigrants are risque takes, visionaties, and balls out. Unfortunately , there’s almost as many deficient mexicans in this area as Americans- the laziest. Let’s be greatful we are an exception. That’s your headline in my view!
My family emigrated to the US from Norway. They worked hard as farm hands until they saved enough to buy their own land and began farming for themselves, adding acres whenever possible. Every summer the migrant workers (Mexican field help) would arrive to work in the fields. I was taught that everyone is a stranger at some time, to judge a man by his work ethic and character, not by his appearance, and to treat those working for you with dignity, respect, and pay them fairly; most likely due to the lack of it that they received when they started in America. The migrant children would accompany their parents and my grandmother (and countless others) volunteered to educate and feed the kids while their parents worked the fields. The rural schools would open their doors to accommodate the children and attend to their needs. We appreciated having them arrive each year as there was no one locally willing to work hard. Not only did the Mexican immigrants outwork most of us, they took pride in their work. Many of these families returned to the same farms year after year for the work, and I like to believe because they felt welcome. However, in the small towns, as you can imagine, there was fear of the unknown and there was an increase in crime and theft that is common with any nomadic group who travel from state to state working, with no permanent home. After I started visiting Mexico, I better understood the Mexican people, and why someone would risk everything for a better life, usually for family back home.
I only hope, that as Mexico continues to benefit from nearshoring and investment in the Country, they learn from the mistakes of America. Hold on to and respect tradition and family. Invest in infrastructure and in your people and include the poor in your planning. The money is there if society demands it. Don’t confuse the American “Dream” with the Mexican Dream. If America had done that in the 70’s as individual wealth was beginning to build, they could’ve avoided the joke that is Trickle Down Economics, allowing the rich to get richer while the poor get poorer. I have rarely met other people as genuine and welcoming as the friends I have made in Mexico. I am always a little sad to have to return to the States and see what has become of the once idyllic Country, my family left their home for, to try and give their children a better future.
I work with immigrants here in Mexico City and it is some of the most rewarding work I’ve ever done, and that’s primarily because the vast majority of these people are simply extraordinary in their motivation, their good attitudes, their faith in the future and themselves, their persistence — all of which is echoed in your article and in the comments here. We help some to get asylum here in Mexico, others to get their appointments for asylum in the US (which often leaves them waiting up to 4 months in Mexico City). It’s a tough time for lots of reasons and I won’t go into all the politics and factors most of us are familiar with, but it’s worth noting Mexico’s generosity in serving as a waiting room for the US system (again a big complicated topic). Fortunately there are lots of NGOS and big-hearted Mexicans who are committed and skilled at pressuring the various govt. bodies to make more space as in the past few months we have run out of shelters. A coalition of NGOS, the church and civil orgs just opened a 200-bed facility in Epetepec, for instance, which will be staffed by SMR, who I’ve worked with for years, getting folks asylum in Mexico, Canada and the US – and who help the most vulnerable who they essentially rescue from Tapachula which is hands-down voted the most horrible place between here and the Darien Gap by the immigrants themselves. The tireless work by these Mexican NGOs continually impresses me with their commitment to advocacy, human rights and helping folks jump through all the legal hoops (I also work with Tochan in Tacubaya, another full service ngo), where we are mostly currenlty serving Venezuelan and Haitian folks who are some of the funnest and most inspiring people I’ve ever met. Someone once said ‘to be with people in the crucial moments of their lives is one of the greatest gifts life can offer,’ and I have the honor to experience that weekly as a volunteer.
As a former USA Ex Pat living in Guanajuato for some 6 years, 94-2000, was a life changing experience. I am a son of Mexican parents who emigrated to USA some 70 years ago, going back to my roots was a wonderful dream accomplishment. Being bilingual bicultural Spanish speaking made the transition not as difficult. My friends, colleagues, compadres, associates were all inclusive family support system during my tenure. Traveling and seeing the diversity north to south, east to west was an ‘eye’ opener. I will forever be grateful to Mexico and its people. I stand on the shoulders of my grandparents, parents, family and ancestors. Viva Mexico!!!
Building Bridges: Strategic Friendships, Strategic Partnerships, Authentic Comradery. Gracias Mexico!!!
Dear Travis, I so much appreciate your article and your perspective . It made me realize how proud I am of my fellow Mexican “paisanos”, of the people who decide to come to live in Mexico for different reasons and with different status. It also helped me see my own life from a new angle being an immigrant myself in different countries, I got a strong motivation of my experiences abroad and made me aware that this ultimate bet on myself I want it to be one with a wonderful outcome… Wherever I go…