Economic Stories

Plantado a Mano: Planted by Hand

Written by Kayla Carrick
Published on Thursday, 15 May 2008 17:02

MARION, N.C. — Domingo Perez starts work on his fields in western North Carolina by 7 a.m., just as the sun is peeking over the mountains, and he usually doesn't call it a day until sundown.

His leased farmland has grown from 3 acres to 150 acres in just over a decade, and he's gaining a reputation in western North Carolina for some of the best heirloom tomatoes.

Domingo's business has boomed since he first started, but it isn't a personal dream or an eye for profit that keeps the Mexican-born farmer planting — it's who's working next to him.

Read more: Plantado a Mano: Planted by Hand

From strikebreakers to strikemakers

Published on Thursday, 01 May 2008 00:00

TAR HEEL, N.C. — When Maria Carmona, a Mexican immigrant from Veracruz, began working at the Smithfield Packing Co. plant in Tar Heel, N.C., she was thankful for the good pay she brought home to her family.

But after about a year and a half, she began feeling pain in her right shoulder and arm. Her job consisted of washing pork that came to her station on a conveyor belt and then picking up the meat and throwing it to the next line over. Carmona repeated this motion hundreds of times an hour. When the pain became particularly intense one day at work, she visited the company medical clinic across the street from the plant.

Read more: From strikebreakers to strikemakers

Hispanics give back to the economy while sending back home: a look at remittances and North Carolina

Published on Thursday, 01 May 2008 00:00

Six-year-old Matéo sleeps in a shopping cart in Durham, N.C., while his mom, an undocumented immigrant, fills out myriad forms in order to send to Mexico the stack of dollar bills she holds in her hands.

A sign above the shopping cart details the financial services of and protocol for Wal-Mart Inc., where Matéo and his mother wait. No more than $1,500 can be sent in any 7-day period. No more than $300 can be sent at any one time. The cost for the service is just less than $10 to send to Mexico.

Read more: Hispanics give back to the economy while sending back home: a look at remittances and North Carolina