At age 17, Sergio Marquez left his hometown in the Mexican state of Michoacán and traveled to the small U.S. town of Wapato, located amid the fertile farmlands of Washington's Yakima Valley. Even in Mexico, he had heard about the valley's famed apple trees—and the work that could be found picking, pruning, and thinning them.
It took him a week, several bus rides, and one coyote-led walk across the border to reach Wapato. Just two months later, he was deported, after a traffic stop brought his illegal status to light.
So he made the illicit journey again. Soon enough, he found himself living in a trailer with 19 other guys from Michoacán and taking up the farm-working life common to so many of his compatriots. His first paycheck, for three days of pruning in the hot sun, came to $80. It wasn't quite the easy life he expected in America.
But 33 years later, his life looks very different. He still puts in long hours on the farm—but it's a farm he owns, all 106 acres of it, neatly planted with rows of Fujis, Cameos, Honeycrisps, Galas, and other varieties. Last year, he says, he made about $100,000 in profit. This year he's leased another 85 acres, and expects to nearly double his apple harvest to more than six million pounds. During his busy seasons, he employs about 50 workers, nearly all Mexican immigrants like him. Marquez himself became a citizen, thanks to his marriage to a native-born American in 1981. (She later left him, he says).
Gregarious and mustachioed, Marquez (pronounced mar-KEZ) surveyed his orchard on a recent day and reminisced about the path that led him to become his own boss. When he first arrived at this farm as a laborer some 15 years ago, "trees were dying and there were a lot of empty spots," he says. The owner, John Hunter, had other businesses in town, and, as Marquez tells it, the foreman at the time had neglected the land. Marquez essentially took over, planting many more trees per row to increase the harvest. Impressed, Hunter made Marquez foreman.
Later, when the aging farm owner decided he was too occupied with other affairs to keep up the place—and his children were disinclined, or unprepared, to take it over—he turned to the one man he knew he could rely on: Marquez.
In 2004, Hunter sold his foreman the farm (including all equipment and a modest ranch house on the property) for $400,000, a bargain price. It was still a considerable sum for Marquez, which he raised with help from a low-interest loan program run by the federal Farm Service Agency. When Hunter died a few years later, Marquez, his second wife Lilia (also from Michoacán), and their four children started spending even more time at the Hunter homestead, located a quarter-mile down the road and occupied by 66-year-old widow Judy, a grown daughter, and a 10-year-old granddaughter.
To this day, Marquez cleans the Hunters' pool, sends his workers over to mow the lawn, and has his daughter babysit Judy's granddaughter. "He's family," Judy says of the man she calls "Sarge" and whom she describes as a "real, honest Christian." Indeed, Marquez attends Catholic services two nights a week, plus Sundays, in Wapato. On a breezy June evening, he traded his chinos and blue button-down for a black dress shirt and pants, and sat in the parish's second-from-the-front pew with his wife. They have two sons in college, and their 17-year-old daughter was recently crowned beauty queen in the neighboring town of Harrah.
In other words, you could hardly find someone who better embodies the small-town values of farm, family, and faith than Sergio Marquez. And he's far from alone. These days, in the Yakima Valley—acclaimed not only for its apples but its cherries, peaches, asparagus, and hops—nearly 20 percent of farmers are Hispanic.
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"hate us for being Hispanic" Well isn't that special. Try ILLEGAL immigrant instead of hiding the real issue.
"hate us for being Hispanic" Well isn't that special. Try ILLEGAL immigrant instead of hiding the real issue.
I as a former illegal myself turned into a 250k dollars a year bussiness owner, cant understand how some of this people hate us for being hispanic, some saying that "illegals" bring crime and some other problems to the community, but I ask them, how can you tell if I am here illegaly? what problem have I caused to you? the type of work I perform has help all kinds of people in the thousands, including the military and its families, I have a brother that is in the army as well, but yet I have another brother that because of the age is still a illegal, now is it fair, that I help thousands of americans, and soldiers and my brother might lose his life any day or save any number of lives for the "american freedom" but yet we cant give the freedom to our own brother, who cant even drive down the street because if he gets pull over might be deported... not all illegal that come here bring bad stuff along, a lot of us come here for a better life for my family,if I wanted to be a drug dealer,gangster, robber, etc etc, I could of stayed in mexico where you get away with most crimes... next time you see a hispanic dont be so fast to judge, I dont judge every white parent when I see white kids shooting rampages at schools....
I as a former illegal myself turned into a 250k dollars a year bussiness owner, cant understand how some of this people hate us for being hispanic, some saying that "illegals" bring crime and some other problems to the community, but I ask them, how can you tell if I am here illegaly? what problem have I caused to you? the type of work I perform has help all kinds of people in the thousands, including the military and its families, I have a brother that is in the army as well, but yet I have another brother that because of the age is still a illegal, now is it fair, that I help thousands of americans, and soldiers and my brother might lose his life any day or save any number of lives for the "american freedom" but yet we cant give the freedom to our own brother, who cant even drive down the street because if he gets pull over might be deported... not all illegal that come here bring bad stuff along, a lot of us come here for a better life for my family,if I wanted to be a drug dealer,gangster, robber, etc etc, I could of stayed in mexico where you get away with most crimes... next time you see a hispanic dont be so fast to judge, I dont judge every white parent when I see white kids shooting rampages at schools....
Joe- it's people like you who make the rest of us with valid points re: illegal immigration look like racists. Your last sentence was unnecessary. Can't you just stick to your thoughts and opinions without being childish?
Joe- it's people like you who make the rest of us with valid points re: illegal immigration look like racists. Your last sentence was unnecessary. Can't you just stick to your thoughts and opinions without being childish?
enough of the illegal immigrant stuff! you keep posting the stories about the ones who turn out good but what about all the ones who come here and never pay taxes and break our laws? i say let them come here legally or send them home!
enough of the illegal immigrant stuff! you keep posting the stories about the ones who turn out good but what about all the ones who come here and never pay taxes and break our laws? i say let them come here legally or send them home!
To answer your first question,Alicia,no. Now let me ask you one. When & how did it become an insult to be asked to show your ID to an authority figure? Mine gets checked several times a year,and I don't care a bit. Why? because I have NOTHING TO HIDE! I'm a citizen here,(as are you),I'm not a criminal,and I'm not trying to turn America into another Italy! Press "1" if you don't understand.
To answer your first question,Alicia,no. Now let me ask you one. When & how did it become an insult to be asked to show your ID to an authority figure? Mine gets checked several times a year,and I don't care a bit. Why? because I have NOTHING TO HIDE! I'm a citizen here,(as are you),I'm not a criminal,and I'm not trying to turn America into another Italy! Press "1" if you don't understand.
It's simple. If you are here legally then no, you are home. Flip it. If I was a 4th generation American Mexican living in Mexico City and hundreds of thousands of Americans were illegally crossing the border into Mexico flooding the cities to the point where I became suspected and questioned, I would be angry at my former countrymen, not the people who are trying to protect their borders.
As someone who is a 4th generation Mexican American should I "go home" too? I have brown skin, eyes and hair. Lately when I go someplace and give my name it has become common to be asked: "What country are you from?" I wonder if people with the last name of Kelly, Jaworski, or Richter get the same question.
There is definitely a rise in prejudice against anyone with brown skin. I have a master's degree, own a home, have never committed a crime other than speeding, and pay my taxes every year. I wish I wasn't blamed for everything wrong here in the USA.
It's simple. If you are here legally then no, you are home. Flip it. If I was a 4th generation American Mexican living in Mexico City and hundreds of thousands of Americans were illegally crossing the border into Mexico flooding the cities to the point where I became suspected and questioned, I would be angry at my former countrymen, not the people who are trying to protect their borders.
As someone who is a 4th generation Mexican American should I "go home" too? I have brown skin, eyes and hair. Lately when I go someplace and give my name it has become common to be asked: "What country are you from?" I wonder if people with the last name of Kelly, Jaworski, or Richter get the same question. There is definitely a rise in prejudice against anyone with brown skin. I have a master's degree, own a home, have never committed a crime other than speeding, and pay my taxes every year. I wish I wasn't blamed for everything wrong here in the USA.
OK,so,let me get this straight...Sneak into my country, marry or "loophole" your way into citizenship,and end up owning a huge farm and helping hundreds of your former countrymen do the same.LOVELY! Then we have the sheriff which depends on these criminals to help him catch criminals.WONDERFUL! Meanwhile,3 generations after Ellis Island,and 20 years of sweating under peoples' greasy cars,Please explain why I cannot get a loan to start an auto shop.All I can say at this point is: "Thanks SO much to The Pitch and The Village Voice for putting such a positive spin on the INVASION!"
OK,so,let me get this straight...Sneak into my country, marry or "loophole" your way into citizenship,and end up owning a huge farm and helping hundreds of your former countrymen do the same.LOVELY! Then we have the sheriff which depends on these criminals to help him catch criminals.WONDERFUL! Meanwhile,3 generations after Ellis Island,and 20 years of sweating under peoples' greasy cars,Please explain why I cannot get a loan to start an auto shop.All I can say at this point is: "Thanks SO much to The Pitch and The Village Voice for putting such a positive spin on the INVASION!"
Sergio is a criminal and all who 'celebrate' him abet his lawlessness. Putting window dressing around the scene of a crime makes the crime no less palatable.
Sergio is a criminal and all who 'celebrate' him abet his lawlessness. Putting window dressing around the scene of a crime makes the crime no less palatable.
I am glad that Mr. Marquez is such a success. I am a
Cuban-American and my parents arrived in the U.S. legally and Mr. Marquez is still an iilegal alien and should be deported.
Why is it so hard to understand that there is a legal and an illegal way to enter this (or any) country? I'm all for a feel good story about hard work and the American dream, but do it legally. I want to live in Italy, so I'm just going to go to sneak across the border then cry racism when the police ask me to provide identification.
I am glad that Mr. Marquez is such a success. I am a Cuban-American and my parents arrived in the U.S. legally and Mr. Marquez is still an iilegal alien and should be deported.
Great Job just to prove that We the hispanes come to the Us to better them selfs. Although im a us and repects all of people differnt race that comes to better them self. My hearts and prayers goes to all that are here for better life style and rich one. Its takes hard work but pays off. Amen
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