LA PARADA: EXPLAINING IXIL DAY LABORERS IN VIRGINIA ILLEGALITY, LOSS, HOPE AND COMMUNITY By Esther Ibáñez-Holtermann Submitted to the Faculty of the College of Arts and Sciences of American University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy In Anthropology Chair : Brett Williams, Ph.D. Salvador Vidal-Ortiz, Ph.D. Alice Foltz Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Date 2011 American University Washington, D.C. 20016 © COPYRIGHT by Esther Ibáñez-Holtermann 2011 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED DEDICATION A Gabriella y Nicolás LA PARADA: EXPLAINING IXIL DAY LABORERS IN VIRGINIA ILLEGALITY, LOSS, HOPE AND COMMUNITY BY Esther Ibáñez-Holtermann ABSTRACT This ethnographic study looks at the lived experiences of Guatemalan indigenous day laborers meeting at La Parada , an informal corner in Virginia. Seen as transient, de- spatialized workers, it is easy to forget that they are human beings participating in our communities. In an increasingly anti-immigrant environment, this study explores the social, cultural, and economic links they develop with the communities they interact simultaneously: their own Ixil-speaking day labor community; the transnational community they left behind in the highlands of Guatemala; the Spanish-speaking community in Virginia and the wider English-speaking community. A focal point of this dissertation is the power and violence of illegality on their lived experiences. Illegality not only marginalizes these day laborers, it significantly affects their social life. Unable to imagine a future in the United States, predominantly as a consequence of their real or presumed illegality, the increased levels of violence in the communities they left behind in the highlands of Guatemala, make a return unthinkable for the majority. These workers are stuck in the presence. I see their migration as an act of agency, an expression of hope in the context of violence, discrimination and poverty in their homeland. Migration ii however also entails loss and suffering. Despite the very difficult conditions and the social and economic violence they experience, day laborers find ways to resist their position in the neoliberal economic system. iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Writing a dissertation was not something in my imaginary growing up. I owe it to the support of my advisors and many faculty members in and outside our Anthropology Department who have kept me going and encouraged me to complete this project. First and foremost, I thank my committee members, who have worked tirelessly over the last months to see this project come to fruition. Dr. Brett Williams has been an amazing teacher, friend, and supporter, and truly cares about the human being in her students. She always understood that we are more than just students. She has helped me push forward and taught me early on to challenge common understandings and look beyond the obvious. Dr. Salvador Vidal-Ortiz, un verdadero maestro, has been unselfish with his time, and genuinely caring. His support and engagement have gone way beyond my expectations. Alice Foltz is an inspiration for all the jornaleros and volunteers working with her. She has earned the respect of so many day laborers on the corner for her untiring and selfless dedication to improving their lives. Her strength to stand up against anti-immigrant voices and her quest for justice and understanding guides this work. Many other faculty members have guided and supported my academic endeavors: Amazing in the classroom, caring and dedicated as a chair, I could always count on Dr. William Leap’s support. Dr. David Vine works relentlessly with his students and gave me a crucial push to prepare my proposal. I appreciated Dr. Gretchen Schafft’s meticulous review of my proposal and her encouragement to keep going. I always looked forward to iv seeing Dr. Joan Gero in the pasillos and chat with her in Spanish. Her warm personality made me feel very comfortable in our academic spaces. Dra. Covadonga Fuertes guided me during my first year at AU and has since been a trusted friend. Her positive outlook on life and her pragmatic approach to solving all kinds of challenges will stay with me for a long time. If it were not for the late Dr. Jack Child in the Language and Foreign Studies Department, I probably would not have completed this dissertation. He believed in me, and as language instructors we always could count on his solidarity and support. He will be dearly missed in and outside of our university walls. I also thank Dr. Ana Serra for her friendship and confianza, and Dr. Olga Rojer whose humanity and dedication to her faculty has made her a caring friend to many instructors. I will not forget her committed effort to help me pursue this degree. To my parents, Feli and Aureliano, who in their youth left their families and their small community in Spain in a quest for better opportunities, stayed many years beyond their intentions to give me and my siblings a better life. Living as guestworkers in Germany for long years, they have endured many challenges, have felt the loss of community, but also the joy that comes with helping family. Despite their hard work, they never spared a dime to buy us anything we needed to further our education. I am thankful for the opportunities they have given me. To my brother and sister, who have been my academic supporters, but so much more. With them I share a special bond stemming from common experiences. My sister Laura, who has helped me in critical times, attending my children’s birth and feeding them their first baby bottles. She will always be my little sis. My brother Mario, who has v selflessly dedicated many vacation weeks to babysit my children while I was working or going to classes. Mario has also been a steady supplier of German chocolate, a vital component to stay awake and write. He proofread my first thesis in German, and as a computer whiz has solved many of my tech problems. His dedication to connect with us, bridging the transatlantic divide, has helped me stay in touch with the community and family I left. To my husband Keith, the first PhD in the family, who has continuously supported my doctoral studies and, despite his own challenging schedule, has taken time to get both of our children out of the house to let me write. He helped me bridge the cultural divide and has often been my cultural and social translator in this new country. To the driving force in my life: my daughter Gabriella and my son Nicolás. They have become friends with many day laborers and have become an integral part of this dissertation. Volunteering or simply attending immigrant-related events, they naturally fit in many communities. Gabriella’s generous heart and dedication to help, pushing me out of bed at 5:30 AM on Saturdays to help in immigrant-related events is admirable for her young age. She has the gift of connecting naturally with people of very different backgrounds. Nicolás’ kindness, sense of humor, and good observation skills puts him on a promising path. Watching them both dance with the first children of the day labor community, their laughter and joy gave me hope that we all carry the needed humanity to bridge our differences. I hope my children will grow to respect and cherish the diversity in our community and learn from their encounters with many volunteers how rewarding helping others is. I love you both. vi To a friend: Having children, working full time, commuting three hours a day, and trying to complete a dissertation does not leave time for many friends. I have been very lucky to have a true friend, Beth or Madame Lang, as she is known on campus, who has shared a decade of laughter and tears in our office with me. She is the best listener and the best cook. Beth has worked tirelessly proofreading this dissertation, with heart, dedication and an incredible turnover time. Merci mille fois for being there for me and supporting me throughout this process. We have earned this degree together. To my friends, los trabajadores de La Parada, los jornaleros, for trusting me with your stories, for showing me that despite the challenges, we have to be grateful for our lives. For teaching me about the dignity of work and the nobility of doing the right thing. For teaching me about life in Guatemala. For making me and my children feel welcome in your circles, in your community. Gracias. To Bill Threlkeld, Martín Rios and Jenny, and all the volunteers at the HOW. Thank you for welcoming me to the HOW and for being an inspiration to me and others. To all my colleagues in LFS at American University for their encouragement; to the graduate students in our Anthropology Department: I have learned so much in conversations with you; and to my students who have provided me a platform to discuss some of my thoughts. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS DEDICATION .............................................................................................................. iv ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................... ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ............................................................................................. iv Chapter 1. LA PARADA: EXPLAINING IXIL DAY LABORERS IN VIRGINIA ILLEGALITY, LOSS, HOPE AND COMMUNITY ......................................1 Literature Review .....................................................................................5 Methodology .......................................................................................... 14 Significance of Research