Whale-ista
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Location: San Diego
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Series of Articles on Mexican Agricultural workers, Baja protests
Interesting reports. Every time I drive thru the SQ valley, and near Vizcaino, I'm struck by the massive greenhouses, persistent poverty and
transplanted indigenous culture of the residents.
This series of reports, and recent articles on the March protests in Baja, have helped me understand a bit more about agricultural workers in Baja,
and the industry in Mexico.
I remember the photographer, Don Bartelleti, from when he worked with my father (a journalist for 25 years) decades ago. Even then he was
photographing farm workers, in San Diego county.
http://graphics.latimes.com/product-of-mexico-stores/
\"Probably the airplanes will bring week-enders from Los Angeles before long, and the beautiful poor bedraggled old town will bloom with a
Floridian ugliness.\" (John Steinbeck, 1940, discussing the future of La Paz, BCS, Mexico)
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Osprey
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Location: Baja Ca. Sur
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This is not a highjack, just to expand the post, imform or spark debate
More Comfy Poverty with Coppel
When our living room (outdoor patio) furniture finally went to hell from use, time and the weather, my wife set out to replace it. Our instincts told
us that real rattan would serve and be comfortable but for us, way down here near Cabo San Lucas, it would be priced above our means. Rustico means
leather and unfinished wood but that’s not comfortable so on a whim, she popped into Coppel, Mexico’s Sears, Roebuck.
She spent $600 bucks for a three piece combo of chair, loveseat and couch – very comfy and in style and color, perfect for our jungle like outdoor
living space. We had saved up for a couple of months and paid cash like we do for almost everything we buy.
Now we are getting raves from our neighbors about the set and the price. I never cared much for Coppel but this is changing my mind a little. I have
the leisure of the mind change because I could afford (with some savings) to pay cash at the big credit store. They do a couple billion dollars of
sales a year, have 30,000 employees and 90% of all sales are on credit.
Over the years I’ve had mixed emotions about what that means to the Mexican buyers. I ask myself strange questions. It’s my trademark. Like “Did
Coppel and a couple other retail credit giants create the Mexican Middle Class?” and “If they did, is that good or bad?”.
I think I can ask even better questions. “Did the agrarian reform act do it, Pemex oil? How about the banks or the Government, the Congress, the
President, Carlos Slim Helu? I could argue that Slim gave them nothing more than a Zocalo Nacional – if I’m right about that the Government should pay
him another fortune. You need several hands to talk on the cell, tweet and text, hold the torch, cover your nose from the tear gas and throw rocks.
Ain’t gonna happen.
But I digress. I can only see this thing from my Southern Baja California perspective where the poorest of the poor in Mexico are often living in
cardboard boxes right on the ugly verges of the mall and sprawl of famous and exclusive resort destinations. It takes an ocean of sweat to crawl out
of that kind of poverty and those who do usually go from Cartonlandia to living with friends and or family to finally getting a place to call home.
The brilliant emblem of their work and success and perseverance is a Coppel Credit Card.
What a thrill it must be to tear the big cardboard box away from their new Coppel fridge and be able to throw it in the trash rather than have to
fashion it into a flimsy barrier against the wind. The thing that makes it all possible is the small down payment and relief of small payments every
two weeks up to eighteen months to pay it off.
For many, as they are able to get more and better employment, perhaps each move up the opportunity ladder signals more and bigger purchases at Coppel.
The moves no doubt come with an appropriate feeling of pride and accomplishment – they are moving up to a new and better place politicians call middle
class.
When the big white box truck with the bright Coppel sign arrives in the barrio, the locals only know that someone in the neighborhood is moving up or
their lucky string ran out, they couldn’t make their payments and the big shiny fridge is on its way back to the store to be sold as second hand
goods. Some may sneak into their beater pickups and drive away before the collectors reach their own little house.
Somehow it all works; Coppel is making millions, people are moving up the socio-economic ladder, defaulters go unpunished, the goods are recycled and
life goes on.
Decades ago they paved the way for Telmex that now makes the same long term connection of dependency with customers who cannot live without
television, computers, internet services and telephones.
In our little village I believe more than the majority of adults have Coppel credit cards so we often see the big trucks roll into town. We can sit on
our new Coppel furniture and witness the comings and goings of life in the village – I can see our doctor rushing a pregnant lady to the clinic in his
own car, watch some other slow and somber funeral procession pass by on their way to the pantheon; life played out here from birth to death. In
between, the lumbering Coppel trucks seen so often on our dirt streets make a powerful statement of work and success for people and commerce in
Mexico.
I’m sure many of my Mexican neighbors don’t see Coppel in that glowing light – they see a stern and greedy mother with the awful power to enable and
enslave. One who can give them not just what they need but what they crave, holding those things as rehenes, hostages to their pride and comfort with
the single swipe of a little blue piece of plastic and the promise of a better life if they play along.
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Whale-ista
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Posts: 2009
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Location: San Diego
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I'm trying to understand the connection to your reply and the article I posted.
I've heard from Shari and others about the need for people to "buy food on credit" that's common in Vizcaino. Are you comparing a store like Coppel to
the company stores, that farmworkers are forced use, as described in the article?
Or are you comparing the poverty of hospitality/service workers who live in the shadows of resort towns to farmworkers doing seasonal harvesting?
I suspect the people who manage to move to a resort town and live in abject poverty, but find steady work to clean hotel rooms, prep food (and perhaps
learn a little English) have more of a chance to move up the economic ladder vs. those who work in isolated communities, out in the fields, doing
seasonal work.
\"Probably the airplanes will bring week-enders from Los Angeles before long, and the beautiful poor bedraggled old town will bloom with a
Floridian ugliness.\" (John Steinbeck, 1940, discussing the future of La Paz, BCS, Mexico)
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Osprey
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Registered: 5-23-2004
Location: Baja Ca. Sur
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The article begs readers to assign blame for the company store concept but what would the workers do if the store closed? How about farm labor camps
with no stores? Who is to blame? Mexico, the farm owners?
The day laborers (down here and everywhere) buy where they are offered credit --- that has nothing much to do with where or how they work.
I was just trying to show that things turn around fast for those who climb up and out. Mexico has spawned the Sears Roebuck that did the same for
millions of hard working people in the U.S. and abroad and somebody allowed that method of commerce to thrive. If we assign blame I think we also owe
homage where it is deserved.
In my village our biggest commerciant does almost all credit for the fishermen. In the last several decades she has taken their vacant land to satisfy
the debts and has a little credit store on each lot to serve those with no transportation.
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wessongroup
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Location: Mission Viejo
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Mood: Suicide Hot line ... please hold
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The only reason the United States became pro-Union, was the Depression in the 1930s
When a vast majority of "white" America, was faced with the working conditions ... that most working poor had been dealing with for a long while ...
It became a big deal and Unions grew and were growing with support from the New Deal with FDR ... that was until the passage of the Taft-Hartly
Bill/Act in 1947 ... That was fast ... HUH
Which significantly changed the ground rules for Labor ... in favor of Business ...
Well now .. Isn't that a big surprise 
Believe these fundamentals apply just about anywhere when it comes to farm work and/or Unions vs Business Owners ... however, I would not say that ALL
growers treat their workers poorly ... but, there are a lot that do, sadly
Would assume most is based in lack of respect for the "individual" .... due to a number of factors and/or just plain greed
A lot of "tough jobs" out there ... farm work is one of them
And requires no special skill set ... in most cases
Perhaps if a College Degree in Farm Work was required ... wages would go up ... seem to with other professions
Not sure it would improve the "quality" of the product, but, would make negotiations for a raise a bit more effective for the worker ... in most
cases 
[Edited on 4-20-2015 by wessongroup]
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