Sonia is perhaps early thirties, calm and thoughtful. She smiles occasionally as she speaks. Two of her children play in the room, waiting patiently for her to finish the interview.

Q. Where did you come from?

A. Mexico City.

Q. How long have you been here?

A. Five years.

Q. Why did you come to Beloit?

A. Because I have brothers here.

Q. What was life like in Mexico City?

A. There were very few jobs. I was looking for a better opportunity in life.

Q. Are there a lot of people in Mexico City who have problems finding jobs?

A. Yes. It’s a very big problem.

Q. Was it difficult to come here?

A.  Yes.

Q. How?

A.  I wanted to come legally, but it was very difficult to do that, there were no options.

Q. If you wanted opportunities in your life, did you have to come north?

A. The government in Mexico is very corrupt, and it’s going to take a long time to correct it, so it was better to come here.

Q. Do you think it will be better with Vincente Fox?

A. I notice that there’s more freedom of expression there, but I don’t think the situation has changed much, other than that.

Q. When you came here, did you leave family there?

A. My husband was there, and my parents.

Q. What was it like being here at first?

A. A huge change. My family here has helped me a lot, but I’m having problems with the language. I feel like I have a great disability, like I’m missing arms or legs, because I can’t speak the language.

Q. Do you live with family here now?

A. With my husband and children.

Q. Is this in a community of Mexican people in Beloit?

A. No, my neighbors aren’t Mexican.

Q. Are people friendly to you here, are people easy to know?

A. Some people here are very friendly and kind, and other people in the community are not, just like in any culture. There’s a lot of racism here.

Q. What kind of job do you have?

A. I don’t work right now, but I worked in a factory before.

Q. Your husband works?

A. He works in car maintenance.

Q. Has it been difficult to find work?

A. Yes. Very difficult. 

Q. Because of documentation?

A. Exactly. 

Q. If you could talk to politicians in Washington, what would you say to them?

A. I would love to have an opportunity like that. The president is at war in another country for equality of their people, but he’s not taking care of what’s happening in his own country, the equality of races here. It’s hurtful, that he’s not taking care of situations here. He’s more concerned about people in another country.

Q. Would you like to go back to Mexico some time?

A. I would like to be able to go there and come back here, not a one way ticket. My intention was to come here to work, like many thousands of other Mexicans who came here for better opportunities, for better lives.

Q. What do you think of America, now that you’ve lived here?

A. My feelings are kind of mixed. People here say we’re foreigners, but at some time they were all foreigners, too. Sometimes I feel some resentment, because a lot of this country used to be part of Mexico. But some Americans still call Mexicans immigrants and look down on them.

Fortunately there are a lot of helpful people out there, people who are bi-lingual. And even some people who don’t speak Spanish, they try to understand.

Rosa is in her twenties and reserved. She's more Indian than Spanish, and speaks quietly.

Q. Where did you come from?

A. Mexico City.

Q. Why?

A. Because they are very poor in Mexico.

Q. Why did you come here?

A. My father was working in Chicago, and helped to bring us here.

Q. Did he come here with his family?

A. He came here alone. I came here with my husband and my two children.

Q.  Was it difficult to come here?

A. Yes.

Q. How was it difficult?

A. Crossing was very hard.

Q. When you crossed, were you with your family?

A. Yes.

Q. You knew you were going to Chicago?

A. Yes.

Q. Did somebody take you there?

A. I rode in a bus from Mexico City to the border. For two days and two nights we tried to cross but we couldn’t. We were in a van for 36 hours, and finally we were able to cross. We went to Tucson, and then we rode to Chicago in another van. I was breast-feeding my youngest child at that time.

Q. Do you miss Mexico? Would you like to go back some time?

A. No. Here people can buy clothing and feed themselves. In Mexico many people can’t.

Q. It was difficult just to get food?

A. Yes.

Q. What do you think of Americans, people here?

A. Very good. The teachers here are good. In Mexico, teachers hit children.

Q. Has your husband been able to find work?

A. For him it’s hard.

Q. Undocumented?

A. Yes.

Q. But you have been able to get your children into Beloit schools.

A. Yes.

Q. Do you think there is anything that can be done to help Mexico, and the people there?

A. I don’t know. There are a lot of people. In Mexico I had to have a Caesarian operation. I didn’t have enough money to pay the hospital, 5000 pesos (about $500), and my baby died. Here I was pregnant and I had an infection. I went to the hospital and the doctors were good to me. They told me to come back when I was in labor.

Thanks to Belem Gonzales Regan and Tabitha Hormby of the Rock County YWCA