From my hometown: "More than 200,000 El Pasoans survive $14 a day"

[Matsubara]

This is a series from my hometown's newspaper, the El Paso Times.

The stories are consistent with other border cities, not to mention forgotten areas of Appalachia and other rural and urban pockets of poverty around the country.



http://www.elpasotimes.com/poverty/ci_5568546

Week 1: Pushing throught poverty
More than 200,000 El Pasoans survive $14 a day
By Louie Gilot / El Paso Times
Article Launched: 04/01/2007 01:21:57 AM MDT




Esperanza Rodriguez, a proud grandmother, has pushed through poverty her entire life. She now lives on about $8,000 a year.

The word "poor" evokes the image of a homeless man in tatters, coaxing change from motorists with a loyal dog at his side, clutching a flagrantly misspelled sign. Or perhaps, the image is that of a family of recent immigrants living in a mobile home with no running water in a dusty, desolate colonia.

But those are not the faces of the poor in El Paso, where stereotypes are shattered and redefined.

Most of the poor live in the city. They are U.S. citizens. They are married couples. They work, although few bring home two full-time wages that total at least $20,650, the amount a family of four must earn to avoid living below the federal poverty line.

Most of the El Paso families living in poverty also have children. They are young. They are not on Social Security or on cash public assistance. Close to half own their homes.

More in the series:

http://www.elpasotimes.com/poverty/ci_5670966

http://www.elpasotimes.com/poverty/ci_5620102

http://www.elpasotimes.com/poverty/ci_5670968

http://www.elpasotimes.com/poverty/ci_5671020

http://www.elpasotimes.com/poverty/ci_5672077

[Matsubara]

1. Thanks for the recs.

I'll give it a kick.

[Tuesday_Morning]

2. Hey

Welcome to DU!

K & R

[Matsubara]

3. Thanks!

I also kind of wanted to point out that these stories profile some people who are illegal aliens but productive members of the community, who are compensated for their toil with a pittance and no hope of retirement.

But I didn't want it to devolve into the same old "immigration debate".

I'll let the profiles speak for themselves. Hopefully some people are reading them.

Again, thanks for the nice welcome.

[Richard Steele]

4. Welcome to DU, Matsubara! recommended.

[EFerrari]

5. Welcome to DU, Matsubara. K&R

[roguevalley]

6. poverty destroys the soul. this sickness is going to kill us all. what

an amazing woman.