Listening Post 1

I did my first Listening Post assignment at Blakey Park in Homestead, and it bombed. There's a basketball court at the park where guys usually go to shoot hoops and just catch up. It's located next to a housing project on Redland Road near Mowry Drive, in the heart of Homestead. I typically saw a lot of people playing basketball there, so I decided to stop by and see what these people talked about.

When I drove up, I was really intimidated and scared because the basketball courts were full of large black men who looked at me kind of funny when I pulled up. After a few minutes of psyching myself up, I had the balls to get out and approach a group who was taking a break. They were kind of confused by my assignment, and it turns out it's not really a "hang-out". They just meet up randomly. Bummer.

The next day I decided to change my focus. Homestead is home to a huge immigrant population (mostly from Mexico and Central America), and while driving around the day before, I noticed a cafeteria with a lot of people outside, hanging out. Cuatro Ruedas. It was grimey and the men all stared me up and down as I drove by. I was super uncomfortable, and I knew this was where I needed to do my post. I came back the next day and found that the restaurant serves the immigrant population specifically. Grimey field workers: check. Creepy stares: check. I was completely out of my element. Yeah, I speak spanish, but that doesn't make the situation any easier. It's not even like I can connect with these people. But, I tried.

I had a seat next to a guy named Armando. Surprise! He's not Mexican. He's actually Guatemalan. He's been working here for about 3 years, and he usually sends money orders to his family every month or so. I asked him if it's been easy finding work with this economy the way it is. He said it's always hit or miss, but there's always work to be done one way or another. "You have to find a way to provide for your family no matter what," he told me in Spanish.

I asked him if he came here often. He did. His family in this country are the friends he makes here at Cuatro Ruedas, so he usually comes to get a drink after a long day's work or a huge breakfast to start it. It's a very small cafe, it's like the definition of a "hole in the wall." I actually enjoyed myself, and will be going back. There are so many interesting stories here.