One of the oddities I like about Mexico are the roadside pillow vendors. Worthy of being characters in a Jack Kerouac novel. Usually working busy city corners, the pillow vendors that especially intrigue me are the ones often seen working the roadside of seemingly abandoned highways. Nothing else in sight as far as the eyes can see except for a lone vendor and their pile of pillows. Imagine my surprise when I discovered Juan, a street pillow vendor I met in southern Mexico, selling pillows on a corner in downtown Los Angeles. At the time, Juan, whos probably 71 now, had been in the USA for a year after having been smuggled across the border. He immigrated after his wife had passed away in order to earn enough money to financially help his children and their families. I asked if he was working to pay off his coyote. He said no, hed already paid off the coyote. At the time the cost was only $500. Now its around $3,500 or more. I wondered if he ever thought about doing something other than selling pillows. Juan said no. Selling pillows on streets and highways had been good to him. Pillows were his life. Its been better since he came to Los Angeles. He has a better selection of pillows available to resell, can make more money, sell better quality. At the time, Juan was sending home, to Mexico, $1,000 a month while he saved money for an immigration attorney.
Posted on: Mon, 21 Oct 2013 14:23:52 +0000
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015