"I have interviewed dozens of North Carolina natives who work closely with immigrants 

 and praise them for their work ethic, dedication to family and high moral character." 



—DavidGrifMi 



While most of the 

 Hispanic immigrants are 

 from Mexico, North Carolina 

 attracts a growing number 

 of Hondurans who migrated 

 here after Hurricane Mitch in 

 1998, as well as Salvadorans 

 and Guatemalans, according 

 to Griffith. 



The coastal region also 

 draws a few Vietnamese 

 immigrants. Some work as 

 crabbers in Camden Point in 

 Camden County. 



"We buy from three to 

 10 Vietnamese crabbers," 

 says Mike Taylor, general 

 manager of Quality Crab 

 Company in Elizabeth City. 

 "There are less Vietnamese 

 crabbers than there used 

 to be because crabbing 

 is becoming a bygone 

 business." 



building Networks 



How do the immigrants find out about job openings? 



"Once one or two people found out about jobs in an area, they 

 would call friends and family in Mexico or Central America," says 

 Ramirez. 



They also develop networks at Hispanic credit unions, churches 

 and grocery stores. In Brunswick County, Hispanics share job tips and 

 socialize at Las Carolinas store. 



On a recent evening, a handful of men and women are buying a 

 variety of items — from phone cards to fresh bread stored in huge tubs. 



People come to transfer money to relatives, says owner German 

 Diaz. "We sell a lot of tortillas and calling cards," he adds. 



The tiny store is stocked with a variety of Mexican specialty food, 

 including trays of fruit, plantain chips, red beans and spices. 



Catholics can buy an assortment of religious objects — pictures 

 of the Virgin Mary and statues showing her as "Our Lady of Guadalupe,' 

 Mexico's patron saint, along with rosaries and votive candles. 



Almost every home in rural Mexico has an altar with images of 

 saints, candles and flowers, says Ramirez. 



For men and young boys who want to maintain a Mexican style of 

 dress, cowboy boots and hats line the shelves. 



White boots are made from ostrich leather, and yellow boots are 

 from a crocodile hide, says Munoz. "Both are popular with Hispanic 

 men," he adds. 



ABOVE: These Hispanic workers, who asked not to be photographed up close, 

 are among many who maintain golf c 



■ courses. 



For those who embrace Mexican customs, pinatas that hang 

 from the ceiling are filled with goodies, then broken up by guests 

 during special celebrations. 



In the tiny community of Ash, near the Green Swamp, Griffith 

 recalls a baptism celebration. A Mexican couple invited more than 

 100 families from around the country and served two cakes with 

 "sugared flowers and borders like braids that were nearly a square 

 yard." 



The party illustrates the extremely common practice among 

 Mexican families of maintaining ties with their communities of origin 

 in Mexico. They keep similar ties with others from that community 

 now living in North Carolina, Texas, California and Florida, Griffith 

 writes in a book proposal developed using the Sea Grant study. 



The party guests spun around on the dance floor like they would 

 back home in Mexico, he recalls. 



While the men drew bottles of beer from coolers around the 

 grandparents' home, the women in the living room danced together, 

 tired of waiting for the men to join them, he adds. 



"One woman observed that the dance floor was almost like it 

 was in some of the communities of Michoacan or Guerrero, where 

 the men of working age have left, traveling north to five and work in 

 places like this." 



16 Coastwatch I Holiday 2006 I www.ncseagranr.org 



