In Southern Mexico, An Immigrant Returns

Jaime Pacheco Bautista left his village in Oaxaca, Mexico, and headed north on foot. He left behind his four children and his wife, who was expecting another child.

"I left my home because, even though I had food to eat, I did not have a way to construct my own house, or buy household appliances. It was hard to find stable work, and I was always looking," said Bautista. "I could not assure a future for my children, such as paying for them to attend school so that they could have a dignified trade one day. I headed north to look for work."

Bautista, an electrician and plumber, eventually made it to Texas.

"I did not know anyone. But I was very fortunate, compared to most other migrants, he said. "There was work being done on the highways and a man approached me asking if I wanted to work. I immediately accepted and then spent years fixing road signs and highways all over Texas. After some time, my boss and I became close and he entrusted me with more responsibilities."

For eight years, he worked in Texas repairing highways and eventually caring for his employer's child. But during that time, Bautista said, he was only able to go home to see his family twice.

"I finally came back to my family in Oaxaca because one of my children got gravely sick and I realized that it was more important to be with my family. Also, by that time I had made enough money in the U.S. to build a small house for me and my family.

Bautista joined a Heifer project with Puente, a local organization that promotes indigenous crops, such as amaranth.

"For the past year and a half I have participated in Puente's Eco-Amaranth program, and my wife goes to all the amaranth cooking workshops provided by the Healthy Families program," he said. "I am confident that amaranth is a good option to generate income. Right now I am looking forward to a prosperous harvest for this year, and I can't wait to begin to sell and process my own amaranth products."

But Bautista is most proud of his five healthy children and two grandchildren, whom he gets to see every day.

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