First Lessons
Carlsbad, California (near San Diego)   1988

He was from Oaxaca and had never spent a day in school anywhere. He had applied for the amnesty program for illegal immigrants. Part of the deal was he had to learn English. All of these men (ranging in age from 19 to 50) who worked at this one huge tomato growing plantation came to English classes provided by a volunteer group which was associated with the local health care clinic, which brought me here. The men got off work at 5p.m. and by 5:30 they were in the packing shed to learn English. The teachers taught from 5:30 until 8p.m.. The men said that they would come on Saturdays and stay as long as the teachers would teach. When I was walking around the foothills photographing the men's tiny hand built shelters they would practice their newly acquired English on me,"Hello, photographer! How are you today."