WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.600 --> 00:00:05.280 Dear listener, this is part two from our reporting trip 2 00:00:05.559 --> 00:00:09.600 deep into North Dakota. So if you haven't listened to 3 00:00:09.920 --> 00:00:13.200 part one yet, you kind of should go to the 4 00:00:13.320 --> 00:00:18.000 Latino USA podcast feed and listen to Ever Since the 5 00:00:18.079 --> 00:00:20.840 Oil Part one, and here's part two. 6 00:00:21.440 --> 00:00:22.560 Thanks. That's yes. 7 00:00:26.800 --> 00:00:32.280 I'm with Latino USA producer Reynaldo Leans Junior, and we're 8 00:00:32.280 --> 00:00:37.159 on the Fort Berthold Native American Reservation in western North Dakota. 9 00:00:38.159 --> 00:00:41.639 We're checking out here at a local gas station. Ray 10 00:00:41.680 --> 00:00:44.200 and I are picking up some food, some snacks for lunch, 11 00:00:44.240 --> 00:00:48.120 because well, the gas station is the only place around 12 00:00:48.200 --> 00:00:51.760 here where you can buy food. The nearest restaurant is 13 00:00:51.760 --> 00:00:55.360 about an hour away fourteen sixty seven. 14 00:00:55.720 --> 00:00:59.160 My credit card is well, it's all chewed up. 15 00:00:59.360 --> 00:00:59.960 I got it. 16 00:01:00.120 --> 00:01:01.760 I don't know, and I dog ate it. 17 00:01:01.960 --> 00:01:03.640 Let me, I'll just get we can go ahead and 18 00:01:03.640 --> 00:01:03.960 try it. 19 00:01:04.600 --> 00:01:07.920 So while we're in line, I turn around and I 20 00:01:07.959 --> 00:01:12.360 see some savaritas on the shelves and that's basically like 21 00:01:12.840 --> 00:01:17.479 a typical Mexican brand of chips. So I guess I'm 22 00:01:17.520 --> 00:01:20.959 a little surprised to see them here, and the cashier says, 23 00:01:21.280 --> 00:01:24.720 actually the snack is kind of new here, but a. 24 00:01:24.640 --> 00:01:27.840 Lot of natives do like Mexican doe with Mexicans here, 25 00:01:27.880 --> 00:01:29.520 and when did that start happening? 26 00:01:30.440 --> 00:01:32.560 Ever since the oil. 27 00:01:32.640 --> 00:01:35.080 Which was like a decade a though right like ten 28 00:01:35.200 --> 00:01:35.600 years ago. 29 00:01:36.760 --> 00:01:40.840 Over the last decade, the Latino population in Mackenzie County 30 00:01:40.959 --> 00:01:44.240 where we are right now went from one hundred and 31 00:01:44.360 --> 00:01:48.280 thirty nine latinos to more than one thousand and five 32 00:01:48.480 --> 00:01:53.280 hundred latinos. That's an increase of over one thousand percent. 33 00:01:54.160 --> 00:01:57.520 This state, North Dakota had the biggest growth rate of 34 00:01:57.640 --> 00:02:03.080 Latinos in the entire country. So after paying up here 35 00:02:03.120 --> 00:02:05.360 at the gas station, we walk towards the back of 36 00:02:05.400 --> 00:02:09.280 the store where I find three Latino guys who are 37 00:02:09.520 --> 00:02:14.480 having lunch and watching some loud TV. They work in construction, 38 00:02:14.960 --> 00:02:17.560 and I start talking to them. One of them, his 39 00:02:17.680 --> 00:02:20.079 name is Miguel, tells us that he arrived in North 40 00:02:20.160 --> 00:02:22.079 Dakota about a decade ago. 41 00:02:22.639 --> 00:02:26.120 In the last five years, you walk into Walmart and 42 00:02:26.200 --> 00:02:26.880 what is doing it? 43 00:02:26.919 --> 00:02:27.000 Like? 44 00:02:27.800 --> 00:02:30.080 Everything you need there, even you don't have to speak 45 00:02:30.120 --> 00:02:30.840 English anymore. 46 00:02:31.400 --> 00:02:34.680 And then he says he's seeing both the good and 47 00:02:34.800 --> 00:02:36.799 the bad that come from oil. 48 00:02:37.320 --> 00:02:40.400 What do you see as the biggest challenge here? 49 00:02:41.560 --> 00:02:44.120 My perception is especially the people who work on the 50 00:02:44.160 --> 00:02:48.280 oil fields. They make so much money, they're young, and 51 00:02:48.320 --> 00:02:52.960 then easy they derail themselves. I mean, you may two 52 00:02:53.200 --> 00:02:56.359 thousand dollars a week and then you feel I'm gonna 53 00:02:56.560 --> 00:02:59.960 take the other week off and then put in my 54 00:03:00.160 --> 00:03:01.400 you come in a circle. 55 00:03:02.000 --> 00:03:02.560 He's seeing that. 56 00:03:03.320 --> 00:03:07.280 He's seeing kids being here for six seven years and 57 00:03:07.320 --> 00:03:11.320 don't have money to go back home and making way 58 00:03:11.320 --> 00:03:12.080 too much money. 59 00:03:12.520 --> 00:03:15.240 They're making way too much money, but they're spending it all. 60 00:03:15.320 --> 00:03:16.000 Spend all. 61 00:03:16.440 --> 00:03:20.080 They lost the purpose. They lost the purpose, and one 62 00:03:20.160 --> 00:03:22.239 purpose of North Dakota needs. 63 00:03:21.960 --> 00:03:24.760 To be come more, make money. 64 00:03:26.000 --> 00:03:26.960 Are right here. 65 00:03:31.400 --> 00:03:36.560 From Fudro Media and PRX, It's Latino USA by Maria Josa. 66 00:03:36.680 --> 00:03:41.160 Today part two of Ever Since the Oil from our 67 00:03:41.160 --> 00:03:43.840 reporting trip in North Dakota. We're going to look this 68 00:03:43.960 --> 00:03:47.280 time at how Latinos and Latinas are changing the state 69 00:03:47.360 --> 00:03:50.800 of North Dakota and how the state is changing them too. 70 00:04:00.240 --> 00:04:02.880 Here is a piece of big data for you. 71 00:04:03.720 --> 00:04:08.520 Between the years twenty ten and twenty twenty, North Dakota 72 00:04:08.880 --> 00:04:12.720 saw the biggest growth rate of the Latino population in 73 00:04:12.800 --> 00:04:17.360 the entire United States, a one hundred and fifty percent 74 00:04:17.560 --> 00:04:22.560 increase over the past decade. Last week we reported on 75 00:04:22.640 --> 00:04:28.440 what's driving this huge population growth, and it's the oil boom. 76 00:04:28.560 --> 00:04:32.640 Latinos and Latinas are coming here looking for well paying 77 00:04:32.760 --> 00:04:37.880 jobs and economic stability. But what are these oil jobs 78 00:04:38.160 --> 00:04:41.240 actually like and what is there to do in North 79 00:04:41.320 --> 00:04:43.040 Dakota beyond the. 80 00:04:42.960 --> 00:04:44.760 Work in the oil and gas industry. 81 00:04:45.400 --> 00:04:49.240 Whether Latinos and Latinas are coming just for a while 82 00:04:49.760 --> 00:04:54.440 or they're coming and planning to stay, they're actually building 83 00:04:54.520 --> 00:04:58.039 a new community in this state, and they're doing it fast, 84 00:04:58.560 --> 00:05:03.000 faster than anywhere else in the country. But do they 85 00:05:03.040 --> 00:05:08.440 feel at home here in North Dakota. Producer Renaldo Leanos 86 00:05:08.520 --> 00:05:12.040 Junior and I traveled to western North Dakota this summer 87 00:05:12.080 --> 00:05:15.040 because we wanted to see what it's like to build 88 00:05:15.080 --> 00:05:19.520 a new Latino community from scratch and what challenges. 89 00:05:19.040 --> 00:05:20.039 They're facing now. 90 00:05:20.640 --> 00:05:24.560 So first we headed to Williston, North Dakota, on the 91 00:05:24.600 --> 00:05:29.039 northern border of Mackenzie County. The last time I was 92 00:05:29.080 --> 00:05:32.400 here about a decade ago. Basically here in Williston, it 93 00:05:32.520 --> 00:05:35.120 was a short strip of fast food places. 94 00:05:35.600 --> 00:05:37.359 There wasn't much else here. 95 00:05:37.720 --> 00:05:41.559 It was a kind of utilitarian city, but it didn't 96 00:05:41.560 --> 00:05:46.200 appear to be like very social or family friendly. Now 97 00:05:46.560 --> 00:05:49.440 a decade later, I see that there are lots of 98 00:05:49.560 --> 00:05:54.520 neon signs, there are more family friendly restaurants. It just 99 00:05:54.760 --> 00:05:58.120 feels like there's a city that has grown up and 100 00:05:58.200 --> 00:06:02.240 kind of matured, more spruced up, kind of like Williston 101 00:06:02.320 --> 00:06:05.480 is saying, Hey, we're here, We're on the map now. 102 00:06:06.520 --> 00:06:09.799 But what really interests Ray and me are the people. 103 00:06:10.480 --> 00:06:13.800 So we make our way to the Miller Insulation Company 104 00:06:14.360 --> 00:06:16.400 and that's where a man by the name of Miguel 105 00:06:16.440 --> 00:06:20.120 Castillo greets us with a very big smile from behind 106 00:06:20.160 --> 00:06:20.920 his desk. 107 00:06:21.080 --> 00:06:24.760 From Mexico Idalgo, Mexico Sima panma Pan. 108 00:06:24.960 --> 00:06:28.360 It's around seven thirty in the morning, super early, and 109 00:06:28.400 --> 00:06:31.680 it's pretty quiet inside the building. There aren't a lot 110 00:06:31.720 --> 00:06:34.880 of workers here, but Miguel has been here since six 111 00:06:35.040 --> 00:06:36.160 a m. 112 00:06:36.240 --> 00:06:36.760 This morning. 113 00:06:36.800 --> 00:06:39.880 He takes out his phone and he's showing me photos 114 00:06:39.920 --> 00:06:43.120 and videos of the work that he and others do here. 115 00:06:43.760 --> 00:06:52.760 Tho as Bulas, Aquepaneleasum Blanket, Mantegakali and tess Onto. 116 00:06:52.800 --> 00:06:53.200 Where is this. 117 00:06:56.560 --> 00:06:59.360 The thing about the oil and gas industry is that 118 00:06:59.400 --> 00:07:02.479 there are all of these companies that are attached to it. 119 00:07:03.160 --> 00:07:06.479 So this company For example, the company that Miguel works 120 00:07:06.480 --> 00:07:11.680 for provides insulation for the gas pipes. They cover them 121 00:07:11.760 --> 00:07:15.040 and all of the machinery with these special blankets that 122 00:07:15.160 --> 00:07:18.000 make sure that the pipes stay warm and functional during 123 00:07:18.040 --> 00:07:23.600 the frigid winters. Miguel is over six feet tall. He's 124 00:07:23.640 --> 00:07:27.000 fifty two years old, has a nice smile, and has 125 00:07:27.000 --> 00:07:30.600 pepper gray hair. He comes across a little. 126 00:07:30.360 --> 00:07:33.960 Shy, with slow movements and a soft spoken voice. 127 00:07:34.160 --> 00:07:36.280 From Mexico, Idalgo, Mexico sima Pan. 128 00:07:37.200 --> 00:07:41.640 Like the majority of Latinos in North Dakota, Miguel is 129 00:07:41.680 --> 00:07:46.400 originally from Mexico. He's very proud to be from Ivalgo. 130 00:07:47.000 --> 00:07:50.320 He's been in Willison now for twelve years. He first 131 00:07:50.360 --> 00:07:52.920 came here in twenty ten, near the very start of 132 00:07:52.960 --> 00:07:53.600 the oil boom. 133 00:07:54.200 --> 00:07:58.760 Te machinawazek in al Momento had an insulation Tueria Essay 134 00:07:59.760 --> 00:08:01.480 North Thea. 135 00:08:01.120 --> 00:08:11.160 Jermin and Ados, Mildias, Espendo sam and Manossa. 136 00:08:11.800 --> 00:08:15.239 Migue gets a little excited as he remembers the early 137 00:08:15.400 --> 00:08:19.000 days of the oil boom in western North Dakota. He said, 138 00:08:19.080 --> 00:08:21.440 it did bring a lot of workers to this area 139 00:08:21.520 --> 00:08:25.240 and gave people a lot of jobs. But when these 140 00:08:25.320 --> 00:08:28.320 people came to work here, there weren't places for them 141 00:08:28.680 --> 00:08:29.200 to live in. 142 00:08:29.760 --> 00:08:37.920 I studied the Tolocus Williston Mahente seven Maxa assumed the 143 00:08:38.000 --> 00:08:44.040 hent comp Paratreos main comes on the. 144 00:08:47.160 --> 00:08:47.760 Via Luel. 145 00:08:48.440 --> 00:08:50.839 In fact, that's what I saw when I was here 146 00:08:51.120 --> 00:08:53.880 about a decade ago, and it's when I first heard 147 00:08:53.920 --> 00:08:59.920 the term man camp. Basically, the oil and gas companies 148 00:09:00.320 --> 00:09:03.360 created their own housing units for the workers, and what 149 00:09:03.520 --> 00:09:07.200 they looked like was areas that had been transformed into 150 00:09:07.440 --> 00:09:11.400 massive housing units. They looked like the houses from Monopoly 151 00:09:11.840 --> 00:09:15.559 that just went on and on forever. And essentially it 152 00:09:15.760 --> 00:09:19.640 was a place to sleep. It wasn't a place to 153 00:09:19.720 --> 00:09:24.360 build a community well. Also because it was almost entirely 154 00:09:24.559 --> 00:09:28.319 men living in these bare bones places. Some people were 155 00:09:28.400 --> 00:09:32.480 also forced to sleep in their cars, in parking lots, 156 00:09:32.960 --> 00:09:37.920 in tents, or outside of gas stations. Miel says locals 157 00:09:38.040 --> 00:09:41.040 were surprised by the amount of people who were suddenly 158 00:09:41.200 --> 00:09:42.360 coming into their town. 159 00:09:42.760 --> 00:09:44.240 Here in North Dakota, the. 160 00:09:44.320 --> 00:09:47.080 Navia Tavia. 161 00:09:48.840 --> 00:09:53.719 And Los cars and Pero Deluile Maraqui whils to manas. 162 00:09:58.160 --> 00:09:58.480 Tempo. 163 00:09:59.160 --> 00:10:01.920 Miel considers himself lucky that he didn't have to live 164 00:10:02.120 --> 00:10:05.200 in a man camp. In those early days of the boom, 165 00:10:05.480 --> 00:10:07.160 he was able to stay with a friend who had 166 00:10:07.200 --> 00:10:11.040 an r V. Now he has his own apartment in Williston. 167 00:10:12.120 --> 00:10:12.800 Do you like it here? 168 00:10:17.320 --> 00:10:20.719 I can't say they right, we regress the Rapentemndo is 169 00:10:20.880 --> 00:10:23.840 Elimpierros Sando. 170 00:10:25.280 --> 00:10:29.760 But there's a problem because Miguel's family actually lives in 171 00:10:30.040 --> 00:10:34.280 Sioux City, Iowa. He has two brothers and a sister there. 172 00:10:34.880 --> 00:10:38.800 He drives twelve hours each way just to see them. 173 00:10:41.800 --> 00:10:51.559 Was so Sirio, the original Verma and elimbieroellnevel torments so 174 00:10:51.679 --> 00:10:54.800 much sucidence Manhattan O Limbero. 175 00:10:56.000 --> 00:11:00.480 Miguel doesn't like to show his emotions, but as he speaking, 176 00:11:01.160 --> 00:11:04.520 I can tell that this is a source subject. He 177 00:11:04.640 --> 00:11:08.319 sees his family every month or every two months, as 178 00:11:08.440 --> 00:11:12.160 often as his work schedule allows, and he says, look, 179 00:11:12.200 --> 00:11:14.400 the drive is fine during the summer, but in the winter, 180 00:11:15.000 --> 00:11:17.240 when the temperatures can get down to a windchill of 181 00:11:17.360 --> 00:11:21.840 negative forty degrees driving to and from Sioux City, Iowa 182 00:11:22.000 --> 00:11:25.360 from North Dakota, he says, there are so many accidents 183 00:11:25.480 --> 00:11:31.200 due to the ice and the snowstorms. And still Miguel says, 184 00:11:31.280 --> 00:11:33.480 even though he's got a good job and he's stable. 185 00:11:33.920 --> 00:11:36.680 He can't stay longer than a week visiting his family 186 00:11:37.200 --> 00:11:39.880 because he's got to get back to work in North Dakota, 187 00:11:40.320 --> 00:11:43.079 and he says, it just always feels too short. 188 00:11:44.520 --> 00:11:49.400 A parentiment is much better, Amomila. 189 00:11:50.760 --> 00:11:53.120 And this is when I begin to see a little 190 00:11:53.120 --> 00:11:56.839 bit of a tired look come across Miguel's face. The 191 00:11:56.960 --> 00:12:00.719 long winters, the separation from his family. It's taken a 192 00:12:00.800 --> 00:12:03.959 toll on him. And the work he does is an 193 00:12:04.000 --> 00:12:04.760 easy either. 194 00:12:05.240 --> 00:12:09.280 Insulating the oil and gas pipes is physically demanding. 195 00:12:09.160 --> 00:12:15.319 So start la material the malas. 196 00:12:18.559 --> 00:12:21.439 Miguel says. This is what a workday can look like here. 197 00:12:21.960 --> 00:12:24.280 You start at around five am and you don't get 198 00:12:24.320 --> 00:12:27.640 home until maybe eight pm. And when it's really busy, 199 00:12:28.040 --> 00:12:31.079 you have to work weekends too. It's very common in 200 00:12:31.160 --> 00:12:34.120 this business that workers will do a three week stint 201 00:12:34.520 --> 00:12:36.800 out in the rig and then have a couple of 202 00:12:36.880 --> 00:12:40.360 weeks off. Working a twelve hour shift is pretty common, 203 00:12:40.720 --> 00:12:45.000 and being outdoors is incredibly common, and that means you're 204 00:12:45.040 --> 00:12:50.240 dealing with rain and heat, and in North Dakota freezing cold. 205 00:12:53.400 --> 00:12:55.400 A lot of talk around the oil boom and the 206 00:12:55.520 --> 00:13:00.000 jobs is that it's also pretty dangerous. Miguel has slipped 207 00:13:00.080 --> 00:13:03.319 and fallen on ice several times, and he says he 208 00:13:03.400 --> 00:13:05.400 knows a lot of people who have gotten much more 209 00:13:05.520 --> 00:13:09.439 seriously injured. It's not uncommon to hear about truck accidents, 210 00:13:09.720 --> 00:13:14.920 people getting burned, falling from very high and getting caught 211 00:13:15.000 --> 00:13:18.240 in machines. In fact, North Dakota has one of the 212 00:13:18.320 --> 00:13:21.040 highest worker fatality rates in the country. 213 00:13:22.960 --> 00:13:26.360 These days. Miguel says his job is pretty safe, but 214 00:13:26.640 --> 00:13:28.280 he knows there are a lot of jobs out there 215 00:13:28.320 --> 00:13:31.319 in the industry that are really dangerous, like the people 216 00:13:31.440 --> 00:13:32.040 who work on. 217 00:13:32.080 --> 00:13:42.840 The rigslaful Perforindros in Manos Burge well Querfaya Giando la 218 00:13:42.920 --> 00:13:48.800 machino from Mino. Let's say Spasano's accidents. 219 00:13:50.520 --> 00:13:53.679 Mass the rigs are dangerous, but Miguel says, you get 220 00:13:53.800 --> 00:13:57.160 paid more for working out there, which is the attraction. 221 00:13:59.240 --> 00:14:04.559 And laid way and ries I told Kara to Stanrieso 222 00:14:04.720 --> 00:14:08.040 Tolukus from a Marlstone and instant. 223 00:14:08.920 --> 00:14:11.200 Another big risk is fire. 224 00:14:11.880 --> 00:14:14.480 Just a few weeks ago, in early September, there was 225 00:14:14.520 --> 00:14:16.720 a fire on a rig that injured three people. 226 00:14:17.280 --> 00:14:21.360 One of them died several days later. He was Latino. 227 00:14:24.680 --> 00:14:27.800 So when Miguel drives the seven hundred miles back to 228 00:14:27.880 --> 00:14:30.560 North Dakota from Iowa after a week with his family, 229 00:14:31.480 --> 00:14:35.680 these are the things that make him not want to 230 00:14:35.800 --> 00:14:36.280 come back. 231 00:14:37.840 --> 00:14:46.880 Yes, Tabieski and Elimbierno Javin saves, Mugula and Negrio contest 232 00:14:47.480 --> 00:14:49.560 I am press. 233 00:14:50.880 --> 00:14:52.840 Concertment talment mach. 234 00:14:54.760 --> 00:14:57.360 During the winter, you can see the dark and cloudy 235 00:14:57.400 --> 00:15:00.840 sky in the horizon, and Miguel says, it's like the 236 00:15:00.960 --> 00:15:04.880 depression that begins to consume you. And then he says, 237 00:15:05.360 --> 00:15:07.360 that's why a lot of people end up leaving. 238 00:15:13.560 --> 00:15:14.360 Not a facil. 239 00:15:15.120 --> 00:15:18.600 Now, all that Miguel has here are his co workers. 240 00:15:19.200 --> 00:15:22.440 Many of them say I'm gonna come work, save some money, 241 00:15:22.520 --> 00:15:25.880 buy a house back home, but then they end up 242 00:15:25.920 --> 00:15:27.880 staying here longer and longer. 243 00:15:30.080 --> 00:15:32.680 So how how much longer will you stay in North Dakota? 244 00:15:33.480 --> 00:15:42.600 Jaak Petro. 245 00:15:47.560 --> 00:15:53.440 Young I wasn't expecting this, but Miguel says, if it 246 00:15:53.480 --> 00:15:57.160 were up to him, he'd actually liked to leave tomorrow. 247 00:15:57.840 --> 00:16:00.520 But work has actually been picking up in recent months, 248 00:16:00.840 --> 00:16:02.360 and it's hard to say. 249 00:16:02.240 --> 00:16:14.400 Non com and mikarias. 250 00:16:11.080 --> 00:16:16.760 Here's Ultimately it's all about the money, the steadiness of 251 00:16:16.800 --> 00:16:21.280 a job, your economic stability, and so much more that 252 00:16:21.400 --> 00:16:24.080 keeps people like Miguel in North Dakota. 253 00:16:24.840 --> 00:16:28.840 It's complicated, he says. It feels like you're kind of 254 00:16:28.960 --> 00:16:31.960 talking like North Dakota is a little bit of a trap. 255 00:16:32.280 --> 00:16:41.280 Almost, Lovasi Tevasius. 256 00:16:43.600 --> 00:16:46.040 It's a story you hear over and over in this 257 00:16:46.200 --> 00:16:46.960 part of the country. 258 00:16:47.600 --> 00:16:51.320 Miguel says, you tell yourself, just one more year and 259 00:16:51.440 --> 00:16:54.960 then I'll leave North Dakota. But then a year passes, 260 00:16:55.400 --> 00:16:57.760 and then another, and by the time you know it, 261 00:16:58.280 --> 00:17:05.560 it's been twelve years. Coming up on Latino USA, we 262 00:17:05.680 --> 00:17:09.200 meet a Latina who calls North Dakota home, and she's 263 00:17:09.280 --> 00:17:13.000 trying to make others stay for the long haul, stay 264 00:17:13.080 --> 00:18:10.760 with us, don't stay bye. Yes, hey, we're back for 265 00:18:11.160 --> 00:18:15.080 a lot of Latinos and Latinas. North Dakota is a 266 00:18:15.160 --> 00:18:20.720 place to just be temporarily, to work hard, save some money, 267 00:18:21.160 --> 00:18:26.600 and then leave. But Jolanda Rojas feels pretty differently about 268 00:18:26.800 --> 00:18:29.440 this state, and she's trying to get others to fall 269 00:18:29.520 --> 00:18:33.199 in love with it too. All right, let's get back 270 00:18:33.240 --> 00:18:34.080 to our story. 271 00:18:39.320 --> 00:18:39.480 Now. 272 00:18:39.920 --> 00:18:43.200 Ray and I are in Watford City, which is in 273 00:18:43.400 --> 00:18:49.320 central Mackenzie County. The population is about eight thousand and well, 274 00:18:49.520 --> 00:18:53.960 it's pretty spread out, pretty flat, but I do. 275 00:18:54.119 --> 00:18:56.680 See one or two Mexican restaurants here and there. 276 00:18:57.520 --> 00:19:01.560 Like in most of North Dakota, there's big, big sky here, 277 00:19:02.359 --> 00:19:06.199 but you don't feel like there's a lot of people around. 278 00:19:09.040 --> 00:19:11.680 The place where a lot of people here go to 279 00:19:11.760 --> 00:19:16.760 get their coffee is known as Megalate. The smell of 280 00:19:16.880 --> 00:19:20.359 coffee here is delicious and there's a real family vibe 281 00:19:20.440 --> 00:19:23.640 going on here. It's around mid afternoon and the place 282 00:19:23.800 --> 00:19:27.480 is busy. Latino USA producer Renaldo Le Junior and I 283 00:19:28.000 --> 00:19:31.000 are about to meet up with Yolanda Rojas. Oh god, 284 00:19:31.080 --> 00:19:35.280 this is such a kid friendly place. There's a sense 285 00:19:35.359 --> 00:19:39.800 of I don't know community here. Everyone is friendly. It 286 00:19:39.880 --> 00:19:43.359 seems like everyone knows each other, but actually they don't. 287 00:19:44.119 --> 00:19:47.360 Then Yolanda walks in with several kids of her own 288 00:19:47.680 --> 00:19:56.720 and there are two women with her antsil. Yolanda is 289 00:19:56.800 --> 00:20:00.560 thirty five years old. Her hair falls loose over her shoulders. 290 00:20:00.960 --> 00:20:04.920 She's got a very big and welcoming smile. She's brought 291 00:20:05.000 --> 00:20:08.800 two volunteers who work with her. She founded an organization 292 00:20:09.280 --> 00:20:14.399 she named it Hispanic Advocacy of North Dakota or hand, 293 00:20:14.880 --> 00:20:18.440 and the idea is to celebrate Latino culture and strengthen 294 00:20:18.520 --> 00:20:22.720 the bonds between the community here and other non Latinos 295 00:20:22.880 --> 00:20:26.760 in North Dakota, to play a kind of bridge factor. 296 00:20:26.600 --> 00:20:27.320 In the community. 297 00:20:27.560 --> 00:20:29.600 An Espano and Inglis. 298 00:20:30.080 --> 00:20:33.800 She's from Sinaloa, Mexico, but before she moved to North Dakota, 299 00:20:34.200 --> 00:20:37.600 she and her husband, Ruben, lived in Tucson, Arizona. It 300 00:20:37.840 --> 00:20:40.320 was in fact, her husband, Reuben, who first came to 301 00:20:40.440 --> 00:20:43.879 North Dakota for a job in the oil industry. He 302 00:20:44.119 --> 00:20:47.320 was just looking for a change from Arizona and he 303 00:20:47.400 --> 00:20:49.600 had a friend who told him he should come up 304 00:20:49.640 --> 00:20:52.679 because there was money to be made. Yolanda encouraged her 305 00:20:52.760 --> 00:20:55.600 husband to try it out. Then a year later, Yolanda 306 00:20:55.760 --> 00:21:00.959 herself moved to North Dakota with their five children. At 307 00:21:01.000 --> 00:21:04.119 the coffee shop, Yolanda introduces me to her daughter, Elizabeth. 308 00:21:04.680 --> 00:21:07.960 She's twelve years old and she's helping her mom, She 309 00:21:08.080 --> 00:21:11.840 tells me, as usual, Elizabeth has long, dark brown hair 310 00:21:12.040 --> 00:21:14.960 and smiles a lot. In fact, she's lived in North 311 00:21:15.040 --> 00:21:17.160 Dakota since she was five years old. 312 00:21:18.200 --> 00:21:22.320 Elizabeth, so you're here in North Dakota and your mom 313 00:21:22.560 --> 00:21:24.440 is putting you to work. What are you gonna do 314 00:21:24.520 --> 00:21:26.400 what's your job right now, Elizabeth. 315 00:21:26.080 --> 00:21:28.760 I'm just gonna help watch children. 316 00:21:29.320 --> 00:21:31.320 Are you accustomed to your mom saying hey, I need 317 00:21:31.359 --> 00:21:32.560 you to do this for me, I need you to 318 00:21:32.640 --> 00:21:33.720 do this, Yeah. 319 00:21:33.800 --> 00:21:34.440 Something like that. 320 00:21:35.320 --> 00:21:36.560 And do you like North Dakota? 321 00:21:37.480 --> 00:21:40.400 Yeah, Like the people here are very welcoming and there's 322 00:21:40.480 --> 00:21:43.800 like a lot of events going on and the cultures 323 00:21:43.920 --> 00:21:47.040 of the Mexican I think it's just very interesting about it. 324 00:21:47.560 --> 00:21:49.280 That's an interesting thing for you to first thing to 325 00:21:49.320 --> 00:21:51.600 say about the North Dakota is that the people are 326 00:21:51.680 --> 00:21:52.400 very welcoming. 327 00:21:53.400 --> 00:21:57.280 What does that mean, like smiling and always greeting you, 328 00:21:58.480 --> 00:22:00.680 trying to make you feel welcome. I don't feel like 329 00:22:01.119 --> 00:22:04.080 I don't belong here, like I want to go home 330 00:22:04.160 --> 00:22:06.000 or I want to go somewhere someplace else. 331 00:22:06.640 --> 00:22:08.480 And when you talk like this at school, which is 332 00:22:08.560 --> 00:22:11.720 basically like hey, you know, let's welcome, let's you know 333 00:22:11.880 --> 00:22:14.639 people speak Spanish, or like, what do people say? Are 334 00:22:14.640 --> 00:22:17.359 they like yeah, Elizabeth, Oh, they. 335 00:22:17.320 --> 00:22:18.080 Really agree with it. 336 00:22:18.200 --> 00:22:21.840 They seem like really interested to talk to them and 337 00:22:22.600 --> 00:22:25.040 learn more about their culture and things. 338 00:22:25.560 --> 00:22:28.360 Elizabeth tells me she sees a lot of other Mexican 339 00:22:28.440 --> 00:22:32.080 kids in her school in Watford City. Now, around ten 340 00:22:32.200 --> 00:22:35.440 percent of the children in public schools identify as Latino 341 00:22:35.640 --> 00:22:39.160 or Latina in Mackenzie County, but a lot of remembers 342 00:22:39.240 --> 00:22:40.960 what it was like when she and the rest of 343 00:22:41.040 --> 00:22:42.800 her family first moved here. 344 00:22:46.800 --> 00:22:50.240 The first year after moving to Watford, we had a 345 00:22:50.359 --> 00:22:53.320 very secluded lifestyle. I thought it was pretty laid back, 346 00:22:53.440 --> 00:22:56.320 pretty boring. But you know that's me coming from a 347 00:22:56.440 --> 00:23:00.280 large town with a large Hispanic population. 348 00:23:00.000 --> 00:23:03.240 And any time you move from one place to another, 349 00:23:03.480 --> 00:23:07.800 it can be difficult to adjust. But from Arizona to 350 00:23:08.240 --> 00:23:12.280 North Dakota, she was experiencing some culture shock. 351 00:23:13.560 --> 00:23:15.719 In Tucson, there was this community. 352 00:23:16.240 --> 00:23:18.560 There were her friends who would go out to Latino 353 00:23:18.640 --> 00:23:22.640 restaurants and events and concerts. In Watford City, there wasn't 354 00:23:22.680 --> 00:23:28.520 any of that, and the winters again so harsh. A 355 00:23:28.600 --> 00:23:31.600 few months into his oil job, her husband quit. 356 00:23:33.040 --> 00:23:36.840 He missed working in the restaurant industry and working in 357 00:23:36.960 --> 00:23:40.439 the kitchen, and he went back and started working at 358 00:23:40.520 --> 00:23:43.639 one of the restaurants in town, and he moved up 359 00:23:43.720 --> 00:23:47.040 the ladder, you know, as a kitchen manager and then 360 00:23:47.119 --> 00:23:49.879 a manager, and you know, that was something he was 361 00:23:50.000 --> 00:23:54.560 very passionate about, and he was feeling very successful and fulfilled. 362 00:23:56.920 --> 00:24:00.320 They had both worked in restaurants, so they just to 363 00:24:00.359 --> 00:24:03.560 open their own restaurant in March of twenty twenty. They 364 00:24:03.680 --> 00:24:08.480 called it Los Aguaros and they served Mexican food. Finally, 365 00:24:08.640 --> 00:24:12.240 she said, after opening the restaurant, she felt at home 366 00:24:12.400 --> 00:24:16.000 in Watford City and now she wanted to build on 367 00:24:16.119 --> 00:24:16.800 this community. 368 00:24:19.840 --> 00:24:22.280 Story after story, I would hear people say I'm just 369 00:24:22.359 --> 00:24:26.000 here for work because this isn't home. So then I 370 00:24:26.040 --> 00:24:29.119 started asking why is this not home? Why can't they 371 00:24:29.240 --> 00:24:30.600 call Watford City home? 372 00:24:30.800 --> 00:24:31.400 It's my home. 373 00:24:31.440 --> 00:24:32.560 I love it here. 374 00:24:32.800 --> 00:24:36.480 I discovered a beauty. It's peaceful place, it's very safe, 375 00:24:36.800 --> 00:24:40.159 it's a great environment to raise a family. So I 376 00:24:40.320 --> 00:24:45.200 started asking why can't people see that, or how can 377 00:24:45.320 --> 00:24:46.440 I help them discover that. 378 00:24:47.280 --> 00:24:51.000 Yolanda is committed to making people realize that there's so 379 00:24:51.160 --> 00:24:54.399 much more to North Dakota than just work. 380 00:24:55.440 --> 00:24:59.760 There's opportunity for personal growth. There's opportunity for for you 381 00:24:59.840 --> 00:25:02.800 to you become part of your community, be a leader 382 00:25:02.840 --> 00:25:05.760 in your community. We are pioneer in this state. There 383 00:25:06.040 --> 00:25:10.840 if you see there's no fingerprints of Hispanics, there's no nonprofits, 384 00:25:10.920 --> 00:25:15.359 no organizations, there's nothing representing Hispanics. 385 00:25:15.200 --> 00:25:18.720 And so when Yolanda realized there was this gap in 386 00:25:18.840 --> 00:25:22.760 representation and resources for Latinos and Latinas, that's when she 387 00:25:22.880 --> 00:25:29.240 decided to create her organization hand. Yolanda and her two 388 00:25:29.320 --> 00:25:32.399 volunteers from hand sit down at a table in the 389 00:25:32.440 --> 00:25:34.479 coffee shop and we form a circle. 390 00:25:35.320 --> 00:25:40.320 My name is Angelica Ariana and I'm fifty two years old. 391 00:25:41.119 --> 00:25:46.400 I move here last year. I have been maybe eight 392 00:25:46.480 --> 00:25:47.640 months nine months here. 393 00:25:48.000 --> 00:25:52.920 I'm from Texas and Heliga is from Breckinridge, Texas. She 394 00:25:53.080 --> 00:25:55.800 lived there for about twenty six years, but she's originally 395 00:25:56.000 --> 00:25:59.879 from Mexico. She moved to North Dakota with her then fiance, 396 00:26:00.520 --> 00:26:02.840 who had worked in the oil industry for many years. 397 00:26:04.000 --> 00:26:08.800 La venosare Monica Lonso Jose, Mexicana. Then will be Bena 398 00:26:08.880 --> 00:26:11.880 Qing what for tiriadric Quatronos Imerio. 399 00:26:12.800 --> 00:26:14.320 This is Monica Alonso. 400 00:26:14.760 --> 00:26:18.479 She's thirty five years old and is originally from Jalisco, Mexico. 401 00:26:19.119 --> 00:26:21.480