Anonymous #2
New Bedford Processing Workers, 2007-2010
This oral history collection with immigrant women in the fish industry documents better the experiences of the women working in the fish industry and how the regulations of the government and other factors would affect their lives and the lives of their families.
Corinn Williams
The anonymous interviewee is a twenty-seven year-old female immigrant from San Andres, Sacabaja, in the department of Quiche, Guatemala. She has been working in the seafood processing industry in New Bedford, Massachusetts, as a cutter and packer. She embarked on her journey to the United States in search of better opportunities and to support her family back home, despite the risks involved in the journey. She got married at a young age of fifteen and initially lived with her mother-in-law, which she found challenging due to a lack of understanding. Despite her mother's advice to pursue education for a better future, she made decisions during her adolescence without fully understanding the potential consequences. She later worked at a backpack business where she operated sewing machines and did labeling work. She became pregnant while working there and surprisingly, her back problems disappeared during her pregnancy. She took maternity leave two weeks before her due date and returned to work when her baby was three months old.
Scope and Content Note:
The interview conducted by Corinn Williams on September 20, 2007, provides an in-depth look into the life of a young Guatemalan woman working in the seafood processing industry in New Bedford, Massachusetts. The interviewee discusses her journey from Guatemala to the United States, the risks involved, and her motivation to seek better opportunities and support her family. She also shares her personal life, including her early marriage at fifteen and the challenges she faced living with her mother-in-law. The interview further delves into her work experience at a backpack place, where she operated sewing machines and did labeling work. She talks about her pregnancy during her employment there and how her back problems disappeared during this period. She also discusses her maternity leave and her return to work after her baby was three months old. The interview concludes with her expressing her plans to help her aunt in Guatemala who is pursuing education. The interview provides valuable insights into the life of an immigrant woman, her struggles, and her aspirations.
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