Southern United States Immigration

Ernie Pantoja traveled the migrant worker stream from Mexico through Chicago, Florida, Tennessee and other Southern states before arriving here in 1985 and "settling out" of the flow. Pantoja, 34, now earns a living year round by picking tomatoes and planting pine trees in this quiet farm community about 35 miles northeast of Birmingham. It's backbreaking work, but he says it's worth it because he likes small-town Alabama.

Al-Ali Basim, his 22-year-old wife and his 12-month-old daughter sported broad smiles last month as they stepped off the charter flight carrying evacuees from Iraqi-occupied Kuwait. U.S. Embassy officials there had told them they would be treated here as returning American citizens. Basim, a 26-year-old Jordanian who received his civil engineering degree at the University of Louisiana, expected to find a home, a car and possibly a job. But their smiles quickly faded. The job never materialized.

Al-Ali Basim, his 22-year-old wife and his 12-month-old daughter sported broad smiles last month as they stepped off the charter flight carrying evacuees from Iraqi-occupied Kuwait. U.S. Embassy officials there had told them they would be treated here as returning American citizens. Basim, a 26-year-old Jordanian who received his civil engineering degree at the University of Louisiana, expected to find a home, a car and possibly a job. But their smiles quickly faded. The job never materialized.

Ernie Pantoja traveled the migrant worker stream from Mexico through Chicago, Florida, Tennessee and other Southern states before arriving here in 1985 and "settling out" of the flow. Pantoja, 34, now earns a living year round by picking tomatoes and planting pine trees in this quiet farm community about 35 miles northeast of Birmingham. It's backbreaking work, but he says it's worth it because he likes small-town Alabama.