Where Have All the Men Gone?
Have you ever wondered where the 11.4 million Mexican immigrants in the US* are actually from? Who are those people that clean houses or wash cars in your neighborhood? Some of these Mexicans are from Comaltepec, a village served by Puente that is hidden in the mountainous Sierra Norte region of Oaxaca. According to locals from Comaltepec, about 70 percent of the men in town have migrated to Los Angeles, California. “As soon as the boys turn 15, they all go to Los Angeles,” says Dr. David Garcia, the local dentist from Comaltepec’s community health clinic. “The population here used to be several thousand, but, after all the men migrated, we now only have about 800 people living in the village.”
Male migration has left behind the most vulnerable population in Comaltepec: women, children, and seniors. Fifty percent of the population is under 20 years-old. A majority of the population from Comaltepec subsists on agriculture and small remittances from their husbands abroad, although, due to Comaltepec’s mountainous topography and drastic climate changes, the land is not particularly suitable for agriculture. As a result, Comaltepec does not have sufficient food sources. In 2007 there were 12 children under five years-old with malnutrition. Diarrhea, a disease closely associated with malnutrition, is the fourth-leading cause of death in Comatepec. The disease is easily preventable with adequate nutrition and health education.
Puente’s Healthy Families project serves Comaltepec, giving monthly trainings to 50 rural women about health and nutrition topics related to amaranth, how to plant amaranth in their family gardens, and how to cook with amaranth. “I like amaranth because it is nutritious and it is also delicious. I put it in atole and my kids like to drink it,” says one of the women participants sitting in Puente’s workshop. Puente’s Healthy Families project has been received with much enthusiasm and interest in the community. The local village store and canteen have purchased amaranth products such as amaranth bars, puffed seeds, and flour to sell in the village. “My grandmother used to plant amaranth, and she cooked it with everything. She lived to be more than 100 years-old!” laughs Señora Laura, the owner of the canteen. With the planting season upon us, Puente looks forward to helping these women plant amaranth in their homes. Learn more about Puente’s projects.
* Data based on 2006 US Census
** correction: Puente's May 2008 E-Newsletter noted the mexican born population in the U.S. as 92.5 million in 2006. This should be corrected to 11.4 million.
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