Mexican and in charge of several community groups in England, she has managed to assist thousands of immigrants arriving from Latin America and knows the problems which many of them will face. (She is part of The Prisma memoirs)
Paula Coll
Originally from Manzanillo Colima, this 41-year-old woman emigrated to London because of her stepfather’s job; a Scotsman stationed in Mexico, whose job recalled him to his country of origin, along with his entire family.
For Hortensia, it was the first time that she had ever left Mexico, and her encounter left her with a case of ‘culture shock’. At that time she was 14 years old and neither she nor her siblings knew any English.
Her incorporation into the Latin community began with the first job that she got on arriving in the British capital.
She was 16 years old and worked in a pizzeria, where she found out about events and activities that other Latinos were attending. But in in 1998 she decided to create a group called Mexicans in London UK using social networks.
Her idea was to use the online platform as a meeting point for all the Mexicans who were either settled in London, studying, or here for tourism.
In this way Mexican immigrants and travelers exchanged experiences, opinions and useful information amongst each other, e.g., information about Latino activities, events and meeting points in the English capital, amongst other things.
Hortensia wanted to bring together the Mexican community, as at that time it was very scattered
She believes that nowadays, “the Columbian, Ecuadorian and Bolivian group meet up quite a lot. They have well formed organizations.” Conversely, “there are few Mexicans in London, and those that there are, are more independent”.
However, she recognizes how among Mexicans “the older people remember their own culture and are more attached to it.” She believes that this fact could be viewed negatively from a ‘language’ point of view, given that it complicates integration into British society.
Furthermore, according to Hortensia, despite the close relation between Mexico and the USA, there are very few Mexicans who come to London with the linguistic basics that are necessary to pursue jobs related to their studies or their knowledge.
She says that the Mexicans that come to England speak North American English, but on arriving here, do not understand British English, and don’t know how to make themselves understood by the citizens.
She doesn’t believe that Mexicans are people who tend to congregate in communities, and says that, “we Mexicans don’t have a concrete meeting point” in London, and usually only come together to celebrate certain days like Independence Day, Día de los Muertos or the Revolution.”
Hortensia believes there are many reasons why Mexicans feel the need have to leave everything and risk coming to London, in spite of the language barriers from which many suffer.
On the one hand there are students who move to London and its surrounding areas, to continue their studies thanks to the grants offered to them by the Mexican government. “It is in the government’s interest that people are well trained and that they return to their country.”
In Hortensia’s opinion, for many Mexicans the situation at home is unbearable. “There are very few jobs, salaries are very low, food is expensive, and there is violence, drug cartels and corruption”, “the people are not happy with the new president.”
These issues lead to millions of Mexicans leaving the country and emigrating.
She also says that many families have to split up, “usually one member comes first (the husband or wife) and then the children follow. It’s very tough and I’ve seen it a lot.”
Many also arrive illegally, without money and without any knowledge of the immigration laws in the UK. “Many poor Mexicans have recently arrived, who come with the mentality of, “I’ll see what I can find”.
Hortensia has seen how some Mexicans have, at first, had to sleep on the streets because of their bad situation. “In the past I have offered space in my house so that they can stay for a few days and get some sleep.”
She comments that a large proportion of the Mexicans who manage to find work in London do the jobs of cleaners or dishwashers; “sometimes they work 12 hour days, every day”. She adds that “they are usually middle-aged people between the ages of 30 and 50.”
However, in her opinion, young people have a very different attitude and “they work to have a good time here, not to go hungry, and to pay their rent. They come for a little bit then return to their country, and they know that they have their parents who will continue helping them.”
However, there are also those who come with a higher education, but due to the need to validate their training, they have to bring the necessary documentation or take courses or exams to prove their knowledge.
According to Hortensia, the British government offers help to immigrants with education for children, food, and economic or educational help through the opening of associations and support groups. “If you ask for help, it’s there for you. But many don’t know this, so they don’t ask, and they remain empty-handed”, says Hortensia. Another interesting point is how many Mexicans are married to people of different nationalities, making them ‘mixed couples’. These couples, on having children, “find it easier to talk to them in English. Sometimes, if the mother doesn’t know English very well she will talk to them in Spanish, but the children become confused and cannot distinguish between the two languages”.
Luckily, organizations exist which try to assist with this problem, aiming to avoid the loss of cultural identity.
Hortensia says that Latin American businesses today are multiplying in the English market. It’s easy to see that there are already shopping centers that stock large quantities of Mexican products.
Another point of interest for the interviewee is the role of the Mexican Embassy in London. She has seen how, in recent years, the distance that used to exist between the embassy and the community has been reduced thanks to their organization of events. ( The Prisma memoirs)
(Translated by Eleanor Gooch – Email: eleanor.gooch@googlemail.com) – Photos supplied by the interviewee and authorised for publication.
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