USA, MAINLAND
Phoenix – El Cajon – Granger
Khattab Aljubori (37), his wife Suhad (31), their children Ibrahim (4), Awos (3) and Mustafa and Fatima (twins 6 months) and his mother Nhanaa (61) came in November 2010 from Babylon, Iraq to San Diego. Khattab worked for the US in Iraq as a computer / info system administrator and was often threatened for being a US agent. In the end it became so dangerous for him and his family that the US granted them a visa. It was a hard decision because they were doing quite well in Iraq. In the US its much harder and they feel they have lost their dignity. Khattab likes the US, but his wife wants to go back to Iraq, she feels locked up and misses her family. Money is an issue, the family gets some support, but the rent is high. Khattab earns some money by fixing computers for people.
Just in San Diego area there are an estimated 60,000 Iraqi's. El Cajon a town outside San Diego has the highest number and is often referred to as 'little Baghdad'. The first Iraqi's who came here were the Kurds during the first Gulf war in 1991. Over the years Iraqi's have arrived in search for safety. The term 'little Baghdad' is also used because Sunni's, Shia's, Kurds and Christians live peacefully together just like in the 'old' days.
Cruz Avila (49) came in 1979 to the US. He was the first Mexican in the area of Trout Lake. He has five children of which four are born in the US. Since seven years he is working at Mountain Meadow Dairy farm. One day he is planning to go back to Mexico and start his own farm.
Mountain Meadow Dairy is owned by Robert and Lesli Schmid and is an organic dairy farm. They have about 500 cows and they have eight workers all from Mexico
Christian Serratos lives with his wife Brenda and their two children in Trout Lake. Christian is since 2007 in the US, he came to Trout Lake with his wife Brenda, his friend lived here and advised him to come. He paid $2500 per person to a smuggler to get to the US. He works at Mountain Meadow Dairy, five days a week, 8-10 hours a day. Brenda went back in 2010 and came back a year later. They have two children born in the US and therefore US citizens. Mountain Meadow Dairy is owned by Robert and Lesli Schmid and is an organic dairy farm. They have about 500 cows and they have eight workers all from Mexico