For dairy farmer John Rosenow, diversity in his hometown of Cochrane, Wis., near the Mississippi River “was whether you were Polish or Norwegian.” Rosenow resisted hiring foreign workers but eventually ran out of options and began hiring workers from Mexico, says Marketplace. The story describes how Rosenow ended up making nine trips to coastal Veracuz “to better understand the language and culture of his workers.”
Rosenow’s employees send as much as half of their wages back to their families in Mexico, part of a record $27 billion in remittances to Mexico last year. The trips to Mexico began as a bridge between the languages and cultural background of Rosenow and other farmers who hired Mexican workers, and their employees. For the second trip, Rosenow decided to visit the hometowns of his employees, says Marketplace.
One of the workers, identified only as Roberto, says wages are higher in America than in Mexico, where “you work all day and you have no money.” Remittances have helped Mexican families build better homes and open businesses. “Rosenow said it’s rewarding to know his workers’ wages have made these improvements possible,” says Marketplace. “But his visits to Mexico also benefit his farm: He’s built trust with his workers by learning more about them.”