Part 1: Could the components of Intercultural Competence easily manage addressing this situation and context? Why or Why not? Part 2: Please respond to at least three classmates.

Background:

Villachuato, Mexico, to Marshalltown, Iowa: Transnational Connections

In 1989, laborers—primarily men—began traveling from the small town of Villachuato in the state of Michoacán, Mexico, to work in a meatpacking plant in Marshalltown, Iowa. As economic conditions in Mexico worsened, larger numbers made the 2,000 mile trek to el norte. By the late 1990s, more than half of the employees at the third largest pork processing plant in the world were Latinos/Latinas and about half of those workers were from Villachuato. The meatpacking plant would shut down if not for the migrant laborers. Through remittances and fund drives organized by migrant networks that link several locations in the United States, wages made by workers in the United States are used to improve the Mexican community, such as installing water and electricity, paving roads, and renovating the town plaza and church. Workers return to Villachuato frequently for annual religious events, weddings, and funerals often quitting their jobs and returning for rehire. While these practices benefit the plant economically, White American managers view them as disruptive and criticize Latinos/Latinas for being “irresponsible,” for not learning English, and for not wanting to settle permanently in the United States. Tensions between Anglos and Latinos flared when the plant was raided by the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) with the knowledge of plant supervisors, and undocumented workers were deported. Efforts to build sustainable relations between the two communities improved when Marshalltown community leaders, the chief of police, and others visited Villachuato. Increasingly, as children of migrant families are born in the United States, families make decisions to seek permanent residence.