 | God Bless Pedro ZapetaSaturday, September 29th, 2007 |
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DISCLAIMER: I’m a bleeding-heart liberal, and today I am on my soap box, so Don’t Give Me Shit on This. It’s my blog and my heart.
…and Pedro Zapeta’s heart.
I don’t have a problem with immigrants, even “illegal” ones. The American Dream was borne of immigrants. We’re all Heinz 57 mutts, when you get right down to it.
And you can bet your sweet ass that if we lived today under the fist of a cruel dictatorship or in the midst of poverty, each and every one of us would be hightailing it to “The Land of Opportunity.”  We’re the light of the world, for Chrizts sake! Who wouldn’t rather be here?
Guatemalan Pedro Zapeta had his own American Dream: To come to America where he would get paid what was–for him–a decent wage for his hard work. He didn’t even want to stay forever…just long enough to save up some money. And so he somehow made it to Florida, where he landed what must have seemed a dream job as a dishwasher, making $5.50 an hour. For the next eleven years, keeping his belt tight, he skimped and saved…and worked and worked and worked.
He must have thought he hit a gold mine when he eventually got a 25 cent raise. Which was for good job performance, by the way. Wish I could meet some “American born” service workers who actually cared about their job performance. Being good at what you do seems to have gone out of style with the true blues.
Two years ago, Mr. Zapeta decided it was time to return home. With his entire life savings — $59,000 — in a duffel bag, he was going through customs at the Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport, when a security officer called U. S Customs, who were quick to confiscate the money.
Although Customs Officials dropped original allegations that Mr. Zapeta was a drug currier, they were still All American enough to keep his money, because, after all, this non-English speaking illegal alien did break THE LAW when he attempted to leave the country with more than 10K and not declaring it. Duh! He sure wasn’t hiding it. It was in his duffel bag. That’s pretty much is the same as making a declaration–when you don’t speak a lick of English and haven’t a clue about THE LAW.
Then again, a home-grown USA boy –someone like Ken Lay or Joe Nacchio— would have used his good old American know-how to send that money electronically so that nobody would be the wiser. Come to think of it, maybe Mr. Zapeta’s only mistake is not understanding the NEW American Dream: Get the money and run, fucking over everybody and anybody while you’re at it.
Still holding on to his (very) hard earned cash, our Men on White Horses turned Mr. Zapeta over to the INS, who began deportation proceedings. But two lawyers with hearts (they do exist: I know quite a few from the kink-O-phone), working pro bono, took up his cause, fighting the deportation and trying to get his money back. And when the story made the news, donations came pouring in. Now 10K sits in a trust, which apparently Mr. Zapeta is also not permitted to have. But it seems that after two long years, officials are willing hammer out a (somewhat lacking) negotiation:
Robert Gershman, one of Zapeta’s attorneys, said federal prosecutors later offered his client a deal: He could take $10,000 of the original cash seized, plus $9,000 in donations as long as he didn’t talk publicly and left the country immediately.
But Pedro Zapeta is having none of it. He says, ” They are treating me like a criminal when all I am is a working man.” I agree with him, am rooting for him, am praying for him and champion him.
So it’s been two years since Customs officials took their stand at the OK Corral and saved the good people of the wild, wild west from the likes of Pedro Zapeta.
But somehow I just don’t feel any safer.
Do you?
xo, Angela
