Migrant Workers in Spain
In Migrant Workers in Spain, host Simon Reeve travels to southern Spain, a large agricultural region and home to migrant workers from Africa. Simon visits the home of one worker and is shocked by his living conditions. This video is excerpted from BBC's Incredible Journeys With Simon Reeve, a series that highlights one journalist’s travels across the globe and the diverse cultures and peoples he meets along the way.
Lesson Express
Q: Describe the conditions of the migrant worker’s house and neighborhood compared with the nearby resort.
A: Sixteen people live in one house, but even more people use the small kitchen to prepare food. The houses are in poor condition and the interior is dirty. The resort has well-maintained golf courses and well-kept townhomes. The areas of plastic greenhouses are set apart.
Q: Why might migrant workers have the impression that “money comes easily in Europe”?
A: There is a lot of wealth in Europe. There are big houses and neatly landscaped neighborhoods. Many Europeans have good jobs and salaries. But this is not the case for some demographics of people, like migrant workers.
Q: How does this situation in Spain compare with agricultural areas of the United States? What is similar? What is different?
A: Many farms in the United States employ immigrants, like farms in southern Spain. The farms and food companies in both countries rely on cheap labor. Many of these workers live in small houses in poor neighborhoods. In the United States, many immigrants come from diverse backgrounds all over the world. They may experience a language barrier.