December 14, 2018
Justice Along the Way: Jorge Pilar
It all started with a card. Jorge Pilar met Centro de los Derechos del Migrante, Inc. (CDM) because someone had given him a card with information about the organization. He kept it, and it wasn’t until years later, when he had an accident, that he remembered the card and sought legal advice.
Jorge Pilar García is originally from Tlapacoyan, Veracruz, Mexico. He has gone to work for various companies in the United States with an H-2B visas in the carnival and carnival industry. He is currently an active member of CDM’s Migrant Defense Committee.
He last worked in the US in early 2012. Following an accident, Jorge was never hired again.
The accident happened at work in 2013. Although the company wanted him to return to Mexico without medical attention, Jorge knew that since it had suffered a workplace accident, he should not leave the job. Later, he was sent to Brownsville, Texas with a representative of the company where he had to wait 20 days to be treated at an ophthalmological clinic and eventually travel back to Mexico.
Once he returned to Veracruz, Jorge got in touch with CDM who connected him with a law firm in the United States to receive advice and follow-up on his case. The CDM team supported him with procedures and translations from Mexico.
That same year he began to fight for justice when he joined the Migrant Defense Committee. Since then, he actively participates in the activities, sharing information on labor rights with people in his community. "Whenever I see other workers, I invite them to talk to give them the information about CDM and their rights," said Jorge.
In your community there are many people who go to the United States to work seasonally. Although it is common for job seekers to fear the unknown, Jorge Pilar tells them: "One must get rid of fear because that prevents us from knowing our rights -- here in Mexico with the recruiters or in the United States with the companies."
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This is the first article in the series Justice Along the Way, where worker leaders speak about their experiences in the US and their impact on their communities.