CPOY 71 Documentary Award of Excellence: The Invasion from Within
Marcos Espinoza, 17, who is half Guatemalan and Mexican is born and raised in the U.S. He’s a son of illegal immigrants escaping local violence in Guatemala and Mexico. He represents a generation of Hispanics, the biggest and youngest minority group in the States currently counting 54 million people (2013). Never before in the history of America has a minority ethnic group made up such a large share of the youth in America. One-in-five schoolchildren are Hispanic and every fourth child born is Hispanic according to Pew Research Center. By the year 2060 Hispanics will constitute 28 % of the population in the U.S.
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Slide 5 of 12
December 20, 2015
Marcos stands between "Cowboy" and his grandfather Manuel on December 19, 2015 in front of the bonfire at the ranch.
When Manuel first came to California his brother-in-law got him a job with an American constructor. He started out by taking trash from the construction area. When he quit the job 20 years later he was one of the constructors and had built several houses in Malibu. "Coming to America was a hard transition especially with the language barrier. We worked 12 hours a day and it was hard work, but I am very appreciative that we could work, so I could provide for my family. We were a huge group from Guatemala working there, which was nice because we all came from the same background," Manuel said.
Betina Garcia / Danish School of Journalism
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