A Day's Work

In this wonderful book which so adeptly integrates moral truth with a believable and thought provoking story, a young Fransisco waits expectantly with his grandfather, Abuelo, and other day laborers, hoping for a day's work.  Abuelo does not speak English so Fransisco serves as an interpreter.  Desperately needing money to attend to daily needs like food, Fransisco tells a potential employer that his grandfather is a gardener, even though he's actually a carpenter.   What harm could come from this little white lie?  They're still willing to put in a hard day's work for very little return. Lacking this claimed expertise, though, Fransisco and his grandfather inadvertently pull out the plantings rather than the weeds.  After Fransisco's lie is discovered, Abuelo takes ownership for it, showing Fransisco the value of integrity at all costs.  "We do not lie for work."  Abuelo insists on correcting their mistake for no extra pay.

Grandfather's deeply guarded sense of honor illustrates that even the "lowest" labor carries dignity and honor when pursued with a good moral compass.  In fact no job can be viewed with respect unless it is carried out honestly.  While some jobs may yield different salaries, if carried out honestly, all yield the same ultimate good - self respect.

The story served as a valuable conversation partner as we discussed "intrinsic" and "extrinsic" motivations that lay behind all our decisions, whether in the classroom, at home, or in our communities.  Do we pursue our daily tasks - learning, for example - simply because of external factors (grades, not getting in trouble, allowances, etc.) or do we pursue learning and chores because of how they will improve us internally?  Do we make the right decisions even when those decisions hurt, or do we take the easy way out?  As in this story, though it may sometimes require sacrifice, creating habits of consistently acting honestly eventually yields good results. Because Abuelo insisted on being honest, they lost a day's wage, but earned the respect of their employer as well as an ongoing contract.
                               
For extensions we looked at the true stories and challenges facing  many day laborers in our country.

Links:
http://nfwm.org/farm-worker-stories/
http://www.calisphere.universityofcalifornia.edu/calcultures/ethnic_groups/subtopic3b.html

http://www.opb.org/programs/oregonstory/ag_workers/pop_gallery_bunk.html

http://www.extension.org/pages/9960/migrant-farm-workers:-our-nations-invisible-population#.VGdhSnPnbqA
http://nfwm.org/education-center/farm-worker-issues/timeline-of-agricultural-labor/