Displaced farmworkers from the two farms where the deadly Half Moon Bay shootings took place Monday are still staying at local motels Wednesday.
They’ve been meeting with various agencies to get assistance, even as investigations continue into the shooting.
The community is also still grappling with the idea that the suspect targeted coworkers, including two brothers Jose Perez and Pedro Perez. Jose died and Pedro is being treated in the hospital, their family said.
Their cousin said the brothers were hard workers.
“They came to progress, help the family give their kids a better education, have a roof over their head … the American dream. But now the American dream has turned around to bite them,” he said.
Another acquaintance of the Perez brothers at a local market where they shopped and cashed their paychecks was still stunned.
“It’s shocking because you don’t expect it. I mean, nobody expects it,” said Yanicsa Sonoqui. “But it’s such a small town, it’s always quiet. So when we heard, obviously … you could say it was devastating.”
Virginia Chang Kiraly, who heads the county chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, was the first translator brought in for the Asian farm workers who didn’t talk specifically about the suspect, but about life on the farms.
“The things I heard were about their working conditions and the things they’ve had to endure there,” she said.
Coastside Hope, which is helping the farm workers, says everyone is feeling the strain.
“I think it’s just wanting to help so much but like I said ‘how do you give back someone their safety?’” said Judith Guetteto of Coastside Hope.
Source: NBC Bay Area
Be First to Comment