Latino gardeners in southern California non-profit website

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Content

SOUTHERN
CALIFORNIA
LATINO
GARDENERS
WEBSITE

by

Rosalina
Nieves

______________________________________________________________________________________

A
Professional
Project
Presented
to
the

FACULTY
OF
THE
USC
GRADUATE
SCHOOL

UNIVERSITY
OF
SOUTHERN
CALIFORNIA

In
Partial
Fulfillment
of
the

Requirements
for
the
Degree

MASTER
OF
ARTS

(SPECIALIZED
JOURNALISM)

August
2012

Copyright
2012

Rosalina
Nieves

ii

Dedication

I
hold
this
project
close
to
my
heart.
My
father
came
to
this
country
from

Mexico
and
found
the
American
Dream
in
gardening.
He
started
as
an
“ayudante,”

and
slowly
worked
his
way
up
to
a
landscape
contractor.
This
is
a
legitimate

business
that
is
undervalued
and
often
frowned
upon.
I
want
to
change
that.

Gardeners
deserve
to
be
treated
with
respect
and
deserve
to
work
under
safe
and

humane
working
conditions.
My
hope
is
that
this
project
will
shed
light
on
their

work,
on
their
businesses,
and
on
their
personal
stories
as
immigrants.

iii

Table
of
Contents

Dedication.................................................................................................................................................
ii

List
of
Figures..........................................................................................................................................
iv

Abstract.....................................................................................................................................................
v

Chapter
1:
Introduction......................................................................................................................
1

Chapter
2:
The
Niche...........................................................................................................................
3

Chapter
3:
The
Internet......................................................................................................................
7

Chapter
4:
The
Website......................................................................................................................
9

Chapter
5:
How
Do
They
Get
to
the
Website?...........................................................................
11

Chapter
6:
Latinos
and
the
Web......................................................................................................
13

Chapter
7:
Competition.......................................................................................................................
14

Chapter
8:
Sample
Works
to
be
Published:................................................................................
15

Meet
the
Gardeners:

Gerardo
“The
Helper”...................................................................................................
16

Juan
“The
Route
Owner”.............................................................................................
19

Arturo
“The
Landscaper”............................................................................................
23

References................................................................................................................................................
26

iv

List
of
Figures

Figure
1.

Demographic
Characteristics
of
Latino
Landscape
Gardeners.....................
4

Figure
2.
Chart:
Los
Jardineros.Org
Website
Structure
by
Rosalina
Nieves…………..

10

Figure
3.

Infographic:
Demographics
Characteristics
of
Latino
Lawn
Care

and
Landscape
Workers
by
Rosalina
Nieves.........................................................
15

v

Abstract

This
paper
envisions
a
nonprofit
website
that
informs
and
educates
the

public
about
Latino
gardeners
and
landscapers
in
Southern
California,
and
that

encompasses
the
ever-‐evolving
world
of
journalism
and
embraces
new
media.
After

a
brief
description
of
the
situation
of
those
workers,
it
offers
a
rationale
for
such
a

website,
a
description
of
its
functioning,
and
a
sample
of
the
material
that
would
be

posted.

The
project
aims
to
educate
others
about
what
gardeners
and
landscapers

do,
how
they
manage
their
business,
and
how
society
and
our
government
can
help

form
safer
work
environments.
The
project
will
encourage
gardeners
to
share
their

personal
stories
and
business
strategies.
It
is
important
that
they
have
a
platform

where
they
can
share
their
stories,
so
others
can
learn
from
them.

This
project
intends
to
use
web-‐based
multimedia
story
telling
as
a
medium.

In
recent
years,
multimedia
journalism
projects
have
found
success
on
the
web
as

more
and
more
people
turn
to
World
Wide
Web
for
information
and
news.
The
web

allows
for
more
interactive
two-‐way
communication
than
a
print
medium.
Stories

can
be
told
in
a
variety
of
ways
using
video,
audio,
photography,
and
text.
The

project
will
combine
citizen
journalism
and
social
journalism
to
execute
multimedia

storytelling.

1

Chapter
1

Introduction

There
are
a
lot
of
misconceptions
about
Latino
gardeners
who
work
in

Southern
California.
Many
believe
that
all
gardeners
are
in
this
country
illegally,
and

therefore,
have
no
other
choice
but
to
work
as
laborers.
Latino
gardeners
are
often

identified
as
day
labors
and
not
as
legitimate
entrepreneurs.
They
are
perceived
as

servant-‐like
and
are
sometimes
taken
advantage
of
(Ramirez
&
Hondagneu-‐Sotelo

2009).

Some
of
these
misconceptions
arise
from
the
most
common
characteristics
of

gardeners.
Most
speak
little
or
no
English,
have
a
low
level
of
education,
and
have

recently
immigrated
to
the
United
States.
But
most
of
these
individuals
count
with
a

full
set
of
skills
that
allow
them
to
turn
gardening
routes
into
profitable
businesses.

They
identify
themselves
as
“hard
workers”
who
are
willing
to
do
jobs
others
may

see
as
a
dirty
and
menial
job.

Most
of
those
who
own
gardening
routes
identify
themselves
as

entrepreneurs
who
enjoy
independence
and
control.
They
like
to
be
their
own

bosses
and
manage
how
they
work
and
where
they
work.
Latino
workers
stress
a

belief
that
working
in
the
landscape
and
lawn
care
industry,
has
provided
them
with

greater
opportunity
to
acquire
business
and
management
skills
and
experience
than

the
other
industries,
where
their
responsibilities
may
have
been
more
limited

(USHCC,
2011).

2

Latinos
are
a
vital
source
of
labor
for
the
landscaping
and
lawn
care
industry.

In
2009,
there
were
over
170,000
Latinos
(American
Community
Survey,
2009)

working
in
the
gardening
and
landscaping
business
in
California.
A
more
recent

study
from
United
States
Hispanic
Chamber
of
Commerce
found
that
Latinos

represented
13.4%
of
all
U.
S.
workers,
but
35.2%
of
all
workers
in
landscape
and

lawn
care
services
industry.

U.
S.
consumer
spending
on
gardening
and
landscaping
services
has
also

grown
in
Southern
California.
According
to
the
National
Gardening
Association

(Ramirez
&
Hondagneu-‐Sotelo,
2009),
they
jumped
from
$25
billion
in
2001
to
$45

billion
in
2006.
It
is
not
just
the
rich
who
are
employing
gardeners.
Gardening

services
have
expanded
because
people
from
all
social
classes
have
sought
them,
not

just
the
rich,
and
gardeners
have
learned
to
monetize
from
such
demand.

Gardening
has
long
been
a
stepping-‐stone
to
social
mobility
for
newly

arrived
immigrants.

After
World
War
II,
thousands
of
Japanese-‐Americans
came
to

dominate
the
gardening
trade.
Even
as
late
as
1970,
about
8,000
gardeners

supported
an
estimated
20%
of
Japanese-‐American
households
in
Southern

California,
according
to
an
analysis
of
U.
S.
Census
statistics
by
Historian
Nobuya

Tsuchida.
Most
who
established
the
profession,
are
now
retiring
and
many
find
their

children
moving
on
to
other
professions,
leaving
room
and
opportunities
for

Latinos.

3

Chapter
2

The
Niche

Gardening
and
landscaping
is
an
important
employment
niche
for
Latinos
in

Southern
California.
The
heavily
migrant
character
of
the
Latino
workforce
in
the

landscape
and
lawn
care
service
industry
helps
to
account
for
the
age,
education

characteristics,
and
skill
levels
found
in
the
workforce
(USHCC
2011
Report).

1. Almost
half
(49%)
of
Latino
Landscape
workers
are
between
the
ages
of

25
and
31.
While
the
second
largest
age
group
(32%)
are
older
than
40

years
old.

2. 67%
have
NO
high
school
degree.

3. 81.7%
are
foreign
born.

4. 60.7%
are
NOT
English
fluent
speakers
(Figure
1)

4

Figure
1.
Demographic
Characteristics
of
Latino
Landscaping
Workers

Data
Source.
Census
2010,
American
Community
Survey
2005-‐2009,
Economic

Census
2007,
and
Survey
of
Business
Owners,
2007.

5

Authors,
Hernan
Ramirez
and
Pierrette
Hondagneu-‐Sotelo,
identify
other

distinctive
characteristics
in
the
Latino
gardeners
niche
in
a
2009
article
entitled

“Mexican
Immigrant
Gardeners:
Entrepreneurs
of
Exploited
Workers?”
They

concluded
from
47
interviews
with
Mexican
immigrant
gardeners
in
Los
Angeles,

that
this
is
a
gendered
occupational
niche
for
Latino
(mainly
Mexican)
immigrant

men.

They
organize
and
learn
about
job
opportunities
through
men’s
social

networks.
They
learn
the
basics
on
gardening
from
each
other,
and
most
enter
the

business
through
the
support
and
encouragement
of
family
members
and
friends.

These
individuals
start
their
businesses
with
low
levels
of
financial
capital
(as
low
as

$2,000).

Their
business
investment
usually
starts
with
the
basic
gardening
route

tools:
a
truck,
lawn
mower
machine
and
a
leaf
blower.

Ramirez
and
Hondagneu-‐Sotelo
(2009)
add
that
gardening
is
used
as
a
tool

for
social
mobility,
and
in
their
study,
identified
an
informal
organizational
system

within
the
gardening
sector.
They
identified
three
main
gardening
jobs
that
were

based
on
the
level
of
expertise
of
the
gardener
and
the
income
he
generated:

At
the
bottom
is
the
“ayudante”
or
“helper.”
These
are
individuals
who
are

hourly
or
salary
based.
They
do
not
own
routes
and
usually
work
for
other

gardeners
or
companies
who
do
lawn
service.
These
positions
serve
as
an

apprenticeship
of
sorts.
In
their
positions,
they
can
learn
and
pick
up
skills
from
the

more
experienced
boss.

The
second
category
is
the
independent,
self-‐employed
route
owners.
They

typically
own
routes
that
consist
of
20
to
hundreds
of
houses.

They
can
employ

6

anywhere
from
one
“ayudante”
to
several
“ayudantes.”
Their
income
ranges,
but
as

owners,
they
control
the
quality
of
their
services,
pricing,
and
salary
of
the

“ayudantes.”
These
individuals
consider
themselves
entrepreneurs,
and
often
work

on
expanding
their
services
and
their
routes.

The
third
category
is
Licensed
Landscape
Contractors.
These
individuals

have
transitioned
from
independent,
self-‐employed
route
owners,
who
do
a
variety

of
services,
to
landscape
contractors
who
specialize
in
exclusive
services.
They

usually
obtain
a
state-‐issued
specialty
contractor’s
license
in
order
to
work
as

contractors
in
the
State
of
California.

Their
work
is
more
expensive
and
will

typically
do
bigger
projects
that
generate
a
bigger
profit.

They
draft
contracts
and

are
more
knowledgeable
about
business
matters.

Although
gardeners
typically
socialize
and
interact
through
word
of
mouth,
it

is
important
that
they
have
a
platform
that
they
can
use
to
share
their
stories
and

find
tools
to
improve
their
business.
Gardeners
can
learn
about
other
resources
to

help
their
business
grow,
and
they
can
meet
and
learn
from
other
gardeners.
They

may
even
find
possible
employment
opportunities
since
most
believe
that
the

industry
is
somewhat
more
stable
than
other
industries
where
they
may
find

employment.

7

Chapter
3

The
Internet

The
internet
has
allowed
for
more
underrepresented
groups
to
find
a
voice.

Groups
ignored
by
mass
media
have
found
the
internet
to
be
a
useful
tool
for

communication.
They
no
longer
have
to
wait
to
get
the
attention
of
mass
media
to

tell
their
side
of
their
story.
Steve
Waldman
explained
this
phenomenon
well
in
“The

Information
Needs
of
Communities,”
a
2011
Federal
Communications

Commission
(FCC) report.
He
said,

It
is
important
to
appreciate
that
the
Internet
has
not
only
allowed
for
new

forms
of
self-‐expression
but
has
improved
news
in
many
ways.
Lower

barriers
to
entry
and
the
vast
amount
of
available
space
online
have
led
to
a

greater
diversity
of
voices,
increased
depth
of
some
types
of
coverage,
more

consumer
choices
(Waldman,
p.
15).

This
project
aims
to
give
a
voice
to
Southern
California
Latino
gardeners.

The
internet
is
free,
accessible
and
interactive.
It
presents
everyone
with
an

opportunity
to
participate
and
to
add
the
story.
Americans
can
now
access
civically

important
information
outside
the
flow
of
the
news
media
(Waldman,
2011).
In

addition
to
informing,
websites
targeting
specific
groups
create
online
communities

that
may
have
otherwise
never
interacted.

Jeff
Jarvis,
blogging
pioneer
and
author
of
“What
Would
Google
Do?,”

describes
the
new
worldview
of
the
internet
generation.
He
uses
Google
as
an

example
on
how
companies
and
platforms
help
users
create
products,
businesses,

communities
and
networks
of
their
own.
“If
it
is
open
and
collaborative,
those
users

may
in
turn
add
value
to
the
platforms,”
says
Jarvis
in
his
book.

8

He
adds,

What
replaces
the
mass?
The
aggregation
of
the
long
tail-‐
the
mass
of
niches-‐
does.
We
each
gravitate
to
our
own
interests
and
thanks
to
the
new

inexpensive
tools
of
content
creation
online,
there’s
sure
to
be
something
for

everyone-‐-‐and
if
there
isn’t
we
make
it
ourselves.

9

Chapter
4

The
Website

Los
Jardineros
Project
will
be
non-‐for-‐profit
website
and
mobile
application

for
Southern
California
Latino
Gardeners
and
people
interested
in
learning
more

about
their
work.
The
site
will
be
available
in
both
Spanish
and
English,
and
will

offer
a
number
of
resources
catered
to
Latino
Gardeners.
It
will
primarily
serve
as

an
online
forum
for
people
who
make
a
living
gardening
and
landscaping
other

peoples’
homes.
This
website
will
further
validate
them
as
business
owners
and
give

them
a
platform
to
express
themselves.

The
website
will
consist
of
a
main
page
welcoming
viewers
and
introducing

the
project.
There
will
a
news
page
which
will
contain
x
number
of
articles
on

different
gardening
topics.
Topics
will
range
from
“how
to
be
an
eco-‐friendly

gardener”
to
“why
it’s
important
to
have
a
business
license.”
The
key
is
to
inform

and
educate
gardeners
about
the
business
of
gardening.

The
mobile
application
will
help
gardeners
who
are
on
the
go
share
their

work,
stories,
and
view
the
complete
site
in
a
friendly
mobile
form.
Gardeners
will

be
able
to
send
photos
and/or
videos
of
their
work
that
they
would
like
share
with

others.
The
mobile
application
will
be
able
to
be
downloaded
for
free
and
gardeners

will
be
able
to
spend
as
much
as
time
as
they
want,
or
have,
on
the
site
through
their

mobile
phone.

Gardeners
will
also
be
asked
to
register
and
will
ultimately
collect

data
from
these
gardeners
and
offer
them
a
place
to
advertise
their
services
on
the

web.

10

This
how
the
website
will
be
structured:

Los
Jardineros.Org
Website
Structure

HOME
PAGE

Welcome
to

Jardineros.org

The
Project

Menu

MEET
THE

“JARDINERORS”

History
of
Latino

Gardeners
in

Southern
California

Highlight
Latino

Gardeners
&
their

Entrepreneurial

Stories

LATEST
NEWS

“How
to
Be
an
Eco-‐
Friendly
Gardener”

“Recent
Ordinances

Passed
that
Affect

Gardeners”

TIPS

Latest
Eco-‐Friendly

Machinery
and

Gardening
Tools

Latest
News

Industry

BUSINESS

TOOLS

Entrepreneurs

Small

Business
Centers
&

Organizations

LEGAL

City
Ordinances

and
State
Laws

Business
Licenses
&

Permits

Legal
Aid

RESOURCES

Links
to
Plant

Dictionaries

Links
to
Gardening

Supply
Companies

YOUR
SITE

Share
Photos
and

Videos
of
Your

Work

Share
Your
Stories

of
Gardening

Figure
2.
Chart:
Los
Jardineros.Org
Website
Structure
by
Rosalina
Nieves

11

Chapter
5

How
Do
They
Get
to
the
Site?

Gardeners
should
first
hear
about
the
project
through
their
most
trusted

friends.
These
individuals
or
establishments
can
be
church
leaders,
community

activists,
fellow
gardeners,
lawn-‐repair
shops,
day
laborer
sites
around
the
city,
and

schools.
Word
of
mouth
is
the
start
to
introducing
the
project.
This
will
mean
talking

to
local
gardeners
on
site
and
going
out
to
churches
and
community
events.
The

project
will
prepare
an
easy-‐to-‐read
pamphlet
with
details
of
how
they
can

download
the
mobile
app
and
visit
the
website.
This
pamphlet
will
be
in
Spanish
and

will
include
contact
information
in
case
they
have
questions
about
the
project
or

site.
It
is
important
that
we
start
reaching
out
to
gardeners
on
paper
and
in

environments
they
deem
safe.
The
key
here
is
to
build
trust
and
a
relationship
with

gardeners.

The
project’s
goal
is
to
also
place
a
couple
of
news
article
on
some
type
of

newsletter
form
for
a
couple
of
months
after
launching
the
website.
These

“newsletters”
would
be
free
and
located
at
places
frequently
visited
by
gardeners

like
nurseries.
This
will
establish
some
credibility
among
our
consumers
and
it
will

encourage
them
to
go
online.

Another
important
step
to
drive
and
increase
traffic
on
the
site
is
linking
to

other
sites.
The
project
will
look
to
network
with
local
small
business
organizations

and
larger
gardening
associations
such
as
the
Association
of
Latin
American

Gardeners
of
Los
Angeles
and
The
National
Gardening
Association.
People
who
visit

12

their
website
will
learn
about
our
project
and
visit
our
website,
and
in
return,
our

site
will
link
back
to
them.
The
project
will
select
only
organizations
that
aim
to
help

Latino
entrepreneurs.

The
project
will
also
look
to
partner
with
big
corporations
that
cater
to

Latino
gardeners.

Home
improvement
businesses
like
Home
Depot
and
Lowe’s

receive
a
lot
of
business
from
Latino
gardeners,
and
will
likely
have
an
interest
in

investing
in
this
project.
In
return
for
their
donations,
the
project
will
sponsor,
on

behalf
of
their
name,
special
sections
of
the
website
and
mobile
applications.
For

example,
Home
Depot
may
decide
to
partner
with
us.
For
a
certain
donation
every

month,
we
will
have
them
sponsor
a
feature
story
or
highlight
their
products.

13

Chapter
6

Latinos
and
the
Web

The
website’s
main
challenge
will
be
getting
people
to
the
website.
There
are

a
lot
of
low-‐income
families
who
do
not
own
a
computer
or
who
do
not
know
how
to

navigate
the
internet.
Others
are
scared
of
visiting
websites
and
are
intimidated
by

all
of
the
navigation
menus.
Our
goal
is
to
drive
them
to
the
site
first
through
the

mobile
application.

Many
Latinos
are
using
their
mobile
device
as
the
main,
and
many
times
only,

way
of
accessing
the
Internet.
Fifty-‐one
percent
of
Hispanics
use
their
phones
to

access
the
Internet,
compared
with
33%
of
Whites,
according
to
a
Pew
Research

Center’s
poll
dated
July
2010.
Almost
half
of
Latinos
own
a
smartphone,
a
much

higher
percentage
than
the
general
population.

If
we
give
them
access
to
our
site
through
a
mobile
application,
they
will
be

encouraged
to
visit
the
site
at
their
convenience.
They
can
access
during
lunchtime

or
while
taking
a
short
break.

On
an
FCC
report
titled
“The
Information
Needs
of
Communities,”
Steve

Waldman
(2011)
expands
and
says,

Citizens
are
more
empowered
than
ever.
They
choose
where
to
get
their

content,
how
to
share
it,
and
are
reporting
it
themselves.
Billions
of
hours
of

volunteer
labor
have
helped
bring
important
information
online
and
make
it

accessible
on
a
grand
scale.
With
76%
of
cell
phone
owners
using
their
phone

to
take
pictures,
we
may
conclude
that,
as
remarkable
as
it
is
that
most

Americans
now
carry
around
a
minicomputer,
it
is
just
as
significant
that

most
now
carry
a
camera.

14

Chapter
7

Competition

Research
turned
up
no
direct
competitors
to
the
site
or
mobile
application.

There
was
no
site
found
that
catered
to
Latino
Gardeners
in
Spanish.
Most
sites

catered
to
recreational
gardeners
and
left
the
business
aspect
out.
The
site
may
find

some
competition
from
organizations
such
as
the
Association
of
Latin
American

Gardeners
of
Los
Angeles.
However,
the
project
will
look
to
partner
up
the

organization
so
together
we
may
widen
our
audience
and
extend
our
reach
to

beyond
the
city
of
Los
Angeles
(Figure
2).

15

Sample
Works
to
be
Published
on
the
Site

Infographic:

Figure
3.
Infographic.
Demographic
Characteristics
of
Latino
Lawn
Care
and

Landscape
Workers
by
Rosalina
Nieves.

16

Sample
Works
to
be
Published
on
the
Site

Meet
the
Gardeners

a. Gerardo
“The
Helper”

b. Juan
“The
Route
Owner”

c. Arturo
“The
Landscaper”

Meet
the
Gardeners

Below
are
the
stories
of
three
Latino
gardeners
working
Southern
California:

Gerardo
“The
Helper”

“Ayudante”
or
Helper.
These
are
individuals
who
are
hourly
or
salary
based.

They
do
not
own
routes
and
usually
work
for
other
gardeners
or
companies
who
do

lawn
service.
These
positions
do
not
require
much
experience.
They
can
learn
and

pick
up
skills
from
the
more
experienced
bosses.

Read
Gerardo’s
Story
and
Learn
More
About
His
Experience
as
an

“Ayudante.”
Gerardo
“The
Helper”:
It
took
Gerardo
Alvarez
3
days
to
find
work.
He

arrived
from
Mexico
on
a
Friday
and
on
Tuesday
he
was
working
for
a
friend’s

gardening
business.
He
knew
very
little
English
and
had
no
driver’s
license.
Gerardo

is
in
this
country
illegally
and
like
many
others,
he
is
struggling
to
attain
the

American
Dream.

Gerardo
is
funny,
witty
and
an
educated
young
man.
He
was
a
year
shy
from

obtaining
his
Bachelor’s
degree
in
Mexico
when
financial
and
family
problems

forced
him
to
leave
school
and
his
country.
He
paid
a
human
smuggler
$2,000
and

he
crossed
the
border
along
with
seven
fellow
Mexicans.
This
was
the
beginning
of

his
journey.

17

“I
wasn’t
scared
to
cross
the
border,
and
I
honestly
didn’t
think
twice
about

work.
Many
of
my
family
members
who
had
crossed
the
border
had
their
share
of

luck
finding
work
as
soon
as
they
arrived,”
says
Gerardo
in
Spanish.

And
he
wasn’t
wrong
about
his
luck.
His
family
had
already
arranged
for

Gerardo
to
work
for
a
family
friend’s
gardening
business.
The
day
he
arrived
he
was

taken
to
his
new
home,
a
garage
turned
apartment,
conveniently
located
behind
his

big
brother’s
three-‐bedroom
home
in
South
Los
Angeles.
The
rules
were
set
and
his

pay-‐rate
had
already
been
negotiated.
His
brother,
Jorge,
had
negotiated
a
weekly

salary
of
$400.

Gerardo
thought
it
was
a
good
deal.
After
all
he
had
people
back
in

Mexico
depending
on
him
and
he
could
not
afford
to
be
picky.

At
the
time
it
sounded
pretty
good,
especially
for
someone
like
me
who
had

spent
months
looking
for
a
job
in
Mexico.
And
a
lot
of
friends
and
relatives

made
a
decent
living
as
gardeners,
and
although
they
warned
me
it
would
be

tough,
I
was
prepared
to
do
whatever
it
took
to
help
my
family.

Gerardo
remembers
his
first
day
at
work.
His
boss,
“Don
Rigoberto,”
picked

him
up
at
6
a.m.
sharp.
He
got
into
the
passengers’
side
of
the
white
Chevy
S-‐10

pickup
loaded
with
machinery
and
tools
and
thanked
God
for
having
a
job.
The

gardening
lessons
began
as
soon
as
he
got
into
the
truck.

“Time
is
money,”
Don
Rigoberto
said.

He
wanted
me
to
be
as
efficient
as
possible.
I
didn’t
know
how
to
do
anything

and
he
explained
that
my
stay
with
him
was
provisionary.
He
told
me
he

thought
he
was
paying
me
a
lot,
especially
since
I
had
no
experience.
And

then
he
said
it
was
up
to
me
on
how
long
I
stayed
working
with
him,”
said

Gerardo.

18

Gerardo
could
not
afford
to
lose
his
job,
so
he
did
what
was
necessary.
He

learned
how
to
mow,
rake,
and
how
to
use
the
weed-‐wacker
and
the
blower.
He

worked
10
to
12
hours
a
day
without
complaining.
A
year
into
his
job,
Gerardo
had

mastered
the
art
of
lawn
care.
He
was
no
longer
intimidated
by
the
machinery
and

had
moved
on
to
learn
how
to
prune
shrubs,
replace
sod,
and
even
to
design

flowerbeds.
His
English
got
a
little
better
and
so
did
his
understanding
of
the

gardening
business.

I
began
to
ask
my
friends,
who
were
gardeners,
how
much
they
made
and

what
type
of
work
they
did
for
their
bosses.
I
started
to
pay
attention
to
see

how
much
my
boss
was
making
and
then
I
realized,
he
wasn’t
paying
me

what
was
fair,
said
Gerardo.

Gerardo
wasn’t
happy
with
making
$450
a
week
anymore.
He
figured
he
was

doing
as
much
work
as
his
boss,
but
for
a
lot
less
money.
He
had
learned
that
other

route
owners
were
paying
their
“helpers”
at
least
$200
to
$300
more
than
what
he

was
getting.
And
so
he
asked
Don
Rigoberto
for
a
raise.
Unfortunately,
Don

Rigoberto
did
not
seem
to
think
that
Gerardo
deserved
a
raise.

Gerardo
did
not
have
another
job
lined
up
and
so
he
stayed
until
he
found

another
one.
Two
months
later,
through
word
of
mouth,
he
had
learned
there
was

an
opening
with
another
route
owner,
so
he
applied
and
got
the
job.

“I
felt
bad
leaving
Mr.
Rigoberto.
He
taught
me
how
to
do
everything
and
here

I
was
just
leaving
him
behind.
But
I
knew
I
could
make
more
money
and
well,

business
is
business,”
says
Gerardo.

19

Today,
he
is
happier
earning
an
hourly
rate
of
$10.
Gerardo
says
his
boss
is
a

nice
man
and
he
gets
along
with
the
other
two
helpers.
He
has
no
plans
of
leaving

his
new
job
and
says
it
is
too
soon
to
start
thinking
about
getting
his
own
route.
And

although
he
says
he
is
not
living
the
American
dream,
he
believes
he
is
not
far
from

attaining
it.

Juan
“The
Route
Owner”

Some
gardeners
are
independent,
self-‐employed
route
owners.
They
usually

own
routes
that
consist
of
20
to
hundreds
of
houses.

They
can
employ
anywhere

from
one
“ayudante”
to
several
“ayudantes.”
Their
income
ranges,
but
as
owners,

they
control
the
quality
of
their
services,
pricing,
and
salary
of
the
“ayudantes.”

These
individuals
consider
themselves
entrepreneurs
and
often
work
on
expanding

their
services
and
their
routes.

Read
Juan’s
Story
and
Learn
More
about
His
Experience
as
a
Route

Owner.
Juan
“The
Route
Owner.”
Juan
Luis
Robles
(Mexico).
When
you
first
set
your

eyes
on
Juan,
you
begin
to
wonder
whether
he
is
one
of
the
helpers
on
this

gardening
route
or
whether
he
is
the
owner.
He
dresses
like
the
rest
of
the
workers

around
him.
He
wears
dark
green
Dickies
pants,
a
matching
long
sleeve
shirt,
and

cowboy
hat
that
has
lost
most
of
its
shape.
But
he
is
not
just
one
of
the
workers;
he

is
the
owner
of
this
gardening
route.

Juan
is
too
modest
to
say
what
his
annual
income
from
gardening
is,
but
he

estimates
his
gardening
route
is
worth
somewhere
between
$65,000
and
$80,000.
It

is
hard
to
imagine
that
maintaining
the
gardens
of
50
houses
can
generate
this
type

20

of
income.
But
Juan
explains
that
most
of
these
houses
are
located
in
affluent
areas

west
of
Los
Angeles.
The
gardens,
he
says,
are
bigger
than
his
house
in
Canyon

Country,
and
maintenance
goes
beyond
mowing
the
lawn
and
blowing
the
leaves.

“These
people
have
money
and
care
a
lot
about
looks-‐-‐you
know
the
way

their
homes
look.

I
spend
time
watering
plants,
trimming
bushes,
clearing
brush,

washing
their
patios,
and
clearing
weeds
from
flower
beds,”
says
Juan
in
Spanish.

He
describes
his
small
business
of
10
years
with
pride.

He
owns
two
old

pick-‐up
trucks,
he
employs
three
Mexican
men,
has
over
$15,
000
worth
in

machinery,
and
has
recently
bumped
his
services
to
include
landscaping.
His
clients,

he
says,
include
Nicollette
Sheridan
and
notable
personas
of
the
movie
and

television
industry.
He
works
5
to
6
days
of
week
and
has
had
the
luck,
as
he
calls
it,

to
do
a
couple
of
$50,000
landscaping
projects.

Juan
says
he
is
very
lucky.
His
business
has
allowed
him
to
provide
for
his

family
of
five,
own
a
home,
own
two
personal
vehicles,
and
acquire
two
precious

horses
(he
calls
them
his
babies).

21

Juan
explains,

I
can’t
imagine
working
a
minimum-‐wage
job
and
having
any
of
this.

My
job

is
hard
and
intense,
but
I
wouldn’t
change
it.
I
am
my
own
boss,
set
my
own

hours,
and
even
give
others
the
chance
to
live
the
American
dream
that
I
am

living.

Juan
realizes
that
these
are
major
accomplishments
for
someone
who
came

to
this
country
illegally
and
with
no
understanding
of
the
English
language.

He,
like

so
many
others,
turned
to
gardening
when
he
first
arrived
in
the
United
States
at
the

age
of
16.
His
brother-‐in-‐law,
also
a
gardener,
gave
him
the
opportunity
to
work

with
him,
an
opportunity
that
yielded
him
$400
a
month.

He
did
not
like
the
long

hours
or
the
long
week
of
working,
but
for
him,
it
was
a
lot
better
than
what
he
had

ever
earned
in
Mexico.

After
some
years
of
working
for
his
brother-‐in-‐law
and
other
gardeners,
he

realized
he
needed
a
change
and
tried
his
luck
in
the
restaurant
business.
He
says
he

did
everything.
He
was
a
dishwasher,
cook,
delivery
driver,
and
a
busboy.
His
career

in
the
restaurant
business
did
not
last
long.

I
just
couldn’t
make
any
decent
money.
It
didn’t
matter
how
many
hours
I

worked
or
what
I
did.
I
couldn’t
do
much
with
what
little
money
I
had.
I
was

about
to
get
married
and
start
a
family.
I
wanted
the
American
dream.
I

wanted
to
own
a
home,
but
I
just
couldn’t
have
achieved
it
with
so
little

money,
says
Juan.

He
decided
to
go
back
to
gardening,
but
this
time
it
would
be
different.
He

would
work
for
his
uncle
Jose
and
also
start
his
own
business.
He
had
been
around

22

the
gardening
business
long
enough
to
know
the
ins
and
outs
of
starting
a
gardening

route,
and
he
had
no
doubt
in
his
mind
he
could
start
his
own
business.

It
wasn’t
easy.
I
started
with
the
basics,
a
lawn
mower,
a
rake
and
a
blower.

All
things
I
had
bought
used
from
a
swap
meet.

I
had
10
houses
at
first,
but

then
I
had
5
more,
then
another
10,
and
it
just
started
growing.

Soon
Juan
was
able
to
leave
his
uncle’s
gardening
route
to
concentrate
on
his

own
business.
He
could
speak
English
well
and
could
negotiate
prices
with
no

problem.
A
lot
of
Juan’s
business
came
from
recommendations.
Word
of
mouth

seemed
a
more
effective
way
of
advertising,
so
he
never
got
around
to
officially

naming
his
business.
To
this
day,
his
trucks
still
has
no
signage.

In
addition
to
his
gardening
route,
Juan
also
has
landscaping
services.
His

biggest
and
most
profitable
project
left
him
with
a
$25,000
profit.
He
loves

gardening
maintenance,
but
his
dream
is
to
move
on
to
do
more
nonresidential

landscaping
projects.

“I’ve
been
studying
for
my
contractor’s
license
for
a
while.
I
just
need
to
find

the
time
to
take
the
test.
I
think
having
a
license
will
open
up
more
doors
for
me.”

Juan
has
big
plans
for
his
business.
He
hopes
to
move
his
business
from
lawn

maintenance
to
landscaping,
a
more
profitable
field
of
gardening
he
says.

23

Arturo
“The
Landscaper”

Licensed
Landscape
Contractors.
These
individuals
have
transitioned
from

independent,
self-‐employed
route
owners,
who
do
a
variety
of
services,
to
landscape

contractors
who
specialize
in
exclusive
services.

They
usually
obtain
for
a
state-‐
issued
specialty
contractor’s
license
in
order
to
work
as
contractors
in
the
state
of

California.

Their
work
is
more
expensive
and
will
typically
do
bigger
projects
that

generate
bigger
profits.

They
draft
contracts
and
are
more
knowledgeable
about

business
matters.

Read
Arturo’s
Story
and
Learn
More
about
His
Experience
as
a
Route

Owner.
Arturo
“The
Landscaper,”
Arturo
Ayala
Hernandez
(El
Salvador).
Arturo,
a

second-‐generation
gardener,
left
college
at
the
age
of
22
to
take
over
the
family’s

business.
A
business,
he
says,
he
has
now
quadrupled
in
size
and
value.

The
small

gardening
business
his
father
started
when
he
first
immigrated
to
the
United
States

has
now
become
a
landscaping
contract
business
worth
over
$200,000
(in
assets).

“My
father
started
out
as
a
helper
at
another
gardening
business
and
on
the

weekends,
he
would
have
his
own
little
side
business.
He
has
come
a
long
way
and
I

am
happy
to
have
kept
his
dream
going,”
says
Arturo.

Arturo
knows
very
well
how
hard
it
was
for
his
father
to
start
his
own

business.
His
father,
an
immigrant
from
El
Salvador,
had
managed
to
accumulate
a

sizeable
gardening
route
over
the
years
as
he
simultaneously
worked
as
a
“helper”

at
another
gardening
business.
No
easy
feat
for
a
man
in
his
40s.
Arturo
remembers

24

seeing
his
father
work
from
sunrise
to
sunset,
7
days
a
week.
When
he
wasn’t

working
for
someone
else,
he
was
working
on
building
his
own
route,
says
Arturo.

Arturo
was
right
beside
his
father
working
almost
every
weekend
too.
At
the

age
of
14,
he
was
drafted
to
help
with
the
business
family.
At
first,
Arturo
did
not

appreciate
early
morning
wake
up
calls
or
the
dirty
and
sweaty
work
he
had
to
do.

He
wanted
to
do
what
every
teenage
boy
his
age
was
doing,
sleeping
in
and
playing

video
games.

I
was
a
bit
mad
that
I
had
to
go
work
on
the
weekends,
but
after
a
while,
I

realized
how
much
this
little
side
business
meant
to
my
dad.
We
had
it
hard

in
El
Salvador
and
here
was
his
opportunity
to
make
more
money
and
own

his
own
business,
says
Arturo.

Although
Arturo
had
his
father’s
best
interest
in
mind,
he
also
knew
he
had
to

look
out
for
himself.
The
gardening
business
had
been
profitable,
but
Arturo
had

other
plans.
Arturo
was
more
interested
in
going
to
college
to
study
architecture.

His
father
did
not
object
to
the
idea
and
was
glad
that
his
son
had
chosen
to

continue
his
schooling,
even
if
it
meant
Arturo
could
not
help
with
the
family

business
as
much.

Arturo
went
off
to
college
and
continued
to
live
at
home.
His
schooling
came

first,
but
he
somehow
always
ended
up
getting
sucked
back
into
his
father’s

business.
Arturo
did
not
mind
it
since
it
meant
helping
his
father.

I
enjoyed
going
to
school,
but
I
also
enjoyed
being
an
entrepreneur
with
my

father.
It
was
exciting
to
make
decisions,
to
manage
clients,
and
to
take
risks.

Where
else
would
I
have
learned
that?
Even
as
an
architect,
it
would
have

taken
me
years
to
own
my
own
company,
says
Arturo.

25

Arturo
eventually
dropped
school
for
the
family
business.
During
his
junior

year
of
college,
his
father
took
over
a
gardening
route
worth
over
$100,000.
The

owner
had
decided
to
retire
and
with
no
one
to
take
over
the
business,
he
decided
to

sell
off
his
truck,
lawn
mowers
and
tools,
and
his
gardening
route.

Arturo
and
his

father
were
buying
an
entire
business
that
was
to
merge
with
theirs.
There
was
no

more
room
for
school.

“I
didn’t
think
twice
about
leaving.
I
figured
I
could
go
back
one
day.
My

father
and
our
family
business
needed
me.
I
couldn’t
give
up
on
my
father’s
dream.”

Arturo
eventually
went
on
to
get
his
contractor’s
business
license
and

expanded
the
business
to
landscape
work.
He
managed
to
bid
for
contracts
with
the

City
of
Los
Angeles
and
to
hire
more
workers.
His
clients
were
now
companies
and

cities
with
bigger
projects
and
budgets.
His
risks
had
become
profitable.

Today,
Arturo
and
his
father
employ
25
Latino
men,
own
10
vehicles,
and

mostly
work
from
home.
His
father,
now
partially
retired,
does
the
occasional

supervising
of
projects.
While
Arturo
works
mainly
on
securing
projects
and
on
the

business’
financing
matters.
They
make
sure
every
employee
goes
through
the

appropriate
training
and
takes
pride
in
having
a
low
employee
turnover.

“I
wouldn’t
have
it
any
other
way.
I
am
making
more
money
than
an

architect,
I
am
my
own
boss,
but
most
importantly,
I
kept
my
father’s
dream
alive.”

26

References

Pew
Hispanic
Center.
(2010)
“Latinos
and
Digital
Technology
Study.”

Retrieved

February
2,
2012,
from
http://www.pewhispanic.org/files/reports/134.pdf

Ramirez,
H.
&
Hondagneu-‐Sotel,
P.
(2009)
“Mexican
Immigrant
Gardeners:

Entrepreneurs
or
Exploited
Workers.”
Retrieved
November
2,

2011http://csii.usc.edu/documents/Ramirez-‐HSotelo.pdf

U.
S.
Census
Bureau.
(2009).
American
community
service.
Washington,
DC;
U.S.

Government
Printing
Office.

United
Hispanic
Chamber
of
Commerce
(USHCC).
(2011).
Inter-‐University
Program

for
Latino
Research.
(2011).
The
Economic
Impact
of
the
Landscape
and

Lawn
Care
Services
Industry
on
U.
S.
Latinos:
A
Report
to
the
United
States

Hispanic
Chamber
of
Commerce
(USHCC).
Retrieved
January
24,
2012,
from

http://nd.edu/~iuplr/pubs/landscaping2011.pdf

Waldman,
S.
(2011,
July).
The
Information
Needs
of
Communities.
Federal

Communications
Commission
(FCC).

Retrieved
January
27,
2012,

from
http://www.fcc.gov/info-‐needs-‐communities

Abstract (if available)

Abstract This paper envisions a nonprofit website that informs and educates the public about Latino gardeners and landscapers in Southern California, and that encompasses the ever-evolving world of journalism and embraces new media. After a brief description of the situation of those workers, it offers a rationale for such a website, a description of its functioning, and a sample of the material that would be posted. ❧ The project aims to educate others about what gardeners and landscapers do, how they manage their business, and how society and our government can help form safer work environments. The project will encourage gardeners to share their personal stories and business strategies. It is important that they have a platform where they can share their stories, so others can learn from them. ❧ This project intends to use web-based multimedia story telling as a medium. In recent years, multimedia journalism projects have found success on the web as more and more people turn to World Wide Web for information and news. The web allows for more interactive two-way communication than a print medium. Stories can be told in a variety of ways using video, audio, photography, and text. The project will combine citizen journalism and social journalism to execute multimedia storytelling.

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