Last week, I watched Felix Contreras, NPR’s longtime Alt.Latino host and the coordinator of the “El Tiny” series, introduce Los Tigres del Norte before their Tiny Desk performance. It reminded me of something that has always been at the heart of the Hispanic experience in America: we work.
We work hard. We work long hours. We build things. We start businesses. We raise families. And, more often than not, we are simply trying to create a better life for the people who come after us.
That is what inspired me to call this Operation We Back.
It is a play on a painful chapter in American history: Operation Wetback, the 1950s federal immigration enforcement campaign that resulted in the mass removal of Mexicans and Mexican Americans, including people who were legally present or U.S. citizens.
Today, immigration enforcement is again affecting communities across the country. The circumstances may seem different to some, but for many families, the uncertainty and fear feel the same.
And yet, there is another story worth telling.
It is the story of people who came to work.
People who woke up before sunrise, put on their boots, and went to the job site. People who learned a trade, started a company, hired employees, paid their bills, bought homes, and invested in their neighborhoods.
People who wanted to do things the right way.
Were mistakes made? Absolutely. Have there been people who did not follow the rules? Of course. But we should be careful about confusing the desire to work and provide for a family with criminal intent.
For generations, the fundamental motivation has been remarkably simple: work, provide, build, and move forward.
That spirit is especially visible in construction.
Walk onto almost any job site in America and you will see it. Hispanic workers and contractors are helping build the homes we live in, the roads we drive on, the schools our children attend, and the communities we call home.
They are not asking for a handout.
They are asking for an opportunity.
That is what Operation We Back means to me.
We back the person who gets up every morning and goes to work.
We back the contractor who started with a pickup truck and a few tools and is trying to build a company.
We back the father or mother who works long hours because they want their children to have more opportunities than they did.
And we back the communities that are stronger because these people chose to invest their time, talent, and resources in them.
This isn’t about pretending everything has always been perfect. It hasn’t.
It is about recognizing the intent behind the journey.
Pico y Pala.
Head down. Hands working. Family first. Community always.
We work. We build. We contribute.
We Back.
Sergio Barajas is the executive director of the National Hispanic Construction Alliance, where he leads the organization’s work to expand capacity building, access to capital, and business opportunities for Hispanic contractors and construction professionals. Over a 30-year career spanning housing development, construction, and financing, he has held roles with the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals, Freddie Mac, the National Community Stabilization Trust, and the Los Angeles Housing Department. Based in San Diego, California, Sergio writes about workforce development, advocacy, and the role of the Hispanic construction workforce in building a stronger and more equitable industry.
Keep up with Sergio Barajas HERE!
