In the summer of 2002, I spent 2 months in California. As part of my degree in Britain I decided I wanted to write a dissertation on Mexican farmworkers in California, focussing in particular on the formation of Hometown Associations (where Mexicans from particular towns in Mexico would group their money together to pay for particular projects in those towns, such as rebuilding schools, churches, or laying new sewerage systems). I was lucky enough to get some funding from my University and so at the end of June I set off on a flight to San Francisco. After an uneventful flight I went by bus to the lovely town of Napa, about an hour north of San Fran. There I was met by Hugh and Aletha, 2 of the nicest people in the world! They knew
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