Does the Early Bird Get the Mexican I.D.?

Does The Early Bird Get The Mexican I.D?El Pajaro Temprano Alcansa La Matricula Consular Mexicana?By Shanelle Diaz

This story begins probably very much the same as it did for many Mexicans living in Memphis , TN.

At fifteen minutes until 5:00 a.m., Saturday morning, March 10^th 2007, Mayra Roque woke up and started getting dressed. The twenty two year old, single mother, then woke up her three year old, American born daughter, Yuliza, with a kiss on the cheek.

"Despiertate, baby."(Wake up, baby)

The early morning birds were already singing and pulling worms from the rain drenched soil outside of their small, one bedroom apartment in South East Memphis, TN. Mayra handed some clothes to Yuliza.

"Ponte tu ropa, mi amor, y tus zapatos tambien. . . Voy a penarme y poner me mi traje"(Put on your clothes, my love, and your shoes too. . .I'm going to brush my hair.)

Yuliza rubbed her eyes and said "I'm hungry, Mommie." Mayra grabbed an apple from the dining room table, washed it, and handed it to Yuliza after she was dressed.

"Donde Vamos, Mommie?"(Where are we going)

"A sacar mi Matricula Consular, mi I.D. Van estar alli a las nueve y tenemos que llegar temprano."(To get my I.D They are going to be there at nine and we have to arrive early.)

During the car ride to the site where the Consulate of Mexico was said to arrive at 9:00a.m., Mayra remembered: "Era lloviendo cuando saque mi I.D. la primera vez."(It was raining the first time I got my I.D.) Upon arriving at the Apple Tree center of Hickory Hill, in Memphis , TN , Mayra was not surprised by the massive amount of people waiting outside. There appeared to be two lines, one wrapped around Building B of 2838 Hickory Hill, and the other snaking out into the parking lot. Both lines merged in front of the office of Latino Memphis, where everyone waited in expectation of the arrival of the Mexican Consulate. Mayra asked several people before finding the end of a line. At 6:00a.m. she was the last person in one of two very confusing lines, but more and more Mexicans were still arriving. Mayra Roque allowed me to begin the official interview. . .

Shanelle: "De Donde eres?"(Where are you from?)

Mayra: "San Luis Poto Sin , Mexico ."

Shanelle: "Porque estas aqui?"(Why are you here?)

Mayra: " Para sacar mi I.D." (To get my I.D.)

Shanelle: "Porque no tienes este Matricular Consular Mexicana?" (Why don't you have this Mexican I.D.)

Mayra(con risa): "La Perdi"(I lost it)

Shanelle: "Piensas que vas estar esperando mucho tiempo?" (Do you think you will be waiting long?)

Mayra: "Tal vez si. . . yo vine temprano porque muchos no alcansan sus I.D's, pero ya hay tanta gente. Lei que solamente van a dar tres cientos I.D.'s." (Maybe, yes. . . I came early because a lot wont receive their I.D's., but there are already so many people. I read that they're only going to give three hundred I.D's.)

Shanelle: "Pero no crees que ya hay mas que tres cientos aqui?" (But don't you believe that there are already more than three hundred?)

Mayra: "Si."(Yes.)

I noticed that many of the people waiting looked annoyed, and were all looking towards a group of Mexicans standing close to the Latino Memphis Office, so I went to check it out. I guess something about the way I dressed, or maybe the fact that I had a press badge on, attracted a larger group of people that eventually surrounded me. Many asking " Usted es Consular?"(Are you the Consolate?)

Many saying "Porfavor, estabanos esperando todo el noche."(Please we've been waiting all night.) They thought that I was the Mexican Consulate. I raised my hands and shouted "Porfavor, tranquilisanse!"(Please calm down!) A silence surrounded me that made the hairs on my arms and neck raise. I took a deep breath, "Soy Shanelle Diaz .Estoy aqui a ver que esta pasando."(I'm Shanelle Diaz. I'm here to see what's happening.)

Several people began to tell me their stories. Some had been waiting in the parking lot since 5:00p.m. on Friday, the 9^th. Some said that the police came and made them leave but they returned later. Some said that there were special pink tickets given out Friday evening that would allow them to enter first when the Consulate came at 9:00a.m. Everyone was anxious to tell me their stories, but more anxious and annoyed to tell me that perhaps the pink tickets that were given out was unfair. When I investigated more I found out that an older woman had taken the time to go and write the names of the first 300 Mexicans to arrive. The crowd around me eventually opened up to let a short, grey haired woman with a soft voice, approach me. She had a notebook in her hand. Her name was Rosa Jaramillo. I asked her about the notebook.

Rosa : "Llegaron a las 9:00p.m. Viernes. Nunca fijamos que dieron las fichas y escribimos los primeros tres cientos que llegaron. Deben a respetar que dicen. Uno leo que van a dar las fichas a las nueve, deben a respetar." (We arrived at 9:00p.m. Friday. We never knew that they had already given the tickets and we wrote the names of the first three hundred that arrived. They must respect what it says. Someone reads that they are going to give out tickets at nine, they have to respect this.) Almost all of the crowd around me roared in agreement.

Rosa : "No son gustos que ya dieron las fichas. Es una burla por nosotros porque venemos a las nueve de la noche, estamos esperando, y ya dieron las fichas."(We're not happy that they've already given out the tickets. It's like a big joke or insult for us because we came at 9:00 last night, and we were waiting, and they've already given the tickets.) The crowd seemed to become more and more upset; some started to argue, until a young man named Rodolfo Ayala convinced everyone to calm down. At 7:13a..m. I made my way out of the center of the mob and tried to find Mayra. She was still waiting in line, but was now convinced, after talking to one of her friends, that it was time to leave. Her friend, Cynthia Contreras said that she had arrived at 8:00 the night before with her husband. The Mexican Consolate had given her husband the pink ticket and told him to go home, get some rest, and come back in the morning. There were several security officers and police officers that were trying to get people to move their cars or leave Friday night, probably because there is a night club in the same parking lot.

At 7:26a.m. Mayra, like many others the same day, decided to leave as still more and more arrived. I stayed a little while longer to get a chance to hear what just about everyone was in agreement about: They need to have a Mexican Consolate in Memphis . This is obviously something that needs to be addressed, because there are several documented, legal Mexicans who have had their Mexican I.D.'s lost or stolen and need a way to get them. 300 I.D.'s issued to the entire city of Memphis for just one day, just isn't enough. Unfortunately, not all of the early birds are early enough to get a Mexican I.D.