Feature
Page 6
March 3, 2023
Coyote Chronicle
Paving a path to U.S. citizenship By Warren Flowers Staff Writer The U.S.-Mexico border. Photo credit to University of California San Diego
Longtime United States Citizen Lincoln Alexander detailed the trip he took across multiple borders, including bus rides and having to run across a field, and on a highway, to make it into the U.S. The trials and tribulations Lincoln dealt with on his journey here are storybook-like, but he used them as motivation to fuel him to become the successful man he is today. Many people would not be able to endure all he did to make it here today. Alexander first decided to start this journey many years decades ago, in 1976. “It was in 1976, in Belize a lot of people were coming back from the United States talking about how great it was. I wanted to go to see, and try to make a better life for myself, we heard there were a lot more opportunities there in the United States,” said Alexander. Alexander shared that he did not make the trip alone. and only one of his fellow travelers made it with him. “In total there were seven of
us, we each paid $1,000 each to be escorted here (United States), of the seven of us only two of Alexander described his each for this service he made a us made it (me and Albert) the experience with the U.S. border total of $7,000 on this mission,” others had to come another day,” patrol. said Alexander. said Alexander. “As you walk across the After accompanying them Alexander described the field there is a U.S. border on their journey, the mule then journey as a difficult one and patrol taking place, they have a took them to the car that was attributed the difficulty to why light then continuously shines previously placed by the mule others in the group did not make the area to see if people are and then drove them to the it. coming across. Every time the final destination, according to “The terrain we had to walk light hit, we must duck to avoid Alexander. through was too difficult for being seen by the light,” said Alexander was supported an elderly woman we had with Alexander. in his journey by individuals he us; she couldn’t take it. We had After ending the journey already knew living in California. to carry her on Albert’s back, by running across a highway, “I had a friend that lived literally on his back because Alexander said their final in Los Angeles, so I had the she could not take the extreme destination was reached by car. “mule” take me there, I stayed terrain anymore, so we turned Along the journey, Alexander there for a few weeks, I then around and took her back,” said was guided by what he termed got connected with my uncle I Alexander. a “mule.” He explained how stayed with him for a few years, Alexander also shared this person helped them on their until I got ready to get out on my explicit details about the physical journey. own,” said Alexander. journey he had to take to get to “We had what they call a To gain his citizenship at the U.S. before entering. “mule” who pretty much knows the time, Alexander needed to “It started off on Esperanza the way and helps guide you. He fly back to his home country and Belize, which is a small village came with us every step of the complete the U.S. citizenship in Belize in the sand creek way, he met us in Belize, rode test. district… once we got off the all buses with us, and even took “In 2005, it was a bit more last bus, we had to walk across the trip across the field with us as difficult than it is now, you had a rough terrain field for about 45 well, the mule is there every step to travel back to your country of minutes,” said Alexander. of the way, we all paid $1,000 origin then come back in, luckily
in Belize we were considered a British colony, So I was able to go to Canada instead of back to Belize,” said Alexander. Finally, Alexander shared his final thoughts about the experience. “If I could change anything at all, I would like to go about just doing everything the right way, like most of my family that came after me. I am glad I am here and made it but going about it the total legal way is something I would have changed,” said Alexander. Alexander has an amazing story of triumph as the man he is today. He considers himself a successful, thriving U.S. citizen today. Many people would turn back on the same journey as Alexander, but he found something inside himself that encouraged him to make it to the U.S. Alexander literally hoped, leaped, and even ducked to be here in the U.S.
A conversation about the Real Estate industry By Alyssa Panduro Staff Writer
Real estate agent and broker Jerry Stapp in the middle of a client call. Photo by Alyssa Panduro.
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The real estate agency is an ever growing and changing market, according to Jerry Stapp, a licensed real estate professional since 2004 and a broker since 2013 in California. His experiences include being a certification of forms trainer, selling new homes, listing distressed properties, and working on the lending side of the business, which have helped him see the changes that are occurring in the real estate industry and some of the ways the market has influenced such changes. Stapp has remained vigilant in this industry and also noted the way large nation and world
events, such as the 2008 stock market crash and the Covid-19 pandemic have affected the market for home sales and the real estate industry as a whole. Stapp stated that he believes the most difficult time for real estate agents was during the stock market crash in 2008, though his own experience was different from those of his constituents. “Personally, I did well in this era because I sold REO properties which are bankowned properties taken from people that can no longer pay for their mortgages. Many other agents never had the opportunity, causing a struggle to find business,” said Stapp. Stapp stated that the market had remained relatively balanced
after it recovered, before the Covid-19 pandemic. “From 2015 to 2019 we had a healthy market. There’s always going to be more leverage between the buyers versus the sellers at any time, but in those years there was a balanced market,” said Stapp. Stapp stated the Covid-19 pandemic influenced that balance negatively in the past few years. “Since Covid hit, it’s been unbalanced, and now that we’re coming out of that Covid time and rates are peaking fast we’re unbalanced again,” said Stapp.
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