Both my parents were born in Mexico and they’re both Gen X’ers. They got married during the 80s and were the cool young couple during that time. My dad worked as a pharmaceuticals sales rep throughout late 80s and early 90s. Around the mid 90s, the company that he was working for went through restructuring (or something similar) and he lost his job. Bounced around for a couple of more years in different jobs and he (and my mom) decided to move to the USA in 1998. My dad has dual citizenship (through crazy circumstances of his grandpa). We arrived in the US with no money and my dad had no specialized skills to market himself, not knowing English made this more difficult. However, he landed jobs doing landscaping work for a few months until he got lucky and got a job with a major company as a sandblaster and painter of construction machinery components.
My dad worked hard for the following 9 years and became shop foreman at some point. Around 06 or 07, he hurt his shoulder and pinched several nerves in his spine. Obviously cuz it’s a “bottom line” company, they claimed that he was hurt before and denied his worker’s comp claim. He hired a lawyer to fight with the insurance company. He won his case but it was after almost a year of not being able to work and not being able to receive medical treatment or therapy right away because his status was in limbo. He got his back pay but not after the lawyer took his percentage. He had a couple of surgeries and a lot of physical therapy and was able to return to work as “light duty.” In 2008, during the recession, the company was bought by another major company and of course they laid off A LOT of people. I think when he lost his job, he was back to “regular” duty. He was laid off as part of re-organization. They relocated their paint shop to another shop before they brought it back a few years after. When my dad lost his job, his 401k had tanked. Not being financial savvy and in desperate need of money, in a panic, he decided to take out the 401k.
Fast forward to today, he’s had several jobs and he even tried finishing a couple of certifications but given his age, it was difficult restarting a career. He’s now working in carpentry making enough money to get by but his injury still limits him. My mom works as well, they are both in their sixties now. Do they have any savings? No. Do they have any plans for retirement? No. What’s worse? My siblings are struggling and they have to rely on my parents and me, and in turn, my parents rely on me. I know we’re not the only ones in this type of situation. That’s why I’m sharing. We came to this country for a better life and we have gotten it. The opportunities that we received would’ve been much harder to come by in Mexico. However, I feel that just because we’re in “greener grass,” it doesn’t mean that we can’t want more and better. I feel my state (OK) and country (USA) is regressing in a sense and we won’t be able to offer the same opportunities to those that are coming behind us.
Anyway, I don’t know what the answer is, but it sure as shit isn’t this system. My parents pulled themselves by their bootstraps and ONE event derailed everything. His old company has recovered from the market crash in 08. His old insurance company making profit every year. And then there’s my dad, whose portfolio never recovered and is non existing today. Whose shoulder never fully recovered and can barely pick up his grand kids. He’s in pain EVERY day, physical and mental. The mental toll it took on him being physically hurt and then fired for not being “tough enough” still with him today. The mental toll it takes on him knowing that there’s no end in sight and nothing but work, I can’t imagine but I feel my end will probably be not much different.