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Aug 16, 2020
Opinion & features

From doctor to janitor to translator

By: Andrea Capuselli

Arturo Aceves is Governor Ricketts’ translator, but this isn’t his first important role. He was as a doctor in Mexico. When moving to the United States he hit the job market. Arturo Aceves: “I did a lot of interviews and I didn’t get any job. The only job that I could get was cleaning bathrooms, which is a decent job; it’s a job at the end of the day.”

His work as an interpreter for the governor earned him an important recognition.

Watch his interview here.

Comments about this article


From doctor to janitor to translator
neilmac
neilmac
Spain
Local time: 07:52
Spanish to English
+ ...
Me too Aug 24, 2020

In the past I have worked as a toilet attendant, albeit only occasionally, as overtime when employed as a gardener by the local authority. It wasn't compulsory and the pay was time and a half Saturdays, double time on Sundays. Which was nice.

expressisverbis
 
Mervyn Henderson (X)
Mervyn Henderson (X)  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 07:52
Spanish to English
+ ...
Pig feeder Aug 24, 2020

I used to feed pigs back in my teens. It's a long story, and in the main I moved on from those days, obviously. Although I've been reminded of that job on more than one occasion in professional spheres since then, when I encountered a few swine who wanted to feed off me.

You can't be too careful with either variety - just one slip in the pen, or even just one slip of the pen, and you're down in the mire and fair game for their greed.

[Edited at 2020-08-24 11:01 GMT]

expressisverbis
Oriol Vives (X)
 
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 06:52
Member (2007)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
From doctor to janitor to translator Aug 24, 2020

I wonder if this is not the experience of a good number of immigrants. I read recently that there is a “bimodal pattern in the education distribution of immigrants in a number of EU and OECD countries: migrants are often over-represented among both the low and the highly educated. This can be partly explained by the mix of motives for which migrants come to live and work in their respective host countries: some come for family and humanitarian reasons, which rarely involve education related se... See more
I wonder if this is not the experience of a good number of immigrants. I read recently that there is a “bimodal pattern in the education distribution of immigrants in a number of EU and OECD countries: migrants are often over-represented among both the low and the highly educated. This can be partly explained by the mix of motives for which migrants come to live and work in their respective host countries: some come for family and humanitarian reasons, which rarely involve education related selection, while others come to study or to work, in which case they are more likely to be – or become – highly-educated” https://www.oecd.org/migration/mig/wp203.pdf. ▲ Collapse
 
Joel Pina Diaz
Joel Pina Diaz  Identity Verified
Mexico
Local time: 00:52
English to Spanish
+ ...
Wet not back Aug 25, 2020

Unfortunately the lack of information and even the "unconfort" to appoint at the migration offices, follow the steps to continue your professional career and empty pockets, takes several professionals to adventure in a low paid job. Some other situation is the language barrier. The other side of the coin is the "idiosyncrasy" when you are out of your country and seems that you are "afraid" of the system... No one migrates knowing the rules, laws and essentials... But just those with strength mak... See more
Unfortunately the lack of information and even the "unconfort" to appoint at the migration offices, follow the steps to continue your professional career and empty pockets, takes several professionals to adventure in a low paid job. Some other situation is the language barrier. The other side of the coin is the "idiosyncrasy" when you are out of your country and seems that you are "afraid" of the system... No one migrates knowing the rules, laws and essentials... But just those with strength make it and enjoy as part of their new "society"... Always carrying the motherland in the pocket far to some point... ▲ Collapse
 
Josephine Cassar
Josephine Cassar  Identity Verified
Malta
Local time: 07:52
Member (2012)
English to Maltese
+ ...
And Aug 26, 2020

Teresa Borges wrote:

I wonder if this is not the experience of a good number of immigrants. I read recently that there is a “bimodal pattern in the education distribution of immigrants in a number of EU and OECD countries: migrants are often over-represented among both the low and the highly educated.” https://www.oecd.org/migration/mig/wp203.pdf.
And brain drain in their native countries unfortunately.
 

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