The Drug Company Next Door by Alexa S. Dietrich

Author:Alexa S. Dietrich [Dietrich, Alexa S.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Social Science, Anthropology, General, Minority Studies
ISBN: 9780814724996
Google: kCwYaHUVxUcC
Publisher: NYU Press
Published: 2013-06-07T04:24:41+00:00

Figure 5.1. Earth Day “symbolic planting,” sponsored by one of the local factories. Local schoolchildren and neighbors from Barrio La Planchita pose with shovels and plants on the site of a planned garden installation in the shape of the recycling logo. Photo by the author.

Good Neighbors (A Conversation)

The night was unusually cool and Julia and I were outside while Félix and a friend watched the Cotto boxing match on Pay-Per-View. She was catching me up on the latest drama with the couple across the street and on her further plans for decorating for Christmas. She paused to take a drag on her cigarette and then looked at me with a hesitant smile. “I hope if you write these things in your book you’ll change all the names.”

I laughed, knowing my research didn’t generally include the kind of neighborhood gossip that anthropologists might call “open secrets” about people’s personal lives. “Don’t worry, I’ll change all the names,” I told her. “Besides, I’m not really writing about this kind of stuff. . . .” I paused. “Now some of your work gossip, I might want to use . . . But I’ll check with you to make sure it’s not too incriminating.”

We started chatting then about her work as a security guard at Mega-Pharm, which she loathed. The work paid reasonably well, but unlike Félix’s job as the crew chief of a team of tank cleaners, she worked for an outsourcer, and had fewer benefits. However, the part she hated most was that in spite of being bilingual, and therefore arguably skilled, the security guards got little respect. Fortunately for me, this meant they shared their views freely, in contrast to some of the regular employees.

I described to her where my research was heading. “You know, I was thinking I might want to write some about you specifically, and a few other folks from around here.”

“Really? I get to be in your book?” She tipped her head as if getting ready for her close-up.

“Well, you know, the pharmas, they talk a lot about being good neighbors.”

“Oh yes, they certainly do.”

“Which I always thought was funny because the United States used to talk about being ‘good neighbors’ to Latin America. . . .” She snorted. “And that was pretty much about doing what they wanted to in other countries. We’ll help protect you if you do what we tell you, that sort of thing.”

Julia rolled her eyes. “Yes . . . I always figured the companies knew exactly what they meant when they said that . . . they meant the same as the U.S. government . . . they are the neighbors who build the house next to yours, that cut down trees, destroy your view . . . and the rain running off their roof floods your house,” she finished for good measure.

I smiled. “That’s not really what I think of when I think of good neighbors.”

Another eye roll. “No. They’re not good neighbors. Mira, Ale, they have people who supposedly do these ‘community relations.

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