PBH / colombia (active forums more▼ | travelguide | pictures) / post

Orlando full of grace

Orlando full of grace
Byline: Alexandra Starr Contributor to The Christian Science Monitor
Date: 03/29/2006

http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0329/p20s01-lihc.html

(NEW YORK)It's a frigid winter morning, but the fan installed on the wall of
Orlando Tobon's minuscule office in Jackson Heights, Queens, is going full blast. Without the ventilation the one-room travel agency and tax preparation operation would no doubt be unbearably stuffy, given the number of Latino immigrants who squeeze into its confines. The three worn chairs reserved for visitors are constantly occupied.

Despite the long lines, the atmosphere is upbeat, even buoyant. In a country often perplexing and hostile to immigrants, Mr. Tobon has developed a reputation as a benign version of the mafia don in "The
Godfather:" He seems capable of fixing almost any problem.

Officially, Tobon is an accountant and travel agent. But the requests his visitors bring often stray far from taxes and tickets. This particular morning, he calmly listens from behind a desk piled high with papers as a young Colombian woman and her boyfriend ask how she can initiate a divorce from her husband back home. Tobon gives them the card of a Spanish-speaking attorney and tells them to mention his name.
Another Colombian native presents Tobon with a jury summons he's unable to decipher. Tobon fills it out and tells the man - who is undocumented - that even though he's received the form in error, he must sign it and mail it in. And no, he reassures the man, it won't lead to deportation.

Given that it's rare to hear a word of English spoken in this Latino neighborhood, the appearance of a gringo outside Tobon's office a few years back must have raised eyebrows. Film director Josh Marston sought out Tobon when he was researching his 2004 film "Maria Full of Grace," which chronicles the experience of a Colombian drug mule coming to the
US. Tobon's quasi-official standing as the "Mayor of Little Colombia" would naturally have attracted a director eager to provide a realistic portrait of immigrant life in the US. Still, it was Tobon's knowledge of the darker, grittier part of the immigrant experience that brought Mr. Marston. In the past 25 years, Tobon has helped repatriate the
corpses of more than 400 Latin Americans who died smuggling packets of cocaine or heroin in their digestive systems.

After observing Tobon at work, Marston rewrote his script and cast Tobon as Don Fernando, the kindly gentleman who helps Maria send the corpse of a fellow drug carrier back to Colombia. With the movie, the lines at Tobon's door grew even longer.

But Tobon doesn't begrudge the demand. He genuinely relishes the opportunity to come to people's aid. "It fills you up," he says in Spanish. "When someone comes into my office depressed, and leaves with
hope, it makes me feel good."

Tobon is religious - he attends Catholic mass every Sunday - but he traces his impulse to help people to his mother, who raised him as a single parent. "She was tenacious, a real fighter," Tobon says. "And she devoted her life to helping people. Once she gave away one of my Christmas presents, a toy truck, to a poor little boy. She told me he needed it more than I did."

With a smile, he admits that the concept that generosity could be its own reward held little appeal to him as a toddler. But it was his mantra by the time he arrived in New York in 1968.

As Tobon worked menial jobs while earning an accounting degree at night, he developed a reputation for always being willing to help. When a neighbor had to go to the morgue to recover the body of a sister who'd died in a car crash, she turned to Tobon for support. It turned
out to be Tobon's introduction to the plight of drug mules. At the morgue, he learned of three unclaimed female corpses; they were drug mules who'd died when cocaine pellets they'd ingested broke. Drug carriers frequently travel under false identities, and even when family members suspect a mule's fate, they may not come forward, given the
potential legal consequences.

Tobon was so upset by people denied a proper burial that he made calls to New York police and the Colombian consulate, eventually tracking down the victims' families. By collecting donations from his office visitors and arranging radio solicitations, he raised the money to send the bodies back to Colombia.

His work on behalf of mules aroused police suspicion, and they raided his apartment one night. "After they realized I had nothing to hide, one of the policemen gave me a $60 contribution for a burial," Tobon recalls.

His collaboration with officials in identifying bodies is alternately
fulfilling and horrifying. Grateful families almost always call him when they receive a relative's body. Stories of how people decided to carry drugs in their bodies are wrenching: One involved an 82-year-old woman from Bogota, who wanted to assure the financial independence of
her mentally incapacitated son. She died in a New York cab after a pellet burst.

While Tobon's role as undertaker of the mules brought him public prominence, it's his contacts in the Latino community that attract politicians. The walls of his office are covered with photos of him
with public officials like Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Colombian President Alvaro Uribe. "He's a true immigrant leader," says Fernando Mateo, an aide to New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg. "He's been there for immigrants who feel they have nowhere to turn and no one to appeal to."

Tobon is blase about his powerful contacts. "They use me and I use
them," he shrugs. A quid pro quo does seem to be involved. When Tobon
worked with Bloomberg aides to round up crowds for election parades, for example, Tobon asked that they look into a case where undocumented immigrants had been bilked of their paychecks after weeks of
construction labor.

For that case - as for any that don't concern tax returns or travel -
Tobon did not charge for his help. But he probably never has to pay for coffee, judging by the complimentary cups dropped off during the day.
Sometimes gifts are more elaborate: He gets a cut rate on his tortoise-shell glasses, and his custom-made crocodile belt was a gift from Fernando Mesa, a leather artisan who speaks very broken English.
"Every piece of paper in English I get at home that looks official, I bring to him," explains Mr. Mesa. "I don't know what I'd do without him."

While Tobon enjoys the tokens of appreciation - he breaks into a wide
smile every time a cup of coffee materializes on his desk - his real
satisfaction is of a more intangible nature. It was through his volunteering that Tobon stitched together a family: Twice-divorced, he met his adopted son Eduardo through Big Brothers Big Sisters a decade ago. Today Eduardo and his pregnant wife live in Tobon's apartment.

With the help of a Peruvian journalist, Tobon wrote, "Chronicles of Jackson Heights," a memoir due out in the fall. He hopes it will inspire more community involvement: "There's a real lack of love in the world. Maybe this book could help make people more cognizant of that.
And maybe it will make them realize that they can change it, if only in a small way."

(c) Copyright 2006 The Christian Science Monitor. All rights reserved.

By Neonovo on Apr 1, 2006, 04:50 in Friendly Talkzone.

kernow62 says on Apr 1, 2006, 05:03:

Thanks Neonovo, that is a very inspiring story; a great way to start my day. That is one book I will be sure to buy!

0 funny, 0 helpful.

utopiacowboy says on Apr 1, 2006, 06:28:

The guy is clearly a saint and an inspiration to all. However I couldn't help noticing that a common thread is the refusal of Colombians to learn English. I was going to say inability to learn English but that's definitely not it.

Disclaimer: any comment I make is inane and is not to be taken seriously, and is so patently ridiculous that no one should take it seriously, even as an insult.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

kernow62 says on Apr 1, 2006, 07:20:

UTC we don't know that they don't speak English somewhat, they are not able to read in English. We do not know if they are literate even in Spanish. A very poor person might learn enough English to get by day to day in a menial job, they might work two jobs and have little time to learn a language. Your wife's situation is different, she is educated and intelligent but because you speak Spanish she has made the decision not to learn.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

ColombiaBoard says on Apr 1, 2006, 09:05:

Orlando I've met the guy in person, I was actually once in that small travel agency he operated in Jackson Heights.
The guy is truly a community leader, he's helped thousands of people. Everybody in the colombian and the larger latin community in Jackson Heights knows him and his good work.
One painful detail the article doesn't mention is that his mother died in the Avianca airplane that crashed when landing in New York city about 15 years ago or more (I don't remember exactly).
They come originally from Bogota.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

toneloc24 says on Apr 1, 2006, 09:11:

Great story Always wondered why no one had done told of a positive Latino immigrant story like his. They exist in every city, but this guy gets way more traffic just for being in Jackson Heights Queens NYC.

What I like most about it, he's not biased against any Latino. He helps all, regardless of where they are from.

"Don't tase me, bro!!!!"

0 funny, 0 helpful.

utopiacowboy says on Apr 1, 2006, 14:05:

Yes, Kernow, but it's not just her. A study on immigrants said that only 2% of the Colombians in the US could speak English. I think those 2% are all Colombians like my stepkids. The rest of them just can't be bothered. Good thing they have guys like Orlando to help them. Which doesn't diminish my admiration for him.

Disclaimer: any comment I make is inane and is not to be taken seriously, and is so patently ridiculous that no one should take it seriously, even as an insult.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

kernow62 says on Apr 1, 2006, 14:51:

UTC, could you provide details on the study? A URL, an author, when and where published.

I know perhaps 60 or 70 Colombians and only two cannot speak English at all. One was an elderly person and another has been here about a year and works with Colombians and lives with an Argentinian so hasn't the impetus to make her learn. Another 5 or 6 perhaps speak well enough to get along but not fluent. The rest speak English in varying degrees of fluency. I even know a few people in Bogota who speak very good English.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Rubiazo says on Apr 1, 2006, 16:35:

I know a guy just like that who used to have a travel agency in upper manhattan. If not for him I probably never would have got my residency. As a matter of fact he's helping me get my citizenship now! He works pro bono for me because he's a fan of my music :)

The sad thing is the Catholic church actually has a campaign going against these guys, can you imagine that?

0 funny, 0 helpful.

utopiacowboy says on Apr 1, 2006, 20:21:

Of course I made the statistics up. In my experience I have not encountered ANY Colombians with the exception of my step children who could speak English. I don't doubt your experience is true - it's just that mine is the complete opposite. Colombians remind me of Americans in their tenacious refusal to learn any language other than their own.

Disclaimer: any comment I make is inane and is not to be taken seriously, and is so patently ridiculous that no one should take it seriously, even as an insult.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

BxUnika says on Apr 1, 2006, 21:08:

Re: ColombiaBoard "One painful detail the article doesn't mention is that his mother died in the Avianca airplane that crashed when landing in New York city about 15 years ago or more (I don't remember exactly).
They come originally from Bogota."

No, they are from Montería, actually. By the way, where is his ofice? I live in Corona, Queens, right next store, but have never found out where it is. Pero casi segura que es costeño.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

kernow62 says on Apr 2, 2006, 04:47:

UTC what is the language of Texas? Spanish of course, so why would they learn English.

By the way the English are much the same, when they go on holiday (to buy booze) they expect the French and Spaniards to speak English.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Rubiazo says on Apr 2, 2006, 05:11:

UC I guess that's why they made English mandatory in all schools huh?

0 funny, 0 helpful.

francia says on Apr 2, 2006, 06:04:

sad There was an Avianca plane that went down on Cove Neck back in Jan 1990. Because the crew didn't speak english and wasn't able to convey their emergency fuel situation to air trafic control. They ran out of gas. I wonder if this was the flight of Orlando's parents. The flight was from Bogota via Medellin. The whole crew and 65 of the 150 passengers died. A big Boeing 707B

0 funny, 0 helpful.

miamimike says on Apr 2, 2006, 09:04:

Utopia, You are Spot on ! As Evidenced by the fact that go to any of the Colombian Immigration Strongholds in Miami; for example, take Kendall in SW Miami, go into any of the Colombian Bars/Retaurants(monserrate), Travel Agencies where a normal working person may go and the Langauge is Spanish. It appears for most that after a few months of English lessons the classes are dropped and NO farther attempt is made to grasp the English Langauge. 3 of my Neighbors in my Condo are Col Families(no hablan engish) and no one there is attending english langauge instruction either to improve their langauge skills. It is sad because of their failure to study english, many times they don't understand the finer Legal points of the law and land in trouble on the Rules and Regulations of our Condo Law. Not to mention legal contracts in General-when you have to garner your information off the street, many times it is wrong be it with car warranties, Immigration Rights and Rules, Consumer warranties on appliances ect. Sad. Lastly, in 6 Years of Employment at the Federal Krome Detention Center during which I communicated with 100s of Colombian Detainees, I would say less then 5% came through with a technical command(speak, read & write) of the Langauge and this breakdown didn't vary with Education(professional vs non professional) Level. Two friends of mine currently attend the school named the English Center in Coral Gables(south miami) and have for the last 5-6 years(every sunday)and I asked them a while back, "How many of your classmates are Colombian and do they stick with it? "They responded " Not for more then a few months and they drop out" By the way, The school is free of charge(so no $$ tuition problem) and these 2 opinions were from Latinas so no Gringo Bias into the mix. Not to paint s dismal picture but one has to call a spade black when they see it for what it is and not sugar or distort the issue...

My Avatar-- Sarah Palin Says " "You know the difference between a pit bull and a hockey mom?? Lipstick!" Now on a Short Verbal Tether by the Honorable John McCain

0 funny, 0 helpful.

kernow62 says on Apr 2, 2006, 10:02:

Yes, but in Miami you do not need to speak English. How many gringos would learn Spanish if more than half the population of Cali spoke English for example.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

ColombiaBoard says on Apr 2, 2006, 10:28:

BxUnica Sorry to contradict you BxUnica, but I know they're from Bogota. My mother knew Orlando's mother. She was from Bogota and I visited them a couple of times. I don't know about the father but the mother was from Bogota and they lived in Bogota before moving to NYC.

The tiny travel agency is one block off Roosevelt Ave. but I don't remember the intersecting street.

And yes Francia, it was that plane.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Rubiazo says on Apr 2, 2006, 11:04:

Miami you are right but it's hardly exclusively a Colombian problem. It's common from one end of the Western hemisphere to the other with very few exceptions. I think it's a damn shame because if an uneducated dummy like me can grok five languages any idiot should be able to get around two or three.

I think the problem is really lack of motivation. When you put people in a n immersion situation they get to figuring things out pretty darn quickly!

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Christian88 says on Apr 2, 2006, 13:28:

You've got the same thing going on here in AZ - there's little reason or motivation to learn English, because entire sections of Phoenix speak only Spanish. Although I personally love practicing my Spanish, I find it amazing that you can live here for years (decades!) and not give any effort to learn the official language.

If a gringo went to LIVE (different from visiting) in Bogotá, and refused to try to learn Spanish, I'd look at him/her the same way. However, I doubt that they'd have the luxury of trying to do so - it would be almost impossible, I think.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

miamimike says on Apr 2, 2006, 14:42:

Rubiazo I see the Arabic and oriental Populations Busting their Tail to learn English even here in Miami and I don't think it would be any different if they lived in Neighborhoods where all the neighbors spoke their Langauge. The simple reason is for Business-they don't want be cheated! They want to understand their Legal contracts wherever and whatever they may be. When is the last tiem anyone ever saw an Arabic or Chinese get cheated/fleeced in the Market Place? They know their Immigration Rights pretty good also-they don't rely on a 2nd hand website to find out-they go right to the source! Amazing thing is how fast they do learn considering their Alphabets are completely different while the spanish/english alphabets are pretty close and in many cases words are spelled the same only prounced and accented differently(i.e. general).I have a Cuban Neighbor-here since 1980 and othwise then Good day, Hello and Thank you that's the extent of his english. He was an Attorney in Cuba.in 26 years he should be a Master degreed English Teacher! LOL

My Avatar-- Sarah Palin Says " "You know the difference between a pit bull and a hockey mom?? Lipstick!" Now on a Short Verbal Tether by the Honorable John McCain

0 funny, 0 helpful.

utopiacowboy says on Apr 2, 2006, 16:11:

"I guess that's why they made English mandatory in all schools huh?" Judging from how much English my Colombian stepkids knew when they arrived here (next to nothing) I am skeptical of this requirement. They had been taking English classes their entire school careers and could not express the simplest thought in English when they arrived. Complete immersion in the new language is the way to go. Two years later, they don't even take ESL any more.

Disclaimer: any comment I make is inane and is not to be taken seriously, and is so patently ridiculous that no one should take it seriously, even as an insult.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

caslug says on Apr 2, 2006, 16:21:

i think learning a new langauge is tied into.. necessity. The younger the immigrant is the more likely they'll learn a new langauge, because they have to use it for work and school. While older immigrants that come over that dont work or work menial jobs, have less need for it. US has lots of ethnic enclaves that an immigrant can live and NEVER need to use english, as long as they're willing to stay in that ethnic neigborhood(ie, little havana, k-town, etc.,) Younger immigrants, while maybe living at home, have to go to school, work or interact outside the ethnic barrios much more, hence learn english faster. My mom, who arrived in US in 75(when she was 40), still to this day cant speak english, because in her world she never need to speak it.

I've meet gringos in COL that are older, and lived or travelled to COL constantly, yet havent really learn spanish either. So it cuts both ways.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

poco says on Apr 2, 2006, 16:41:

OK, I give up The sad thing is the Catholic church actually has a campaign going against these guys, can you imagine that?

Humm,, you are,, getting U.S. citizenship? The man helping YOU get citizenship has problems with the Catholic Church.

You use the term “these guys”,,, what is “these guys”? Everyone helping you? or a group association.

I’d assume, maybe incorrectly, the man is not doing pro bono work with Colombians.

Maybe your friend is affiliated with a group that reveres Virgins and if they get pregnant they burn the mother at the stake and sacrifice the baby? Right ?

If I’m not right,,, then what is the reason? There is ALWAYS a reason,, or perhaps you are making “points”. A link would be nice,, then I could at least see where your thought originates.

"When you men get home and face an anti-war protester, look him in the eyes and shake his hand. Then, wink at his girlfriend, because she knows she's dating a pussy." Quote - General Tommy Franks

0 funny, 0 helpful.

kernow62 says on Apr 2, 2006, 17:01:

In Orlando there is a fairly large Asian community, mostly from Cambodia and Vietnam. My business is in little Saigon and trust me they aren't speaking English. Most of the adults have the kids translate for them. My mother's neighbours are from Cambodia, they have been here 15 years, 29 BMWs and Hummers parked outside, pops just purchased a $700,000 house (cash) in Windemere. He can't say more than hello, good morning and smile a toothless grin as he puffs on a cigarette. Apparently you don't need to know English to make it in the US.

Arabic communities are totally different, they do seem to learn the language. And of course most Indians already know the language.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

miamimike says on Apr 2, 2006, 18:38:

The Orientals are different in tampa, NYC Miami and Sf In St pete's also-I watched them in my ex-wife's class(vietnamese, chinese) their objective was to increase their Vocabulary 25 words a day. They studied night and day and adhered to the "English only" rule inthe lunch areas whereas the Spanish in general, broke into spanish the 1st time the Teacher wasn't present. They also listened to English only Radio and TV and read English Only Newspapers and magazines. They are very industrious and like I say,,they aren't cheated or taken advantage of often on the street. With all the Free English classes offered in the major Florida Cities, NO reason in the world a spanish speaking person should not be speaking English in a few years(my ex was in a 18 months-enough to survive in a "english only" work enviroment). If they want to learn.... And assimilate into American society.....

My Avatar-- Sarah Palin Says " "You know the difference between a pit bull and a hockey mom?? Lipstick!" Now on a Short Verbal Tether by the Honorable John McCain

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Christian88 says on Apr 2, 2006, 19:18:

"And assimilate into American society....." Reminds me of the Borg.

I do agree. I would certainly hope that when my girl comes here she (we) holds onto dearly to the Colombian culture, but I believe she'll need to do so while speaking English in most places (luckily, she's already close to fluent). In the home, we'll speak Spanish, but most everywhere else, I'll encourage pure English.

And Phoenix is like Miami - free English classes all over the place, no reason not learn.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

kernow62 says on Apr 2, 2006, 19:47:

Well since UTC brought up the "study" that showed only 2% learned English, I did a quick search of the web. What most studies say is that Latino immigrants as well as Korean immigrants, Cambodian immigrants all tend to follow the same general pattern. That being the first generation of adults usually learn the basics, enough to get along, their children the second generaton tend to be completely bi-lingual and the third generation tend to be monoglot English speakers. Incidentaly this mirrors all immigrant groups throughout history. Your family that may have emigrated to the USA several generations ago from Italy, Poland, Germany would have generally followed the same path.

In a study done in Boston, 36% of people from Central America reported that they spoke little or no English, whilst Colombians the figure was around 27%; logically this means that 73% reported that they spoke English. Of course these figures are for an area that is not traditionally Spanish speaking (at least as far as I know).

86% of respondents felt the need to learn English was vital to being succesful in the USA.

I think age and need to learn are the main factors in learning English (which isn't an easy language to learn); not Latino vs other immigrant group.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

poco says on Apr 4, 2006, 00:49:

New destination 86% of respondents felt the need to learn English was vital to being successful in the USA.

I guess the other 14% will seek their fortune selling package tours to Cambodians wanting to visit Phnom Penh

"When you men get home and face an anti-war protester, look him in the eyes and shake his hand. Then, wink at his girlfriend, because she knows she's dating a pussy." Quote - General Tommy Franks

0 funny, 0 helpful.