Guide to parts one and two

About the story

© St. Petersburg Times, published May 11, 1999

In May 1998, Times reporter Anne Hull and photographers Joshua Dautoff and Pam Royal began following a group of Mexican women who are brought to work in North Carolina’s blue crab season.

Texas labor recruiter Jorge del Alamo refused to speak to the St. Petersburg Times for this story. Del Alamo’s representative in Ciudad del Maíz, Mexico, instructed the women from Palomas to cut off contact with the Times.

Initially, Stan Eury, president of the North Carolina Growers Association, spoke about the “win-win” situation for Mexican women working in the U.S. crab houses. But after Eury learned the Times wanted to accompany the women from Mexico, he refused to comment further.

Mickey Daniels Jr. allowed the Times access to his Mexican workers and identified their home in Central Mexico.

The women from Palomas allowed the Times to follow their entire season of labor, including their homecoming.

“We have nothing to hide,” said Juana Cedillo. “We are just the workers.”

The Staff
Anne Hull is a national correspondent for the St. Petersburg Times.
Photographers: Joshua Dautoff, Pam Royal
Interpreters: Alicia Olazábal, Joshua Dautoff, Sabrina Arteaga
Editor: Chris Lavin
Photo editor: Sonya Doctorian
Art director: Don Morris
News artist: Anne Sappington
Copy editor: Daniel Puckett
Designer: Jennifer Wright
Researcher: Kitty Bennett
Online designer: Desiree Perry
Online editors: Roger Fischer, Steve Spears

Back copies of the Times can be purchased at the newspaper’s
business offices around the Tampa Bay area.