Alphonso Portillo was named an honorary citizen of the city of Gillett last week in recognition of his efforts to bridge the gap between two cultures while serving as migrant worker camp manager at Seneca Foods. He was honored Oct. 14 at a ceremony at Gillett City Hall.
Mayor Irene Drake said Portillo was integral in helping the migrant workers acclimate to life in Gillett and handled any problems that arose.
Portillo served as an interpreter for the Spanish-speaking migrants and workers on local farms who speak English as a second language or have minimal English-speaking skills. Portillo explained issues that popped up in the community and acted as a liaison between the Gillett Police Department and Gillett Municipal Court.
With Portillo as the migrant camp manager, there were almost no issues involving the Hispanic community during the 2014 canning season, according to Police Chief Jess Keplinger.
“The migrant workers are a hard-working group of people with documented papers,” he said.
He said the city’s connection with Portillo demonstrates the department’s community-based policing efforts and its objective to reach out to the minority population, who because of cultural differences, might fear and distrust the police and not feel comfortable talking to them or reporting incidents. Because of Portillo’s efforts, the department and municipal court gained the trust of the Hispanic workers, Keplinger said.
Portillo is well-respected in the local Hispanic community, he added.
Seneca Foods provided Portillo flexibility in his schedule, allowing him to interpret for the Police Department or the municipal court whenever necessary.
Mike Hull, plant manager at Seneca Foods, said Portillo has been the migrant crew leader for many years and has done a good job for the company and for the 100 migrant workers for whom he is responsible.
The migrant workers live in housing provided by Seneca Foods for a small fee, and Keplinger said Gillett police officers were invited to attend meals and birthday parties at the migrant workers’ barracks.
A going-away party for Portillo included the award ceremony and cake and coffee with city personnel, Portillo and Hull. The 2014 canning season is over, and Portillo has returned home to Laredo, Texas, for the off-season.
Categories
