Our family is fortunate to own and farm world class grape growing land, and we also follow cutting edge grape growing technology, which is necessary to produce fine wines. Just as important we have the focused determination to produce wines of the highest pedigree. Yet, without a willing, qualified workforce, all these factors would be useless. We could not hope to fulfill our family’s ambition.
This letter is about our country’s ill-conceived new immigration policy, as applied by the current administration. It used to be the spring frosts or humid harvest rains were the worst things that could happen to challenge the pursuit of making fine wine, but the proposed immigration policy trumps both of those combined in a single vintage. Politics and your wine quality do mix.
Please reflect on this immigration subject from the perspective of our family, who has lived and grown grapes here on Rhinefarm for 150 years. Jacob Gundlach set sail for the U.S. in 1849, and documented his journey with daily entries (written in German) in a diary we are fortunate to have to this day. Passengers on his sailing ship were mostly fellow Germans or Swedes, with a few other nationalities sprinkled in. While on board, he recounts how the Germans mostly hung out with Germans, and the Swedes with other Swedes, etc.
When he eventually arrived in San Francisco in 1850, there was a German community already established. Jacob mostly socialized and conducted business with fellow countrymen. The Swedes, likewise, went about their own business. According to Gundlach’s diary and letters, he proudly considered himself a U.S. citizen. He achieved this status by following the process of the immigration system. He learned English, but his sentiments and first language were German. He even started a brewery, before purchasing Rhinefarm, and called it the Bavarian Brew Haus.
The ensuing generations of Charles Bundschu, Jacob’s son-in-law, and Walter Bundschu, who was Charles’ son, began to assimilate themselves into the hodgepodge of San Francisco and early Sonoma Valley citizens, who stemmed from various ethnic cultures. Walter, who was the third generation, lived full time on Rhinefarm and spoke little German. The fourth and fifth generations of Bundschus spoke none. Assuming our family could be considered normal (a leap of faith) it took three generations for English to become their primary language. Granted, Jacob and Charles, if you have ever read their poems, songs, and letters, were very proficient in English.
Jacob willingly left his native Bavaria. The region was in political turmoil, but Jacob left for entrepreneurial reasons. He was fortunate, in that he was not a refugee forced to flee his home, as so many people around the world must do today merely to survive. So it is with most Latinos crossing in the U.S. today; they mostly arrive here to work. Some wish to become permanent residents; others have no intentions of staying. Because they are forced to deal with antiquated or non-existent immigration policies that give them little opportunity, they soon learn to operate below the radar, to seek opportunity in the shadow of mainstream society.
Despite the stigmas of the shadows, these Latinos often succeed, just as our family has on Rhinefarm. Our local newspaper, the Sonoma Valley Index Tribune, just published photos and biographies of new teachers entering the Sonoma Valley school district this year. There were 14 new names; six of them with Latino surnames. Most likely these are the 2nd and 3rd generation members of their families. A very similar calendar to that of our own family a century ago.
These families, like ours, and probably yours, benefited from sane immigration policies appropriate to their time. Unfortunately, governments of both parties avoided their responsibility of addressing any immigration reform until 9-11. Recently, Washington has reacted but only with name calling and political posturing (the main by-products of our political system). What has emerged is a knee-jerk, short-sighted decree, calling for us citizens to become immigration law enforcers.
Worst yet, it almost assuredly will affect the quality of the wines we can produce for you. Currently available mechanization does not lend itself to the production of top quality wines. There are few shortcuts; many seasoned qualified hands are required to produce the finest grapes, and these hands are predominantly Latino.
Salud amigos.
Jim
