Workers in the Cane Essay

I am Don Ferro Hernandez, a rather successful sugarcane farmer if I do say so myself. My life is one riddled with joy and good fortune. I have been blessed with a beautiful family and wealth beyond measure. I also consider myself quite the philanthropist as on my farm I have given employment to countless poor workers (Mintz, 12). They work for me and get their earnings when I feel they deserve them. My business has brought great wealth to the Barrio Jauca and the entire Santa Isabella region being one of the largest Haciendas in the region. I have received a lot of praise from the elites in the region and have had the respect of all for the great man I am and the great achievements I have made.

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The hacienda has been in my family for generations and for that I cannot take credit. However, as mine, I have made it quite successful and have gained quite a lot from it. I have also quite verily expanded its production and output. This is the reason for my own success and that of the hacienda. I know the perfect time to plant along with the perfect time to reap and how to maintain it so that it can continue being productive. For this, I have a very able Mayordomo who interacts with the peasants at my command and carries out my will. He oversees things where I cannot as I am a very busy and important man, rubbing shoulders with other important men within the region thus having no time to check on some things myself.

I have a family who lives in lavish and comfort and this is all because of my hard work. As a man can only achieve so much, I now wish to raise my head among the men in leadership by Vying for the Mayoral seat in 1928 (Mintz, 16). This is for the good of the community as I have already done much for myself. Of my many workers, my relationship with them is as any other employer would be with his employees. They work for me and I am their boss. There is no need to have a friendship with your employees. Showing them affection is only pampering them and making them lazy (Mintz, 26). This will make them think they are like the boss and they will become lazy. Thus, I work them hard and am just a little harsh so that they can know to respect me and work diligently. And the result of this is the high production levels as you can see. The Hacienda grows more successful by the day and I become wealthier and they earn their daily food.

I am a generous man and always ensure to pay the workers when they deserve to be paid. They work and get paid when their work earns me money. However, when they have clearly done no work and still expect to be paid, then we have a problem because they are simply attempting to steal from me. Such include when it is raining. They cannot do any productive work thus how they dare ask for payment. Otherwise, I pay them daily and this is after I have had my Mayordomo supervise them to ensure that they do work. They queue in payroll lines (Mintz, 28) and the money is handed to them. To each his own in accordance with their diligence. I am quite the fair man and as my workers are workers I treat them thus. Regardless of whether their children or their background, none gets a higher wage for the same amount of work done. They are all merely workers and should be grateful for the opportunity I have given them.

Through my success as a hacendado, I believe that my future in this region of Barrio Jauca is quite Bright. As a businessman, I am already quite influential and well known around the circles of influential men thus my life is very good and comfortable. My workers are also loyal and diligent thus they will continue to make me wealthy thus money will not be an issue.

However, some delinquents need to be dealt with as they are becoming a nuisance to my operations. These include that boy Pedro who claim they inherited from their family land that is actually mine (Mintz, 41). They have no title deed to show that the land is theirs and thus possess no proof of ownership. This, however, is not a major issue as with my power and influence I can 'convince' them to move or use a bit of 'persuasion' if necessary. However, the land will return to me as they are nobody.

In proof of my excellent future in this region, I have decided to run for mayor of the region (Mintz, 46). This will simply be an uplift to my status where I shall no longer be as among the Elite but shall be above them. This will be the perfect way to sustain my name and legacy. It shall also open doors for me to improve my business significantly. The boy has decided to run against me in what I can only assume is an act of vengeance but I will make sure to have him lose everything and have him exiled from politics. I am the Boss.

Works Cited

Mintz, Sidney Wilfred. A worker in the Cane. Westport: Greenwood PR, 1974. Print.

Mintz, Sidney W. "The Culture History of a Puerto Rican Sugar Cane Plantation: 1876-1949." The Hispanic American Historical Review 33.2 (2013): 224. Web.

Mintz, Sidney W. Sweetness and Power. New York: Penguin Books, 1987. Print.