My wife is Hispanic and has family there in Hidalgo county. We visit the valley all the time. Yes it is poor, but the people are incredible. Citrus fruits grow wild in the trees its awesome.
@@MasterMalrubiusI don't think that comment is the flex that you think it is.. most people don't see oranges and grapefruits growing wild on the side of the road. Maybe you do where you live? But most people don't.
@@xtruthx Lived in Phoenix for over 20 years. Very common to see orange, lemon and lime trees there. South Texas isn't special. They struggle to attract talent for all kinds of professions. It doesn't help that drug traffickers are embedded along the border.
The man you interviewed is a lovely gentleman & a pleasure to listen to. Thank you.. It is a nice change to listen to someone who is not pointing fingers & blaming others for their circumstances.. America needs more people like him.
I’m originally from the valley this is the attitude that is instilled in most of us growing up. I lived to San Antonio, Austin & currently live in Houston, a lot of people that are in poverty don’t have this attitude, rather have a victim mentality and don’t understand what’s it’s like growing up in an area where opportunities are limited like where I’m from, and I’ve seen so many people who barley spoke a lick of English become very successful. If there is one thing America should learn from the valley it is this video and this older gentleman speaking.
@@AngerBangFtG I can.. it's literally all the expansionist countries who are the culprits... Which also includes the Aztecs and Spaniards, who are the forefathers of the Mexicans. There are peoples who don't have this desire to expand and are just content with living on their own lands. The Bhutanese being one example... and not too long ago, before the elites created the war to change it into a poor country, the Bosnians were much the same as well. There are probably more I don't know and many, many more in the past that didn't have the strength to defend their lands. You're lost thinking like that. Even the Bible teaches that there were inherently good peoples like the Samaritans.
Never mind that they don’t want to speak English and have entered the country illegally. e.t.a. Second and third generation Latinos comprise the largest group on welfare, in the U.S.
I would rather have these people as neighbors than some of the other people I’ve seen on your show. They may not have much, but they work hard and have a good attitude.
Poverty is about values. not money. I travelled the backroads of Latin America when I was young and saw all kinds of people. Been in the "homes" of people who lived in caves they dug into the sides of hills who were nice and worked hard and were proud to cook supper for guests using the tiny bid of food they brought home each day. They had middle class values common to the good people in all of humanity. They did not see themselves as poor. People who engage in crime are poor in the accounts that matter, no matter how much money they have from their ill-gotten gains.
Mercedes, TX is my hometown, graduated from there, and actually taught there (my first teaching gig). The school district is the epitome of corrupt, but then again...I'd be hard pressed to find a school district in the US that ISN'T corrupt.
@DIVISIONINCISION And in valley school districts, oftentimes it's idiots knowing even bigger idiots. It's why the schools are such a joke. In mercedes right now, one of the districts board members (former principal) opposed giving substitute teachers a pay raise, but he himself substitutes and travels to Weslaco because they pay more. Pants on head ridiculousness
Bruh they just as corrupt out there as Mexico 😂 I use to live in weslaco on pino st .an first by the new heb across from churches chicken over the train tracks down that street directly even with churches chicken 😂😂
These people are probably better off that the government leave them alone. Hispanics are proud hard working people, last thing they want is to live off the government. These communities will keep building on their own and keep getting better.
There sure as hell is, you're looking at grandfathered homes. Unless you have a corrupt builder which is quite normal, then you can get away with junk homes.
I just spent the last 17 years in texas and the last year near the border. I didnt care for the rio grande valley. Now im in a small town in the middle of nowhere and love it!!
Most of those fancy pants houses are owned by American executives that work in Mexico. They work in Mexico by day and go home to the US at night. A lot of people think Mexican immigrants only come here looking for jobs but what they are really looking for is leadership. Many of the immigrants already had jobs in Mexico. Mexico doesn't have a labor shortage, they have a leadership shortage.
Thank You Mr. Johnson for doing all these videos on poverty and homelessness,I am currently going through what looks exactly like all this,I just have a phone and ways to charge it,but work and effort is the only way out of it,but most of all I stay self motivated,stay out of fights with those who are on drugs and crazy,but I'm looking up all the resources,like I should of did when I was in Arizona right now I'm in northern Nevada.
McAllen, the main city near the border. McAllen is clean, organized, and probably 99.9% Hispanic including the rich houses you showed. Hispanics have been here since before the USA not all crossed. The poor shown areas in the video are mostly rural and less affluent than McAllen, but South Texas is safe compared to cities like Houston or Dallas. The Texas Valley probably offers a better lifestyle than at any income-class Austin, with significantly cheaper houses, better tasting and more affordable food, resulting in a lower overall cost of living compared to the rest of the country. But apparently Its a "poor area" due to income comparison to the rest of USA, but not poorest in lifestyle by far. I would even go as far as to say people live better in Texas border than even the major cities on higher incomes.
I grew up in Mission, graduated from Sharyland HS and Pan American University, and I can confirm everything you’ve stated is accurate. Thanks for your input Ivan.
Okay bro you're delusional lmao I'm from McAllen it's nice but no opportunity at all for me as a software engineer. If I would've stayed there, I probably would've been a single father before I'm 25. I'm happy with my career and my wealth in the bay area, something the rgv wouldve never given me.
I see the American Dream being a reality here. While many Americans might see dispare here, we don't know how bad things are in other countries. What I see in this video is better than what I see in videos of San Francisco. These people work for a living. They are trying. It's okay to be poor, not okay to be lazy.
Amen! My Pastor always said "pull yourself up by your bootstraps, get off that pity pot, no shan in being a janitor, maid (etc) - but be the best one you can and you won't stay one. He wasn't a "prosperity preacher" he said get off your butt no matter what it is.
I can definitely say Nick.. you have visited many so called American towns / cities that look a hell of a lot worse than this. Seems like too some appear to have some pride in what little they have.
I was down in the area a few times when I was working pipeline just south of La Feria and Mercedes. The people down there may be poor but they would give the shirt off their back to help out a stranger in need. Also the food is amazing.
It was quite common in times past to burn your household trash. My parents had a house in the City of Los Angeles built in 1905 and they had a concrete trash burner in the back yard. Of course in the 60's when I grew up it had become illegal to burn your trash.
Remember the fallen leaves being burned at curbside in Autumn? Typically at dusk with the fresh chill in the air combined with the smell swirling around the neighborhood.
That's some cool information. My parents were born in the 1920's - I had older parents, and I was born in 1964. They passed away in the 2000's. My father served in WW2, but he kept that part, his service on the down low, pretty much. I know he lost some of his buddies there. He made the rank of Corporal, but by the time he left the service in 1944 he was demoted one rank to PFC. He said he took some leave in Paris but he was advised that he shouldn't go. He went anyway but lost his stripes. He still received an honorable discharge though. He served from 1939 (19 years old) to 1944.
I'm from the US but I live in Mexico now and love it ❤😊 Lot's of Americans move sown to Mexico because of so much more friendly people in Mexico and so much cheaper prices and the food, music ok the cultura about life is so much more sweet so Viva Mexico where people are the best ever and the most hard working people around so again, Viva Mexico in memory of Juan Gabriel and Vicente Fernandez and Frida Kahlo ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
Facts, people really don't own nothing, you only own the clothes on your back, stop paying property tax see what happens same thing on any car being driven 💯💯 and white people stay at that same place it's not a color thing, everyone is being effected 👌
What are Mr Macron doing with your country? He spends a lot of your taxes for war? What about Africa? France was a beautiful Land, and now? The EZB leader Lagarde isn't honest. By the way whole EUROPE. Are Mr Macron a members of the WEF? The same shit worldwide. Make love and not war!❤ Merry Christmas and a peaceful new year.
The way the economy is we should all be so resourceful as these people. I bet they are happy and family oriented. Leave them alone band let them live their lives as they want to.
The man who did the interview seems to be a wonderful man... 😊 As far as the tour... why can't people not throw their trash on the ground? Poor doesn't mean u can't be clean...
I’m born and raised in the Rio Grande Valley (Harlingen to be exact). It is definitely poor but it isn’t crime ridden like many other poverty areas of the country. People are extremely friendly and always willing to help others. There are many benefits to the valley, including affordable housing (compared to other parts of the state), extremely low crime rate, and access to the best beach in Texas (south padre island). It has grown quite a bit since I was a child, and it will only continue to grow more. Hopefully for the better and not worse. Time will tell.
The Rio Grande Valley of Texas is very strange, some places are thriving and nice and some places are run down and slowly dying. I had a friend from Brownsville in the Navy and he seemed like a spoiled rich kid. The economic divide in the Rio Grande Valley reminds me of how most of the country is
Hmmmm --- What I got from this video is that the people in Hidalgo County, TX, are improving their lives and their property. And, through hard work and intelligent planning, they are pulling themselves out of poverty.
@@ajs96350 -- Are the lives of those people improving? Or, should they return to the better life that they once had before they moved into the Valley ?
Awesome video! My cousin works @ Fire-station in Hidalgo County. My other cousins do Alarm systems all over the area. I came from Mexico, they housed me and we were migrant farm workers all over the US in 80’s while off from school. I went to college in early 1990’s got a degree in Sciences after teachers there inspired us and pushed us to better ourselves. It’s the best food when I make it down there to visit and commune with our God’s people!
I drove through similar towns. I saw a lot of dying towns. Even saw an abandoned walmart. The people there are so nice. Even the lady at the checkout counter walked our bags to our car for us. Very memorable
@@vicronson wow nice assumptions she is payed and yes we had a shopping cart, she offered to push it to our car for us and load the groceries and for the record, it was star market not walmart. IT was next to an abandoned walmart
It don't look bad to me. I live in Texas, just because people live out of debt doesn't mean they are dirty and there's bacteria everywhere. They probably have septic tanks. I'm not hispanic and don't live on the border, but I know of some areas like this
HaHaHa ---> "doesn't mean they are dirty and there's bacteria everywhere." Actually, bacteria ARE everywhere. Bacteria are in the food we eat, the air we breathe, the clothes we wear, and the soil we walk on. Bacteria are in your intestines, in your mouth, and on your skin. Bacteria are everywhere.
I’m 12 miles from Houston, there’s still a lot of areas that look just like this, but with the ever increasing rise in rent, they’re slowly disappearing for apartments.
Reminds me a bit of my childhood! I'm an H-Town native, and my step-family is Hispanic, and I would go down to Mexico with them. I always enjoyed the vibe, and everyone was always nice to me ^^
Viva Mexico ❤😊 I moved to Guadalajara. So many Americans move to Mexico now, it's just so crazy 😅 I would never move back to the US just so crazy now in the US and very expensive so again, Viva Mexico with mucho amor ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤ in Memory of Juan Gabriel amore eternoans Asi THE 😊😊😊😊😊😊😊
Watched an episode of 48 hrs last night about Irene Garza called Sins of the Father and she was from Hidalgo county. First time hearing of the place and now Nick is talking about it. Wow, not sure what to think about the Colonias. I didn't know it even existed
@@diegoflores9237 I’m sure it is but there were two deaths the day before I was there. Not a good comparison but police wanted mexsafe that day with warnings. ❤️
The Colonias, a real eye opener, especially with all the Mc Mansions popping up in the same county.“Clinton St” I had to reverse the video to double check what I saw, the irony 😅 Interesting you mentioned NAFTA, that admin were proponents. I attended horticultural classes a few years back, the instructor said that it decimated local farms, they couldn’t compete with new trade agreements the US created with the Mexico partnership. Many people lost their livelihoods. In the 90s a little over 30 farms were thriving in the San Antonio area, it was reduced to only one that served as a food pantry 😕
I like it when you talk to local people like the gentleman at the beginning and end of the video. I still remember the young man from your Pueblo, Colorado video, and how wise he was. It gives me faith in our country, despite its many problems.
Hmmmm --- What I got from this video is that the people in Hidalgo County, TX, are improving their lives and their property. And, through hard work and intelligent planning, they are pulling themselves out of poverty. What I saw in this video is improvement -- not failure, but success.
Was starting to think you'd have better luck finding a ghost 👻 than someone to talk with you! It really is an interesting place. Ricardo was nice. Thanks Nick, for taking us along with you. 🤗
I went to the McDonalds in Zapata Texas like a month ago, there was like 8 people working the front area, not one of them spoke a word of English, they had to get the kid flipping the burgers in the back to come out and take my order, because he was the only one who could speak any English, and it wasn't much, or very good. Completely blew my mind.
Thank you for teaching me about Hidalgo Cty. I moved here 1.5 years ago & I learned more from this video than I have in person. I like it much better than Houston, actually.
The irony of the statement. 1) how can you tell the immigration status based on a video and living conditions? Explain the poorest regions of the USA not these colonias? Did people in West Virginia just come over from who knows where? The homeless that is rampant throughout the entire East and West Coast of the USA. The truth is that the overwhelming majority of people with roots in the valley and throughout Texas who are of Mexican origin have been on US soil generations before the channel owner Nick and the overwhelming majority of European origin Americans. I am just being fair.
I'll bet that food is some of the best authentic Hispanic food around. The people work hard and the town is simply a good place to call home. I live in a City and its way worse regardless of the nice homes. You have tents to compare to those homes there. Id much rather live in a fixer upper home and work then inside a tent sleeping and asking for money. Good for them. It looks like a decent place to call home.
Watching this made me want to cry a few times I grew up in a colonial the RGV. If you need someone to talk to about life in a colonia. I grew up in one for 15 years. I can give an honest breakdown of life their and how something’s actually were. I can explain the exploitation of the people, the system, illegal immigration and how it impacts life on the citizens. As someone who lived their until I was 18 (joined the military) I can tell you I miss it with my entire heart, but I’ll will never move back at least not raise my son their. It’s a shame what has happened to the RGV in the last 20 years. And it breaks my heart. Also annoys me when democratic elected officials come and say they have our best interest when they never did. They come and make a mockery of what is going on down there by taking picture on a fence. People crying about kids in cages, when those cages have been there for 20 plus years.
Hi Nick. Thanks again for doing what you do. Shining a positive light and keeping it real is a great thing. That fella that you were conversing with seems like a real sweetheart. Cheers♥️🇳🇿👍🌺
One thing with us Latins we avoid welfare and we prefer sometimes to go hungry, than depending from government alms. Rarely some Latins go homeless, we prefer to do any menial job instead. Nick, great video you`re the best.
I’m from Texas but live in Michigan. I love Hispanic people. Most are very nice and the hardest working people I have ever seen. They do hella work with concrete or cement they call it. Very talented people!
@@jamesgoode9246 point was in the US I think we typically refer to it as concrete. I had my driveway poured by the Mexican American Cement Company. I thought it was cute and they did a stellar job!
I live in the Caribbean on the island of Trinidad which has a big has Spanish influence but our national language is English. The house with the wrought iron work and fence we do here as well. I have been to Spain and that particular styling comes from there. The houses that are partly finished hold up well because it is brick construction so they can add on as you stated.
You should get yourself over to Eagle Pass, TX if you want another boarder town. I used to live there and the funny thing is that they have a pretty large and vibrant Filipino community there. It's pretty nice.
The septic tank comment says more about Nick than the way things are. That’s not a ding on Nick BTW. All his rural driving I would have thought he would have ran into that a few thousand times. I would think septic is the way most of rural America is. I am in Virginia with septic tank.
Here in NW Oregon if you are out in the country, not close enough to connect with the towns sewer system, they you must have a septic tank. No other option.
I used to live on the West side of San Antonio not too far from the courts. Oftentimes, I would hear gun shots at night and one time, I detected a bullet hole in my windshield. There were also a lot of stray dogs roaming the neighborhood. I like San Antonio, but can't be there during the summer because the heat is unbearable. I'm quite shocked that Hidalgo county is in that bad of shape. I never would have expected that in Texas.
I'm 67years old In Scotland when I was young we used to burn trash in the fireplace to heat the house everything even potato peelings old shoes etc etc
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Hi. The problem is high taxes, high rent, high food costs, high energy costs, high gasoline and high automotive costs.
We cannot afford to live in the USA anymore. It's over.
See... People want to blame this stuff on everyone with issues. But this is now affecting more and more people.
Now watch this... Calculate the cost of all government employees salaries, pensions, government vehicles, spending, etc. There's the problem. 😁💯✔😲
My wife is Hispanic and has family there in Hidalgo county. We visit the valley all the time. Yes it is poor, but the people are incredible. Citrus fruits grow wild in the trees its awesome.
Where else does citrus grow? 🤣
@@MasterMalrubiusI don't think that comment is the flex that you think it is.. most people don't see oranges and grapefruits growing wild on the side of the road. Maybe you do where you live? But most people don't.
@@xtruthx Lived in Phoenix for over 20 years. Very common to see orange, lemon and lime trees there. South Texas isn't special. They struggle to attract talent for all kinds of professions. It doesn't help that drug traffickers are embedded along the border.
@@MasterMalrubiusIn Italy for exemple or Florida exactly Orlando.
But in Palm Springs too.
I saw that.
Bella Italia ever❤
@@MasterMalrubiusFlorida
The man you interviewed is a lovely gentleman & a pleasure to listen to. Thank you.. It is a nice change to listen to someone who is not pointing fingers & blaming others for their circumstances.. America needs more people like him.
I agree
This country deserves blame considering all the atrocities it has committed.
I’m originally from the valley this is the attitude that is instilled in most of us growing up. I lived to San Antonio, Austin & currently live in Houston, a lot of people that are in poverty don’t have this attitude, rather have a victim mentality and don’t understand what’s it’s like growing up in an area where opportunities are limited like where I’m from, and I’ve seen so many people who barley spoke a lick of English become very successful. If there is one thing America should learn from the valley it is this video and this older gentleman speaking.
Name a country that hasn't committed an atrocity. Just one. Since you can't, shut up.@@lyrical_love
@@AngerBangFtG I can.. it's literally all the expansionist countries who are the culprits... Which also includes the Aztecs and Spaniards, who are the forefathers of the Mexicans. There are peoples who don't have this desire to expand and are just content with living on their own lands. The Bhutanese being one example... and not too long ago, before the elites created the war to change it into a poor country, the Bosnians were much the same as well. There are probably more I don't know and many, many more in the past that didn't have the strength to defend their lands. You're lost thinking like that. Even the Bible teaches that there were inherently good peoples like the Samaritans.
"Just leave me alone and let me earn my living." The quintessential American attitude.
Beautiful hearted man, that guy.
Sounds good to me!
Indeed , it is a GLOBAL attitude 😍✅👍🏻
Never mind that they don’t want to speak English and have entered the country illegally.
e.t.a. Second and third generation Latinos comprise the largest group on welfare, in the U.S.
He’s a Texan.
I would rather have these people as neighbors than some of the other people I’ve seen on your show. They may not have much, but they work hard and have a good attitude.
I agree, imagine living in the hoods of Batimore MD?
Dog whistle much?
@user-zq1xf3lz8y the government created the hoods you speak of. All by design. Do your homework.
@@lyrical_love wrong ,,
@@atexanguyPlease explain HOW he is wrong?
Poverty is about values. not money. I travelled the backroads of Latin America when I was young and saw all kinds of people. Been in the "homes" of people who lived in caves they dug into the sides of hills who were nice and worked hard and were proud to cook supper for guests using the tiny bid of food they brought home each day. They had middle class values common to the good people in all of humanity. They did not see themselves as poor. People who engage in crime are poor in the accounts that matter, no matter how much money they have from their ill-gotten gains.
Mercedes, TX is my hometown, graduated from there, and actually taught there (my first teaching gig). The school district is the epitome of corrupt, but then again...I'd be hard pressed to find a school district in the US that ISN'T corrupt.
Small town Texas is all about connections and who you know. That's how things are done in Texas.
@DIVISIONINCISION And in valley school districts, oftentimes it's idiots knowing even bigger idiots. It's why the schools are such a joke. In mercedes right now, one of the districts board members (former principal) opposed giving substitute teachers a pay raise, but he himself substitutes and travels to Weslaco because they pay more. Pants on head ridiculousness
Bruh they just as corrupt out there as Mexico 😂 I use to live in weslaco on pino st .an first by the new heb across from churches chicken over the train tracks down that street directly even with churches chicken 😂😂
These people are probably better off that the government leave them alone. Hispanics are proud hard working people, last thing they want is to live off the government. These communities will keep building on their own and keep getting better.
That's lie! If that's the case, why they breaking into border?
Not all. A friend married into a Latino family, several of who are very entitled.
@@christinaheagy4602😅
Another great one. That dude with the clothing kiosk/setup is awesome. Real people.
I like the fact that there aren't lots of rules about how you can build your house. Gives the neighborhood character.
There sure as hell is, you're looking at grandfathered homes.
Unless you have a corrupt builder which is quite normal, then you can get away with junk homes.
@@ajs96350in Texas anything over ten acres there is zero permits and inspections. That includes a septic system.
@@ajs96350karenstauffer is talking about the design, not the quality.
I just spent the last 17 years in texas and the last year near the border. I didnt care for the rio grande valley. Now im in a small town in the middle of nowhere and love it!!
Now this is the America we will all experience soon enough.
You said it, it's very sad 😭😮
Not just places like the neighborhood in the video, but hordes of surveillance cameras & military police or Cartel enforcers in Chinese APC's.
Seems like a close knit community
It's their plan and they are ramping.,
It is what the politicians really want, tax slaves.
Ciao Nick, I'm always glad to see you.
Poor people are often very friendly.
Little community isn't bad.
Thanks Nick.
Most of those fancy pants houses are owned by American executives that work in Mexico. They work in Mexico by day and go home to the US at night. A lot of people think Mexican immigrants only come here looking for jobs but what they are really looking for is leadership. Many of the immigrants already had jobs in Mexico. Mexico doesn't have a labor shortage, they have a leadership shortage.
That's not a good enough reason to come here though, because a lot of jobs here suck too. Many have no promotions and very dumb leaders too.
Same with our leaders here
Have you seen our leaders? OMG! There's better leadership in a Boy or Girl Scout Troop than the morons running things in our state and country.
Hate to burst your bubble but a lot also have Narco ties...
@@asdf-iq1ei Well I know there's no proof of that.
Speculation101
Thank You Mr. Johnson for doing all these videos on poverty and homelessness,I am currently going through what looks exactly like all this,I just have a phone and ways to charge it,but work and effort is the only way out of it,but most of all I stay self motivated,stay out of fights with those who are on drugs and crazy,but I'm looking up all the resources,like I should of did when I was in Arizona right now I'm in northern Nevada.
Bro I feel like I’m joining you shit is crazy
You two stay up 🤛
McAllen, the main city near the border. McAllen is clean, organized, and probably 99.9% Hispanic including the rich houses you showed. Hispanics have been here since before the USA not all crossed. The poor shown areas in the video are mostly rural and less affluent than McAllen, but South Texas is safe compared to cities like Houston or Dallas. The Texas Valley probably offers a better lifestyle than at any income-class Austin, with significantly cheaper houses, better tasting and more affordable food, resulting in a lower overall cost of living compared to the rest of the country. But apparently Its a "poor area" due to income comparison to the rest of USA, but not poorest in lifestyle by far. I would even go as far as to say people live better in Texas border than even the major cities on higher incomes.
I grew up in Mission, graduated from Sharyland HS and Pan American University, and I can confirm everything you’ve stated is accurate. Thanks for your input Ivan.
Shhh… please don’t let the secret out. Hidalgo County is still a gem with a great quality of life.
I lived in McAllen before I moved to Mexico City. You know what your talking about
McAllen homes some of the nicest people I've ever met, they were kind to us ❤
Okay bro you're delusional lmao I'm from McAllen it's nice but no opportunity at all for me as a software engineer. If I would've stayed there, I probably would've been a single father before I'm 25. I'm happy with my career and my wealth in the bay area, something the rgv wouldve never given me.
I see the American Dream being a reality here. While many Americans might see dispare here, we don't know how bad things are in other countries. What I see in this video is better than what I see in videos of San Francisco. These people work for a living. They are trying. It's okay to be poor, not okay to be lazy.
I loved your message 🤍
Amen! My Pastor always said "pull yourself up by your bootstraps, get off that pity pot, no shan in being a janitor, maid (etc) - but be the best one you can and you won't stay one. He wasn't a "prosperity preacher" he said get off your butt no matter what it is.
Interesting way to spell despair
We visited the USA last year and we could not believe the contrast in homes and quality of living within a few miles
I can definitely say Nick.. you have visited many so called American towns / cities that look a hell of a lot worse than this. Seems like too some appear to have some pride in what little they have.
I was down in the area a few times when I was working pipeline just south of La Feria and Mercedes. The people down there may be poor but they would give the shirt off their back to help out a stranger in need. Also the food is amazing.
It was quite common in times past to burn your household trash. My parents had a house in the City of Los Angeles built in 1905 and they had a concrete trash burner in the back yard. Of course in the 60's when I grew up it had become illegal to burn your trash.
It was still super common for everyone to have a burn barrel in Arkansas until the late 1990s in the city of Fort Smith.
Just dump it in the ocean as performed by NYC.
When I was a kid in the 50’s we burned our trash…laws changed in the 60’s
Remember the fallen leaves being burned at curbside in Autumn?
Typically at dusk with the fresh chill in the air combined with the smell swirling around the neighborhood.
That's some cool information. My parents were born in the 1920's - I had older parents, and I was born in 1964. They passed away in the 2000's. My father served in WW2, but he kept that part, his service on the down low, pretty much. I know he lost some of his buddies there. He made the rank of Corporal, but by the time he left the service in 1944 he was demoted one rank to PFC. He said he took some leave in Paris but he was advised that he shouldn't go. He went anyway but lost his stripes. He still received an honorable discharge though. He served from 1939 (19 years old) to 1944.
Laredo Texas has defund the wall painted on a street but 95 percent of the homes and businesses have fence and walls around them.
I grew up in rural Nebraska, trash is still burned. Not anything unusual for rural US in agricultural areas.
You have a meditation playlist with Gregg Abbott video 😂, how do you do it?
How do I do what specifically???
Meditate watching Gregg Abbott videos? 😅
I get headaches sometimes when I watch anything politics that's why.
@@elbertmoreno2159That’s why they need the meditation videos.
I'm from Weslaco. The majority of the Valley doesn't look that bad. It's getting better though. The economy is consistently growing
We recently got off of septic tanks in my neighborhood here in Kona. 2021.
"some people still have septic tanks" 😂, well yeah, out in the country that's common.
Looks nice. It's good to see a main street still populated with open stores
Thank you Nick!💞 You know exactly what time it is in America! I just hope we can turn things around. Take good care and Merry Christmas to you!!!🎄🦌❄️🎅
I'm from the US but I live in Mexico now and love it ❤😊 Lot's of Americans move sown to Mexico because of so much more friendly people in Mexico and so much cheaper prices and the food, music ok the cultura about life is so much more sweet so Viva Mexico where people are the best ever and the most hard working people around so again, Viva Mexico in memory of Juan Gabriel and Vicente Fernandez and Frida Kahlo ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
Are you still working, or are you retired? I would imagine there aren’t many job opportunities for Americans, especially if they don’t speak Spanish.
They dont treat you the way we treat them huh?
My parents live in Salado. They've been Texans since 1987. We call it Tey-haas ! The sunsets are beautiful. Lots of reds.
Red fishes¿
Sometimes you better off in a shack than paying $1000 a month in taxes to live in your own house
Facts, people really don't own nothing, you only own the clothes on your back, stop paying property tax see what happens same thing on any car being driven 💯💯 and white people stay at that same place it's not a color thing, everyone is being effected 👌
Beautiful people just living ✨️ These videos are educational especially for someone like me from France. Thank you dearly 💛
Ok! 🇫🇷 ❤️
What are Mr Macron doing with your country?
He spends a lot of your taxes for war?
What about Africa?
France was a beautiful Land, and now?
The EZB leader Lagarde isn't honest.
By the way whole EUROPE.
Are Mr Macron a members of the WEF?
The same shit worldwide.
Make love and not war!❤
Merry Christmas and a peaceful new year.
The way the economy is we should all be so resourceful as these people. I bet they are happy and family oriented. Leave them alone band let them live their lives as they want to.
The man who did the interview seems to be a wonderful man... 😊
As far as the tour... why can't people not throw their trash on the ground? Poor doesn't mean u can't be clean...
God bless TX, & God bless you too sir. 🙏🏼 Great video.
I’m born and raised in the Rio Grande Valley (Harlingen to be exact). It is definitely poor but it isn’t crime ridden like many other poverty areas of the country. People are extremely friendly and always willing to help others. There are many benefits to the valley, including affordable housing (compared to other parts of the state), extremely low crime rate, and access to the best beach in Texas (south padre island). It has grown quite a bit since I was a child, and it will only continue to grow more. Hopefully for the better and not worse. Time will tell.
Ditto
You have to give it to them for at least not being homeless. Great content nick, love your videos.
Thank you for the stories and places you share with us!
You got a really good interview as many times. Good job Nick. Watching you in New Jersey
Looks like the best job in the Colonias is building chain-link fences
And rod iron
The Rio Grande Valley of Texas is very strange, some places are thriving and nice and some places are run down and slowly dying. I had a friend from Brownsville in the Navy and he seemed like a spoiled rich kid. The economic divide in the Rio Grande Valley reminds me of how most of the country is
Hmmmm --- What I got from this video is that the people in Hidalgo County, TX, are improving their lives and their property. And, through hard work and intelligent planning, they are pulling themselves out of poverty.
@@jamesgoode9246No, things are just getting more expensive. Ain’t no one going to be able to get caught up - payday loans make certain of it.
@@jamesgoode9246 As someone who lives down here, that's a big hell no on the intelligent planning and pulling themselves out of poverty.
@@ajs96350 -- Are the lives of those people improving?
Or, should they return to the better life that they once had before they moved into the Valley ?
Awesome video!
My cousin works @ Fire-station in Hidalgo County.
My other cousins do Alarm systems all over the area. I came from Mexico, they housed me and we were migrant farm workers all over the US in 80’s while off from school. I went to college in early 1990’s got a degree in Sciences after teachers there inspired us and pushed us to better ourselves.
It’s the best food when I make it down there to visit and commune with our God’s people!
I drove through similar towns. I saw a lot of dying towns. Even saw an abandoned walmart. The people there are so nice. Even the lady at the checkout counter walked our bags to our car for us.
Very memorable
You allowed an underpaid female Walmart employee too carry your groceries to your car, geez you ever hear of a shopping cart?
@@vicronson wow nice assumptions
she is payed and yes we had a shopping cart, she offered to push it to our car for us and load the groceries
and for the record, it was star market not walmart. IT was next to an abandoned walmart
It don't look bad to me. I live in Texas, just because people live out of debt doesn't mean they are dirty and there's bacteria everywhere. They probably have septic tanks. I'm not hispanic and don't live on the border, but I know of some areas like this
Yeah, there is nothing wrong with a septic tank.
HaHaHa ---> "doesn't mean they are dirty and there's bacteria everywhere."
Actually, bacteria ARE everywhere. Bacteria are in the food we eat, the air we breathe, the clothes we wear, and the soil we walk on. Bacteria are in your intestines, in your mouth, and on your skin. Bacteria are everywhere.
Right on, so very well said, Amen ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅
I’m 12 miles from Houston, there’s still a lot of areas that look just like this, but with the ever increasing rise in rent, they’re slowly disappearing for apartments.
@@tcb10179
Doing the best with what they have. What more could you ask of these people ?
I wish the best for all of them.
Reminds me a bit of my childhood! I'm an H-Town native, and my step-family is Hispanic, and I would go down to Mexico with them. I always enjoyed the vibe, and everyone was always nice to me ^^
Nick Awesome video!! El Valle. We lived in McAllen before retiring to Mexico City. South Texas is best. Cool vid
Viva Mexico ❤😊 I moved to Guadalajara. So many Americans move to Mexico now, it's just so crazy 😅 I would never move back to the US just so crazy now in the US and very expensive so again, Viva Mexico with mucho amor ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤ in Memory of Juan Gabriel amore eternoans Asi THE 😊😊😊😊😊😊😊
Watched an episode of 48 hrs last night about Irene Garza called Sins of the Father and she was from Hidalgo county. First time hearing of the place and now Nick is talking about it. Wow, not sure what to think about the Colonias. I didn't know it even existed
Me either!!
It worries me when the corporations turn their greedy eyes to this area. They should start preparing now for the battle.
As a Texas case manager, I had several people as clients in Hidalgo. El Paso is where I did not feel safe after 12:00 Noon.
El paso is one of the safest cities in the country
@@diegoflores9237
I’m sure it is but there were two deaths the day before I was there. Not a good comparison but police wanted mexsafe that day with warnings. ❤️
Put the pipe down. Are you nuts?
The Colonias, a real eye opener, especially with all the Mc Mansions popping up in the same county.“Clinton St” I had to reverse the video to double check what I saw, the irony 😅 Interesting you mentioned NAFTA, that admin were proponents. I attended horticultural classes a few years back, the instructor said that it decimated local farms, they couldn’t compete with new trade agreements the US created with the Mexico partnership. Many people lost their livelihoods. In the 90s a little over 30 farms were thriving in the San Antonio area, it was reduced to only one that served as a food pantry 😕
You got to think of places are living in now probably a hundred percent better than the places they left
Great upload! Loving your channel lately, definitely gives a great perspective and insight on areas of the world that lots of people don’t get to see.
Glad you enjoy it Amy!
I like it when you talk to local people like the gentleman at the beginning and end of the video. I still remember the young man from your Pueblo, Colorado video, and how wise he was. It gives me faith in our country, despite its many problems.
We totally enjoyed your interview 😊
Good Mike!
They're not squatters they're poor
Hmmmm --- What I got from this video is that the people in Hidalgo County, TX, are improving their lives and their property. And, through hard work and intelligent planning, they are pulling themselves out of poverty.
What I saw in this video is improvement -- not failure, but success.
At 24 minutes in the lady explained about the gangs which explains about the fencing. Bravo, you keep improving, bravo.
Was starting to think you'd have better luck finding a ghost 👻 than someone to talk with you!
It really is an interesting place. Ricardo was nice.
Thanks Nick, for taking us along with you. 🤗
I went to the McDonalds in Zapata Texas like a month ago, there was like 8 people working the front area, not one of them spoke a word of English, they had to get the kid flipping the burgers in the back to come out and take my order, because he was the only one who could speak any English, and it wasn't much, or very good. Completely blew my mind.
Great video Nick, you really did your homework!
You know it always amazes me you drive through some of these really bad places. And they all have really nice cars.
They don't need research they need money. They know what needs done.
Money won’t stop the flooding. Houston is big, & wherever it rains there, it floods.
Great job! Thanks for doing this. ❤
Great video, Nick! You’re killin’ it with this series!
Tinky! Hunch?
Thank you for teaching me about Hidalgo Cty. I moved here 1.5 years ago & I learned more from this video than I have in person. I like it much better than Houston, actually.
Funny thing is that the house are over priced they shouldn’t be more than 20 to 40k here
The irony; they sneak across our border fence, build a little place, and put up a big fence with "no trespassing" signs all over it.
Who are they...Canadians?
😂😂😂😂😂
Many anglos snuck in illegally into texas when it was mexico.
TEXAS IS A STATE THAT WHITES TOOK DO NOT FORGET
The irony of the statement. 1) how can you tell the immigration status based on a video and living conditions? Explain the poorest regions of the USA not these colonias? Did people in West Virginia just come over from who knows where? The homeless that is rampant throughout the entire East and West Coast of the USA.
The truth is that the overwhelming majority of people with roots in the valley and throughout Texas who are of Mexican origin have been on US soil generations before the channel owner Nick and the overwhelming majority of European origin Americans. I am just being fair.
I'll bet that food is some of the best authentic Hispanic food around. The people work hard and the town is simply a good place to call home. I live in a City and its way worse regardless of the nice homes. You have tents to compare to those homes there. Id much rather live in a fixer upper home and work then inside a tent sleeping and asking for money. Good for them. It looks like a decent place to call home.
Stop being politically correct. Mexican nationals do NOT like to be referred Hispanic. It is MEXICAN food..Plain and simple.
Yup, Tex-Mex food is the best food you can eat.
Funny and informative. Thanks Nick!
Watching this made me want to cry a few times I grew up in a colonial the RGV. If you need someone to talk to about life in a colonia. I grew up in one for 15 years. I can give an honest breakdown of life their and how something’s actually were. I can explain the exploitation of the people, the system, illegal immigration and how it impacts life on the citizens. As someone who lived their until I was 18 (joined the military) I can tell you I miss it with my entire heart, but I’ll will never move back at least not raise my son their. It’s a shame what has happened to the RGV in the last 20 years. And it breaks my heart. Also annoys me when democratic elected officials come and say they have our best interest when they never did. They come and make a mockery of what is going on down there by taking picture on a fence. People crying about kids in cages, when those cages have been there for 20 plus years.
Ok Alfred! Email me let's talk! NickJohnsonNC18@gmail
Wow! 🥺
I’m from the UK and that land looks really attractive….tidy up the rubbish,,voila shangrila..
Looks like parts of Australia. Plenty like this here.
This was one of the most interesting videos you’ve done. I appreciate you for doing these videos.
Glad you like them!
Is land cheap down there? That looks nice to me! 😆
Pharr, TX! Been down there a couple times, too many check points.
Sorry, I've lived in Pharr all my life, what check points?
Hi Nick. Thanks again for doing what you do. Shining a positive light and keeping it real is a great thing. That fella that you were conversing with seems like a real sweetheart. Cheers♥️🇳🇿👍🌺
In 1992 I completed my ESL minor teaching math at Edinburgh Sr High. I never got to return. TY for the 2023 version.
Another Brilliant informative Video from Nick 👍👍👍
Your narration is fantastic...keep the videos coming and expand out!
It's actually a secret. That it's actually a very nice area. And close to Padre Island and the ocean.
One thing with us Latins we avoid welfare and we prefer sometimes to go hungry, than depending from government alms. Rarely some Latins go homeless, we prefer to do
any menial job instead. Nick, great video you`re the best.
Are you fing kidding me? That used to be true of first generation immigrants though.
Not true at all. In Florida, a lot of them are on food stamps and section 8
Lots of homeless Latinos in Los Angeles.
There is nothing wrong with welfare!I dont understand why people are so obsesst with it!
"Leave me alone" - quote of the year.
Another great video Nick...thanks once again..
I’m from Texas but live in Michigan. I love Hispanic people. Most are very nice and the hardest working people I have ever seen. They do hella work with concrete or cement they call it. Very talented people!
Yeah, cement is the most important ingredient for making concrete.
@@jamesgoode9246 point was in the US I think we typically refer to it as concrete. I had my driveway poured by the Mexican American Cement Company. I thought it was cute and they did a stellar job!
@@christiehickman7573 -- I'm glad that they did a good job mixing the cement with the other ingredients to provide you with a nice concrete driveway.
Yes. Get used to Mexicans because as a white woman you are becoming a minority in your country.
I live in the Caribbean on the island of Trinidad which has a big has Spanish influence but our national language is English. The house with the wrought iron work and fence we do here as well. I have been to Spain and that particular styling comes from there. The houses that are partly finished hold up well because it is brick construction so they can add on as you stated.
Nick Johnson videos are soothing and interesting and I miss them when they aren't there.
His mic and weird speaking cadence is soothing
@@omarlfacioThat's the combination of California and North Carolina speaking forms.
You should get yourself over to Eagle Pass, TX if you want another boarder town. I used to live there and the funny thing is that they have a pretty large and vibrant Filipino community there. It's pretty nice.
I spent a month in Hidalgo County one night...
garland texas has a homeless commune the size of a stadium. you aint seen poverty until youve seen tent city. ive always wanted to make a video on it
HaHaHa --- "the size of a stadium" --- That doesn't sound particularly big.
Where at?,I'm new to the Dallas area from California. Our homeless problem is 100 times worst!
Thanks for the video Nick & everyone, Regards Simon, from Australia 🦘🐨
Greetings from Germany ❤
@@carinarilk89 - HELLO 🙋♂️
🇩🇪 ❤️ 🇦🇺
@@NickJohnson - Merry Christmas Nick 🎄
Thank you for sharing all the parts we can’t see from where we are! ☺️
Are septic tanks rare across the US? Here in Massachusetts they’re pretty common & I lol’d when you said “they even still have septic tanks!” 😂
Thats what I thought. I live rural MI yep we all have septic tanks and systems. If you are not in town that is the way to do it.
Same everywhere that’s not in the city limits.
The septic tank comment says more about Nick than the way things are. That’s not a ding on Nick BTW. All his rural driving I would have thought he would have ran into that a few thousand times. I would think septic is the way most of rural America is. I am in Virginia with septic tank.
Here in NW Oregon if you are out in the country, not close enough to connect with the towns sewer system, they you must have a septic tank. No other option.
Same in rural areas in the uk.
Thank you Nick for showing the real America. You rock.
You are documenting history in the making
I used to live on the West side of San Antonio not too far from the courts. Oftentimes, I would hear gun shots at night and one time, I detected a bullet hole in my windshield. There were also a lot of stray dogs roaming the neighborhood. I like San Antonio, but can't be there during the summer because the heat is unbearable. I'm quite shocked that Hidalgo county is in that bad of shape. I never would have expected that in Texas.
Another Gem Nick
I go in and out of quemado Texas..it’s a a border town between eagle pass and del rio..I’d like to see a video on that area..
Passed through Quemado awhile back. Felt like home really. Chill and comfy.
As long their is peace and quiet..theirs no place like home 😊
I'm 67years old In Scotland when I was young we used to burn trash in the fireplace to heat the house everything even potato peelings old shoes etc etc
Ricardo Chavez is a real gentleman. I wish all Americans have his attitude and demeanor.