Paraíso: Immigrant Window Cleaners at Work in Chicago | Op-Docs | The New York Times

Summary

The transcript captures a conversation between workers, reflecting on their jobs, life experiences, and challenges. They talk about washing windows, the uncertainties of life, and the harsh realities of living in the city. The dialogue also delves into reflections on mortality, faith, and the afterlife. There's a poignant moment where one speaker expresses the difficulty of making a living, aspiring to live in the city, but also the fear of dying while working. The conversation highlights themes of survival, ambition, and the cyclical nature of life.

Takeaways

• 😌 The speaker has cleaned all the buildings in the area except for one.
• 😟 The speaker reflects on the dangers of their job, especially the risk of death due to the air quality.
• 🧐 Every morning, they assess whether it's safe to work on a specific building based on the weather.
• 😓 Many construction jobs have slowed down, leaving window cleaning as one of the few continued jobs.
• 👷‍♂️ Some workers are fast but careless; the speaker emphasizes the importance of being clean first before speed.
• 🤔 The speaker wishes to live in the city center but realizes it would be difficult financially.
• 💸 They observe both wealthy and regular people in the buildings they clean, noting the stark contrast in lifestyles.
• 🙏 The speaker prays before working, believing in God's protection, but knows the risks of fatal accidents.
• 💭 They think about death often, believing that once buried, they remain in their grave with no afterlife.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 The speaker feels a duty to help their family in Mexico and knows that working in the U.S. gives them the ability to support them.

Q & A

What type of job is the speaker describing?

The speaker is describing the job of washing windows on tall buildings in the city.

Why does the speaker say they check the weather before working?

The speaker mentions that they check the weather in the morning to decide whether it's safe to work on the building, as the weather conditions can affect their ability to perform the job.

Why have many construction jobs slowed down according to the speaker?

Many construction jobs have slowed down, but window washing has continued because it’s one of the few jobs still in demand.

What does the speaker say about workers who are fast but untidy?

The speaker explains that there are many workers who are fast but dirty in their work, emphasizing that learning to be clean is more important, and speed comes later.

What does the speaker express about their own age and work?

The speaker jokes that although they want to work as fast as others, they hope they don't get too old too quickly in the process, as they are already feeling older despite only being 6 years into the job.

What contrast does the speaker observe between wealthy and ordinary people living in the city?

The speaker notices a contrast between people wearing expensive diamond necklaces and others, like drunk men smoking in apartments, indicating that there are both wealthy and regular people living in the city.

Why does the speaker doubt the value of living in the city center?

The speaker expresses that living in the city center would be difficult due to high rent, leaving little money for anything else, which would make living there less enjoyable.

How does the speaker feel about being able to financially help their family in Mexico?

The speaker feels fortunate that they can help their parents in Mexico if they become ill, acknowledging that this wouldn’t be possible if they were still living in Mexico themselves.

What are the speaker's thoughts on death and the afterlife?

The speaker believes that when a person dies, they stay in their coffin after being buried and that nothing more happens after death. They are not denying God's existence but feel that life ends there.

What does the speaker believe about people living on through memories?

The speaker believes that people continue to live on in the memories of others, suggesting that they don’t completely disappear after death.