Jasmine Garst

And it is common knowledge that many of them work in the meatpacking plants. And a lot of people I spoke to told me they were really afraid. I spent a lot of my time in Fremont, Nebraska. You know, let me paint a picture for you. Nebraska has so many of these meatpacking towns. You know, picture this. It's the Great Plains, right? So it's just really flat.

And it is common knowledge that many of them work in the meatpacking plants. And a lot of people I spoke to told me they were really afraid. I spent a lot of my time in Fremont, Nebraska. You know, let me paint a picture for you. Nebraska has so many of these meatpacking towns. You know, picture this. It's the Great Plains, right? So it's just really flat.

And the light, I've never seen light like that before. It's just eerie and stunning. And in that flatness, you see these factory towns with their billowing smokestacks. And you can see them on the horizon. Sometimes you can smell them, too, long before you get there. And so I got to Fremont, to this meatpacking city, and it was empty.

And the light, I've never seen light like that before. It's just eerie and stunning. And in that flatness, you see these factory towns with their billowing smokestacks. And you can see them on the horizon. Sometimes you can smell them, too, long before you get there. And so I got to Fremont, to this meatpacking city, and it was empty.

And the light, I've never seen light like that before. It's just eerie and stunning. And in that flatness, you see these factory towns with their billowing smokestacks. And you can see them on the horizon. Sometimes you can smell them, too, long before you get there. And so I got to Fremont, to this meatpacking city, and it was empty.

And I was kind of freaking out about that because, you know, I'm a reporter. I'm in town to talk to people and everyone is locked in their homes. So I ended up going to this bar downtown. It's called Reinita, Little Queen. Now, if you can imagine like this secret tropical bubble in the middle of this frozen industrial tundra, that's Reinita.

And I was kind of freaking out about that because, you know, I'm a reporter. I'm in town to talk to people and everyone is locked in their homes. So I ended up going to this bar downtown. It's called Reinita, Little Queen. Now, if you can imagine like this secret tropical bubble in the middle of this frozen industrial tundra, that's Reinita.

And I was kind of freaking out about that because, you know, I'm a reporter. I'm in town to talk to people and everyone is locked in their homes. So I ended up going to this bar downtown. It's called Reinita, Little Queen. Now, if you can imagine like this secret tropical bubble in the middle of this frozen industrial tundra, that's Reinita.

There were tropical flowers hanging everywhere and like this really loud, festive music. But the place was totally empty. It was like a deserted tropical island in the tundra. I ended up speaking to the owner, Berta Quintero, and she told me she built this place to seem like home, like Antigua, Guatemala. Now, Berta has legal status.

There were tropical flowers hanging everywhere and like this really loud, festive music. But the place was totally empty. It was like a deserted tropical island in the tundra. I ended up speaking to the owner, Berta Quintero, and she told me she built this place to seem like home, like Antigua, Guatemala. Now, Berta has legal status.

There were tropical flowers hanging everywhere and like this really loud, festive music. But the place was totally empty. It was like a deserted tropical island in the tundra. I ended up speaking to the owner, Berta Quintero, and she told me she built this place to seem like home, like Antigua, Guatemala. Now, Berta has legal status.

And Aisha, I've got to say, she brought me some of the best pupusas I have ever eaten in my life. The best ever. And it's in Nebraska. I'm prepared to go on record saying that those were the best pupusas I've ever had on this side of the Americas. And my theory, hear me out, is that nostalgia was the secret ingredient.

And Aisha, I've got to say, she brought me some of the best pupusas I have ever eaten in my life. The best ever. And it's in Nebraska. I'm prepared to go on record saying that those were the best pupusas I've ever had on this side of the Americas. And my theory, hear me out, is that nostalgia was the secret ingredient.

And Aisha, I've got to say, she brought me some of the best pupusas I have ever eaten in my life. The best ever. And it's in Nebraska. I'm prepared to go on record saying that those were the best pupusas I've ever had on this side of the Americas. And my theory, hear me out, is that nostalgia was the secret ingredient.

Like these pupusas could only have been created in the nostalgia of an industrial town in the Great Plains in winter. So anyway, I sat down with Berta Quintero And we talked about fear, fear and dreams. That's the title, I guess, of this chapter, Fear and Dreaming in Nebraska.

Like these pupusas could only have been created in the nostalgia of an industrial town in the Great Plains in winter. So anyway, I sat down with Berta Quintero And we talked about fear, fear and dreams. That's the title, I guess, of this chapter, Fear and Dreaming in Nebraska.

Like these pupusas could only have been created in the nostalgia of an industrial town in the Great Plains in winter. So anyway, I sat down with Berta Quintero And we talked about fear, fear and dreams. That's the title, I guess, of this chapter, Fear and Dreaming in Nebraska.

So as the night went on, we spoke about her own story. And Berta told me that after she left Guatemala, she took a job at a meatpacking plant.

So as the night went on, we spoke about her own story. And Berta told me that after she left Guatemala, she took a job at a meatpacking plant.

So as the night went on, we spoke about her own story. And Berta told me that after she left Guatemala, she took a job at a meatpacking plant.