I Investigated The Poorest Place In America
Vložit
- čas přidán 14. 12. 2023
- PDS Debt is offering a free debt analysis. It only takes thirty seconds. Get yours at PDSDebt.com/nickjohnson
I went into Hidalgo County to explore the Colonias, which are Hispanic communities where life is quite different than the rest of the country. We're talking generational poverty and poor living conditions. But are things here so bad?
#texas
Email me: NickJohnsonNC18@gmail.com
I can help you find a real estate agent! Email me!
My Instagram: Nick Johnson CZcams- / nickjohnson.youtube
I have a Patreon if you love it so much! Here's the link to donate to the channel: www.patreon.com/NickJohnsonYo...
You can buy my music here:
iTunes: / state-songs-an-album
This channel is about America!
The best video on this topic!
PDS Debt is offering a free debt analysis. It only takes thirty seconds. Get yours at PDSDebt.com/nickjohnson
Just signed up!
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
"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.
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
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.
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.
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 👌
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 ,,
@@franciscovilla3194Please explain HOW he is wrong?
My history of South Texas is long. My family is from South Texas. South Texas as it's called now was Mexico prior to that and the Spanish King gave lad parcels to Spanish citizens. These land parcels were Spanish Land Grants given to Spanish citizens or colonists hence the name colonias (Spanish) or colonies (English) from the King of Spain in 1750 before Mexico was Texas. When the US government purchased this land from Mexico under the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848 (Hidalgo county) the Mexican government requested that it's Spanish colonists be able to keep their land, but Spanish land grants were not honored by the American government. This land was taken or in many cases stolen outright, and the Spanish people were left without land or homes as most all citizens were farmers and ranchers.
The american gov has never honored a treaty. It amazes me anyone would ever enter into an agreement with them.
Texas wasn't acquired through that treaty. Texas had formed it's own republic in 1836 and then entered the union in 1845.
@@AngerBangFtG South Texas wasn't part of the Republic of Texas, it was acquired through the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo!
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.
Another great one. That dude with the clothing kiosk/setup is awesome. Real people.
Ciao Nick, I'm always glad to see you.
Poor people are often very friendly.
Little community isn't bad.
Thanks Nick.
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.
"some people still have septic tanks" 😂, well yeah, out in the country that's common.
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.
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.
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.
Laredo Texas has defund the wall painted on a street but 95 percent of the homes and businesses have fence and walls around them.
We visited the USA last year and we could not believe the contrast in homes and quality of living within a few miles
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.
I have one of those and burn all my paper trash. Laws mean nothing.
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.
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'm from Weslaco. The majority of the Valley doesn't look that bad. It's getting better though. The economy is consistently growing
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?
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!!
You have to give it to them for at least not being homeless. Great content nick, love your videos.
My parents live in Salado. They've been Texans since 1987. We call it Tey-haas ! The sunsets are beautiful. Lots of reds.
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 agree
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 ❤
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!!!🎄🦌❄️🎅
Looks like the best job in the Colonias is building chain-link fences
And rod iron
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...
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.
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 🤛
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
Looks nice. It's good to see a main street still populated with open stores
God bless TX, & God bless you too sir. 🙏🏼 Great video.
We recently got off of septic tanks in my neighborhood here in Kona. 2021.
You got a really good interview as many times. Good job Nick. Watching you in New Jersey
You got to think of places are living in now probably a hundred percent better than the places they left
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.
Great job! Thanks for doing this. ❤
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.
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.
Funny and informative. Thanks Nick!
A+ video!
Fascinating and very helpful for understanding the lifestyle for that area!
Your narration is fantastic...keep the videos coming and expand out!
Funny thing is that the house are over priced they shouldn’t be more than 20 to 40k here
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 ?
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
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.
Great video Nick, you really did your homework!
Another great video Nick...thanks once again..
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
Thank you for the stories and places you share with us!
At 24 minutes in the lady explained about the gangs which explains about the fencing. Bravo, you keep improving, bravo.
We totally enjoyed your interview 😊
Good Mike!
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!
Thanks for sharing this 🙏🙏🙏
Another Brilliant informative Video from Nick 👍👍👍
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♥️🇳🇿👍🌺
Another great video, Nick - cheers.
Mappy was sassy as all hell
It worries me when the corporations turn their greedy eyes to this area. They should start preparing now for the battle.
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.
As long their is peace and quiet..theirs no place like home 😊
Hey Nick , good video, thanks for showing this
Great video Nick. Really enjoyed this one
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 😕
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!!
You know it always amazes me you drive through some of these really bad places. And they all have really nice cars.
Incredible footage... Very eye opening 😮😢
I spent a month in Hidalgo County one night...
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. 🤗
Thank you for sharing all the parts we can’t see from where we are! ☺️
I’m from the UK and that land looks really attractive….tidy up the rubbish,,voila shangrila..
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?
This was one of the most interesting videos you’ve done. I appreciate you for doing these videos.
Glad you like them!
I love your videos Nick, very funny and informative. I’m in Baton Rouge .
Is land cheap down there? That looks 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 😊😊😊😊😊😊😊
I am a resident of the RGV Cameron County, next door to Hidalgo County. Enjoyed your video very much.
Another Gem Nick
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.
Looks like parts of Australia. Plenty like this here.
Great presentation. This is your calling. Subbed)
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 ^^
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!
Love your channel
Great video. I really like your videos. I travel a lot too. We see things though the same way.
Thx again for your effort
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.
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.
Good conversation with the man at the end of the video border towns in Texas are pretty safe stats wise sure there is danger but that's everywhere there also seems to be wealth there by looking at some of those houses. I watched the podcast with you and Briggs earlier that was cool. 2 of my favorite CZcamsrs.
In 1992 I completed my ESL minor teaching math at Edinburgh Sr High. I never got to return. TY for the 2023 version.
"Leave me alone" - quote of the year.
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.
Good job Nick
Happy holidays
Thanks Nick Merry Christmas by the way 😊
At 14:10
Bill Clinton street 😂😂😂
You are documenting history in the making
Figured you'd look at Harlingen or Brownsville on the border of Texas
Love your videos my dude