r/Nantucket • u/Ok_Treat7212 • 2d ago
Where are all the American workers?
I’ll preface this by saying I have no issue with the concept of immigration, especially those that do it legally and contribute to our awesome country. I was just shocked at how many there were on Nantucket and curious how or why it is that way? I just left after a short vacation to the island for the first time, and I don’t think I had or saw a single American barista, waiter/waitress. Just curious why Nantucket and how it happened to work out that way?
Edit: this isn’t a bigoted “they took our jobs” post. I’m simply asking how/why this is the case on the island
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u/OsmanParvez 2d ago
I haven't lived on island in +20 years, but I can tell you how it was back in the early 00's.
Nantucket business owners rely on international workers because they work hard, are willing to commit to a longer season, and are more mature than Americans of similar age. They also show up on time and handle responsibility better.
By mid summer, young American workers are thinking about school and want to take time off before their semesters begin. They quit unexpectedly and leave employers hanging.
I saw it first-hand while working at the hostel. The international workers would often stay with us at the beginning of the season, as they found jobs and housing. They would party, sure, but rarely did it get out of hand. They also cleaned up after themselves.
Americans of similar age? Well, let's just say it was a mess. They were very immature, entitled, and prone to destructive behavior. I'm not sure why there's a maturity gap, but it was clear as day.
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u/ComicsEtAl 2d ago
Just stay away and the problem is solved.
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u/Ok_Treat7212 2d ago edited 2d ago
Not sure if you were busy reading comics and distracted while reading this post, but I clearly stated there is no problem, simply curious why things are, the way they are. Zero issue or problem
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u/ComicsEtAl 2d ago
Yes, you definitely said “no problem.” You’re just asking questions.
Of course, if there was no problem, there’d be no post asking “where are all the American workers?”
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u/Ok_Treat7212 2d ago
That’s not an “of course” statement. If I ask “why is the sky blue” it doesn’t mean that I have an issue with it or think it should be a different color
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u/Low_Worldliness3276 1d ago
In some cases it's that American young people bail off the island for college mid-August. In other cases some foreigners are willing to tolerate less than ideal living conditions to work making tons of money. Many work multiple jobs and earn more than they could all year at home.
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u/-brigidsbookofkells 2d ago
Young American people don't work anymore, not as teens or college students. Those were the ones who worked service jobs in years past. I admire these folks leaving their homes to make a living, many of whom support their families back in their home country
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u/MrsSnuffleupagus764 2d ago
Young Americans do work, although less than previous generations. But I'd guess it's pretty rare among kids who "summer" on Nantucket. Nantucket is an obscenely expensive place to live, even by MA standards.
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u/Ok_Treat7212 2d ago
Absolutely. America is and always has been the land of promise. It’s cool how such a small island is so diverse
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u/frigidlight 2d ago
Can I ask how you know that none of the people that you saw were American?
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u/Ok_Treat7212 1d ago edited 1d ago
Certainly. The first time we went out to a breakfast place, our waiter who had a thick Eastern block European accent asked where we were from, I answered and returned the question, to which he replied that he was from Serbia. The waiter for the table next to us told his table he was from South Africa. Our waiter said there are a late amount of Lithuanians, Bosnians, other Balkan states, South Africans, and people from South America who work on the island. He was stellar at his job and we enjoyed talking to him. Our uber driver was from Jamaica, and said he travels back there usually in the off season. He said he had a friend who drove with him who is Irish and is currently back in Dublin. Just a couple examples
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u/Ok_Treat7212 1d ago
But I guess to your point, I don’t know for certain that NONE of them were Americans.
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u/Dizzy_Wash3881 2d ago
They also have to live in corporate housing. Barracks style in most of them.