Students at Bakersfield College may not know his name, but they know him as “the can guy.” Enrique Angeles, a legal immigrant from the Philippines, had big dreams and hopes awaiting him as he left his family behind in search of a prospering future in America.
From Manila he traveled to the United States in 1992, had found a part-time job working a side business with his brother at a bakery in the Golden State Mall, and was able to send approximately $5,000 to $10,000, which is about 20,000 to 40,000 pesos a year back to his family to pay for his daughter’s private-school education and other necessities.
Then, in about 2008, as Angeles estimated, the economic downfalls led him into homelessness and unemployment.
Collecting cans around town, including BC and Cal State Bakersfield, only earns him a weekly income of an estimated $20 to $40, and during the summer there is even less money coming in since the colleges and universities around town are pretty much empty, Angeles noted.
Angeles now resides at a family-members’ home and pitches in helping around the house to pay back for staying there.
With such a small amount of income, Angeles says he can still call and text his two daughters, Erian who just graduated from high school and Erica who just finished the first grade, on a daily basis thanks to a MetroPCS phone.
He mentioned that texting costs his daughters around 5 pesos per text, which would be about ten cents in America.
After his last month-long visit with them in the Philippines, he returned to the US to continue working. “[I] miss seeing them. [I] have not been back since March 27, 2009,” he said. “Rich families there have no problems paying bills, but poor families [like mine] need to work.”
This summer Angeles ecstatically mentioned a work trip he’s taking, [“This summer I will be] salmon fishing in Alaska.” He said that for 4 to 5 days work, that would easily cover his $130 Greyhound ticket there and back.
Angeles says that it’s fine collecting recyclables at both BC and CSUB because “as long as you follow [their] rules, [they don’t mind] you [making] money.” Even the dorms at CSUB have their recyclables set aside for him to pick up during the weekends, thus his presence at BC is rare on those days.
Angeles said that he “thanks God for being here [at BC], for forgetting the loneliness [from missing my family].” Seeing students at BC remind him of his daughters learning as well.