Martin Alvarez Avalos carries tools that help smooth out cement at a work site in Vinton, Va. on October 14, 2008. Avalos works as a seasonal worker for Mays Bros., Inc. a local construction company. Some of his skills, like laying cement, that he has learned from the company have helped him to better his life in Mexico.

Ramon Alvarez Avalos sits at home a watches television during a rainy afternoon which didn't allow them to work. Avalos is from Mexico and comes to the United States for 8 months to work legally as a guest worker. This program provides a way for his family to climb out of poverty in Mexico.

Ramon Alvarez Avalos shows a picture of his granddaughters (left and right) and his youngest daughter (middle) that he keeps in his wallet. "We do the impossible or the possible to try and get enough strength to pull yourself away again from the family."

Ramon Alvarez Avalos lays pipe in the hot summer heat at a construction site for townhomes in Vinton, Va. Avalos comes to the Unites States from Mexico for 8 months out of the year to work legally as a guest worker for May Bros., Inc. a local construction company. Laying pipe is a extremely demanding job, the kind of work that May Bros. can't find American workers for.

Ruben Castro Ramos lays in the truck bed after shopping for food at WalMart in Lynchburg, Va. back in April. Most of the men do not have drivers licenses so they are reliant on Mays Bros. for things like buying groceries.

Juan A. Vargas Castro (elft) laughs as Bobby Murray makes a joke at Mi Patron restaurant on November 21, 2008. Both men work for May Bros., Inc. although Castro is a seasonal worker from Mexico who comes to the US to work for 8 months out of the year.

Agustin Avalos Flores talks on the phone to his family in the aisle of the Mexican store Los Amigos in Lynchburg, Va. The store provides a place to buy phone cards, wire money back home, and purchase familiar goods from home. With the little money that the men make they buy phone cards to talk to their family. Sometimes they spend only 20 minutes a week talking with their family back home.

Ismael Martinez Martinez (left) and Martin Alvarez Avalos work on their taxes one rainy afternoon at their apartment in Campbell County, Va. Ismael is Martin's wife's brother and is one of many in Avalos' family that is here working through a guest worker program. Martin and his brother Ramon were the among the first in their family to work in this program. After they had success with it they brought more and more of their family to work throughout the years.

Ramon Alvarez Avalos works with Allen Crouch while laying pipe at a work site in Vinton, Va. on September 4, 2008. Both men work for Mays Bros., Inc. a local construction company. Avalos is a seasonal worker that comes from Mexico to work for 8 months out of the year. Photo by Kim Raff/The News & Advance

Juan A. Vargas Castro talks with Allan Crouch at the water cooler while at a work site in Vinton, Va. on September 4, 2008. Castro and Crouch both work for May Bros., Inc. a local construction comany. Castro is a seasonal worker who comes over to the US to work legally in a guest worker program. David St. John the owner of May Bros., Inc says the men are some of the hardest working men he has ever employed.

Rigoberto Rodriguez Castro gets his hair cut outside of his house. Castro lives in a house with 7 other men on the property that was denied a public rezoning request to build condos for the men.

Martin Alvarez Avalos (left) and Ismael Martinez Martinez say goodbye to Thomas Jones, a co-worker, on November 23, 2008. The two men worked with Jones for the last 8 months through a federal guest worker program. They are about to begin a multiple day journey back to their home towns in Mexico.

Martin Alvarez Avalos (left), Ismael Martinez Martinez (middle) and Manuel F. Martinez Martinez unload bags on November 23, 2008. The men are getting ready to board a shuttle van that will take them to a bus that will bring them to Mexico. The journey back home is three days long. The men are leaving after working in the area as guest workers for the past 8 months. They worked for May Bros., Inc. a local construction company.