alambrista
n.— «Alambristas, disparagingly known as “wetbacks,” are being used here and elsewhere to harvest crops, particularly grapes.» —“No Peace of Mind for the Alambristas” in Fresno, Calif. Daily Report (Ontario, California) Sept. 13, 1970. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
A listener named Lita who grew up in Cuba shares her favorite Spanish idiom for “working hard”: sudando tinta, or literally, “sweating ink.” This is part of a complete episode.
Related
Sarah Jane in Tucson, Arizona, recalls hearing the phrase out where God lost his galoshes for any far-flung, hard-to-reach place. Similar phrases include where God left his overshoes, where Jesus lost his sandals, where Jesus lost his cap, where...