Immigrant workers who maintain Aspen's lavish playground strive for lives of their own

Much of the workforce serving the Roaring Fork Valley economy — from construction workers to hotel cleaners — are Latin American immigrants working low-wage jobs

The Colorado Trust
3:53 AM MDT on Jul 22, 2023



Ana Vasquez in downtown Aspen near the ski resort's gondola plaza on her way to clean an office on an early morning. (Will Sardinsky, Special to The Colorado Trust)

By Sarah Tory, The Colorado Trust

Early one morning last spring, Ana Vasquez drove through the deserted streets of Aspen to the office of a luxury real estate firm across the street from the gondola that goes up Aspen Mountain. At 6 a.m., the streets were empty as Ana lugged a vacuum from the trunk of her car to the glass door leading into the office. She pulled a key out and crouched down to open the bottom lock and then, because she stands less than five feet tall, stepped onto the top of the vacuum cleaner to reach — just barely — the second lock at the very top of the door.

She was wearing jeans, a maroon and black top, and matching maroon Puma high tops — her usual outfit. She’s 45, but you wouldn’t know it; her long black hair has barely a strand of grey, and her skin is smooth. If there’s any hint of her age, it’s in her eyes, which are often tired from long hours spent cleaning with too little sleep.

Inside the office, there’s a large, mirrored wall behind the staircase to the second floor and an assortment of art for sale throughout the office. Behind the white leather couch are pictures of homes for sale: a “cabin” for $8.3 million; a 4-bedroom home in downtown Aspen for $9.9 million; an estate on Red Mountain for $22 million. Ana pointed to one property (the only one) listed for less than $1 million — a one-bedroom condo in Snowmass, a few miles down valley from Aspen.

“We could buy it together,” she joked, before admitting it would be too small for both of us to live in.

Ana pulled her hair into a ponytail and started taking out cleaning supplies from a room at the back of the office. She worked quickly and efficiently, emptying trash cans, wiping down the desks. Behind the large glass windows, the sun rose, illuminating the ski slopes with their layer of dusty, late spring snow still clinging to them. Despite having worked in Aspen for almost 23 years, Ana has never ridden the gondola in front of us, nor had the chance to ski. She would like to learn, she said — “for the pictures,” giving me her characteristic mischievous smile.

More:
https://coloradosun.com/2023/07/22/colorado-aspen-immigration-life/