Alex B., Karla G., & Natalia S.

Topic: Immigration

On My Way To America

February 21, 2004

It's been three years since I’ve been to the U.S. and one year since both of my twins were born. I still feel devastated because my children are having a rough time here at Ciudad Juarez. I'm a single mother raising two kids with barely any money to afford us a good meal or even have enough money for rent. It was fine in the U.S., just until border patrol was trying to find undocumented immigrants and until they caught me and my newborns, only six months old. Juan Flores and Valeria Flores were born on July 17th of 2000 in New Jersey.

May 24, 2004
Today I finally found a coyote that I could afford. I already got my kids ready to go. Now all I have to do is wait. The coyote was worth $500-$1,000 for each stop. Total of nine stops costing me $7,200. t just all depends on whom you meet up with, and each stop was worth $800. So I agreed with the coyote, who set me up for this long trip and prepared food, water, Identification and other papers from Mexico in case of border patrol, and extra clothes. I keep remembering to myself how much danger my kids are in while on this trip, and they are still young. All I want is the best for them: education, better housing, other family they’ve never met, and healthcare for my kids. They have a bad whooping cough, and I need important medicines that can cure it.

June 8th, 2004

It’s that day today. I’m finally gonna go with a coyote to bring me to the U.S. We had everything ready and said goodbye to our tiny, one bedroom apartment. First stop, El Paso, Paseo Del Norte Port of Entry Border. I live near it, so it only took us 1 hour and 45 minutes to get there. Did I forget to mention that over 35 people came along on the trip in the back of a semi truck? Well let’s just say the space was tough to eat, drink, and sleep in. I met a mother with her husband and her four year old with them trying to cross to San Francisco, California. Everyone in the truck had the same reason as we did to cross. It’s common, just families, no drug dealers on this one. So we all arrived at the border and the semi truck has a secret trunk where we were all kept so border security wouldn't see as they would check the back. They checked the coyote’s papers and passport, and we made it. Just because we made it out doesn’t mean we all make it; sometimes it all ends in sacrifices, accidents, and more. We pray that this family stays together after my past relationship that wasn’t worth it. He left me after my twins were born and I always said to him “I love you,” but then he would never get that response back. My name is Juanita Martinez, and I’m just a regular 31-year-old Mexican citizen without papers along with more than 1.5 million people in Mexico who also don’t have such a great life and want a second chance in life.

June 15th, 2004

This is the sixth stop so far, and we are currently all in Flagstaff, Arizona. I’ve heard some reports with the people in the truck saying that there’s some border patrol nearby our area, so the coyote then heard and did confirm there is a lot around here, so he would have to go another turn on a state highway “40” and would take us to New Mexico. It’s been six and a half hours, and we arrived in New Mexico. Some families needed to be dropped off here, as they started to worry. There are currently 21 people in the truck now. After the pit stop, we rested at a local rest stop where truck drivers on duty or regular travelers take a break if they are traveling throughout the states. The next day, we had a meal and change of clothes after a week being in them, of course lots of bathroom breaks, and filling up on water. We landed again on the highway interstate “40” but this time going north and going straight to interstate “15” that would take us to Nevada. We basically did a whole U turn.

June 18th, 2004

This is the eighth spot, I’d suppose. For the last stop, we would go straight to San Bernardino, California, where we are getting off. During the trip, we all talked with each other and had some fun while it lasted. Suddenly, we all saw two border patrol cops stop behind us. We all were scared, anxious, and petrified. The two cops opened the truck and found out the secret truck passage where we were all hiding. Apparently, the coyote had four criminal records, which was highly dangerous, and was arrested for Human Trafficking. As they were taking us, I told them my two kids are both U.S citizens born in New Jersey and showed them their IDs and passports. At this point, the trip was over. My heart is shattered in a million pieces. The last things I heard my three year olds say was just tears and a bunch of I love you’s. I never received an “I love you” from anyone and made me have tears of joy at the same time. They took Juan and Valeria away to foster care while I’m being sent back to Mexico again with a broken heart.

September 2nd, 2014    

Both my 13 year olds are in school now and living happily with better education. I found contact with them through the foster mom. Eventually she found out what happened and shared lots of love with me. Through the phone, Juan told me so many times about how he wants to be surgeon because he always cares for anyone, and Valeria wants to be a veterinarian because of her love for animals. At this point, I forget all about the incidents that have happened. In my mind all I ever wanted was for my kid to be happy, and that definitely is what they got, and with that my heart finally was healed.

May 30th, 2018

Four years later, they did it. My 18 year olds made it through high school, and both got accepted into different universities. Valeria got into UC Irvine, and Juan got into UC Berkeley. I’m just left without words. It also hurts that I couldn’t attend their graduation but was able to get the news that they graduated. Ms. Miller, the foster mom, sent me pictures of them being happy after the whole adventure through the 12 years of school.

August 11th, 2022

At last their dreams have come true: Valeria graduated from UC Irvine with a degree in animal science and Juan from UC Berkeley with a degree in human physiology. Also, my dreams came true: they are finally 21! That means I can apply to be a U.S. citizen and get citizenship! Meanwhile, the wait will be a while to get it but it’s definitely worth it.

July 17th, 2027

Took me five years to get U.S. citizenship and got through the interviews and applying again and again. Got my green card and ready to move to Los Angeles and buy a small two bedroom apartment for myself, since I live alone. Meanwhile, my daughter’s job took off! She now lives in a one story typical villa house in a nice neighborhood with her new boyfriend and her 14 animals in the house. I see why she has the huge backyard and special room for the animals. Juan’s career also took off! He’s living in a studio apartment in LA now near the hospital he works at. Meanwhile, he gets his other degree in another four\ years. Things are good for sure, and we all would like to keep it that way. This journey was starting up with high hopes, and ending up in a failure. Now it’s a journey to success.

Epilogue

This story is an example of how families or loved ones can be torn apart just because of a law that the United States made, so Americans could “keep their country safe” and judge people who have been born in another country.