Week Three Already?

Wednesday, May 29th 2019

Another three days of Spanish class and two more amazing lectures later, we have reached the end of our class week. On Monday we had the opportunity to hear from Teresa Mejia. She is a woman who immigrated to the US illegally in the late 90’s. She told us of the horrific stories and experiences that she suffered while traveling. She told us that she walked nearly the whole way to the US. It was difficult for her to tell, and difficult to listen to as well. She told us that she enjoyed sharing her story with us, it’s something like a coping mechanism for her. To me, the most amazing part was that she made her way to the US in hopes of findings her sister who was already in the states. She didn’t know her phone number, address, or any from of contact. When arriving in the US, the coyote held Teresa until she was able to pay the remaining $500 of her balance. Luckily, a fellow immigrant had her brother come to pick her up, and coincidentally the brother knew Teresa’s sister due to a close knit Guatemala community. Teresa was able to contact her sister and ultimately pay off the Coyote. She made money in the US as a Nanny and really enjoyed her time here. She sent most of the money back home to her family in Guatemala. After four years, she was forced to return home to care for her sick mother who was taking care of her children. It is interesting that every immigrant story I have heard is almost always motivated by a parent needing to provide for their child. I think this motivation is one of the strongest in life, and it seems most parents will push their lives to the end just to provide for their child.