Post 3

The ending of the book was very disappointing. I was looking forward to a happy ending where Enrique reunites with his mother and they get him a green card or something. But no, the author couldn't have done that of course. What she had to do was recap on the journey he just went through and have his mother not love him to the point of him having to find a job and make money for his mother to show any love to this boy who has just traveled I don't even know how many miles cause i don't want to kill my brain with that math. "The relationship between Enrique and his mother, including the resentment of immigration children have been left behind..." (292).

Post 2

While I read the book, Enrique's Journey by. Sonia Nazario. It is a story of a boy, Enrique, who wants to immigrate into the United States to find his mother in the city of Laredo. This made me wonder how many people immigrate into the U.S. every year, and in all? According to the MIP (Migration Policy Institute), the approximate number of immigrants in the U.S. in 2009 was 38,517,234. The number jumped about 1.5% between 2008 and 2009. There is about 1 million people who immigrate to the U.S. every year.

Post Number 3

The last third of the book didn't satisfy me in many ways. I wanted there to be a satisfying ending where Enrique reunited happily with his mother and Maria Isabella. Something that would make the tone of the last part of the book a little less dismal.   You follow Enrique through this long journey and pretty much all of it is pretty depressing. You see all these obstacles and challenges that he has to overcome and they all cause Immigrants to either loose there life or be severely maimed or injured. but instead it he comes to america thinking his mother resents him and has to start figuring out how to live a new life. "The relationship between Enrique and his mother, including the resentment of immigration children having been left behind..." (292).  He comes to this new country thinking his mother doesn't even love him and she had been resenting him this whole time. Now he has to start a new life find a way of making money and earn his mothers love back (In his mind) even though she never stopped. It wasn't a very grand finale which I was looking for after the depressing lead up to it. It could be a little bit better to end a long dismal book.

Post 2

Even though Lourdes left her family in Honduras she is still a good mother. She didn't leave for her self; she left for good intentions of her family. She continued to call and send money back throughout the entire time. She thought this was the best thing to do, even if it really wasn't. She loved her kids more then anything and only wished the best upon them. "Fear drains from his mother like a wave back into the sea. It is Enrique. She feels pure happiness"(188). She may not be the best mother but she definitely loves her kids more than anything. 

Enrique's Journey Post 1

While I was reading a Enrique’s Journey i stumbled across a very interesting thought. The thought of immigration and how many people try to get into the united States. So I researched that fact and according to The Wall Street Journal there has been a rise in immigrants caught trying to get in the United States over the past two years. In 2012 the border patrol caught 364,768 immigrants and then las year in 2013 they caught 388,422 in just 11 months. With the vast increase in immigrants getting caught it either means more are trying to get in or our security is just improving. We’ll see what happens in this year to test those theories.

Très

The tone in the last third of Enrique's Journey is that of distance. Where I fully expected the reunion with Lourdes to be a point of emotional climax, in reality it was nothing more than a long hug. The author shows us clearly how distant Lourdes and Enrique have become, and even though they are physically closer, the distance just keeps getting larger. Enrique, distraught by the unfulfillable expectations he has created for his mother, turns to drugs and alcohol as a coping mechanism. He pushes his mother further away, sometimes responding to her with anger, a reaction that I am sure he did not visualize when he planned his journey to America. Enrique is distraught over the reality of his mother, the distance of María Isabel and his daughter, and the sense of detachment that he feels from his home. Eventually, though, Enrique is able to scrape together enough money to bring María Isabel into the United States, but soon finds out that he will not be able to bring his infant daughter, too. Enrique seems to forget his childhood, and decides that this is the best possible future for his daughter, even though it was clearly not the best possible future for him. "Enrique agrees, they will have to leave the baby behind. He and María Isabel both agree it is the only way for their child."(pg.194) Enrique has not only distanced himself from his child, but he has also distanced himself from reality. The fact is, no matter how many phone calls or money-grams Enrique will send, his child will not see it as a "sacrifice;" she will see it as abandonment, just as Enrique did.

In all honesty, I did not enjoy this book as much as I thought I would. I felt empathetic towards Enrique and his dire situations, but the book seemed to rely far too heavily on off-topic shock-value facts that had little and less to do with Enrique, nonetheless his journey. It seemed as though you could not go a page in the book without reading about how jumping off the train wrong could make you lose appendages, or how many small children get swept away by low-hanging branches. I also felt that the author relied far too heavily on anecdotes of other migrants that did not add anything to the story. In my opinion, this book was less about Enrique's Journey, and more about using Enrique as a conduit for sympathy towards immigrants. I am not saying that there is anything wrong with sympathy for immigrants whatsoever, I just wish the book was labelled as such.

In the last third of Sonia Nazario's book, Enrique's Journey, it seems like her tone appears blunt, clear, and loyal. It seems like as soon as Enrique rejoices with his mother, a resolution is at close at hand. I expected a happy and content close to Enrique's journey in which "They all lived happily ever after" but sadly the story continued and the light descended to darkness. Throughout the majority of Enrique's life, he had wished to be with his mother. Finally that day came, however, what was supposed to be the best moment of his life turned rotten. Enrique went back to making the bad decisions he had once made when times got rough. He turned to drugs and alcohol to get away from the disappointment in himself, from his mother, and the disappointment in his mother. Sonia Nazario seems irritated at lots of things throughout Enrique's journey. Towards the end of the book, her irritated tone is more noticeable. Enrique had been staying and living with his mother, Lourdes, for about two years, and one night Lourdes just had enough of him. They fought and yelled at each other and Enrique said, "I don't love you as if you were my mother. I love my grandmother." "I gave birth to you." "That's not my fault!" (217). Even then, a few moments later Enrique tells his mother, "I have a secret to tell you: I love you" (217). This quick change of feelings and harsh words frustrates me but it seems as if Sonia Nazario loves Enrique just as Lourdes loves Enrique. Nazario's devotion and passion for the story of Enrique must have created a strong connection and empathy for Enrique. Although he says terrible things, inhales paint thinner, and stays out late and comes home drunk there is no tone of irritant but mostly loyalty and love towards Enrique.

Enrique's Journey by Sonia Nazario was a very intriguing book. Her style of incorporating details and facts and quotes and interviews but also carrying on with the journey of Enrique was fascinating. One thing I did't really like at times was her over use of mini side stories, facts, interviews, and statistics. At times I do agree, they were perfect and were beneficial to the story. At times, they gave us a better grasp on the story and really brought it to life. But most of the time I was just interested in Enrique's Journey, not the interviews she conducted. I think she should have made a separate part, maybe even an extra book, of her journey and everything she learned. I would have enjoyed it more if it was just Enrique's story.

Rising Tension - Post 3

In the last third of the book, you would think that it would have all calmed down, and everyone would be happy, but in fact, things have turned from thrilling to tense. Now that Enrique has finally crossed the border into America, he has more time on his hands and more money to develop bad habits like drinking and smoking weed. These bad habits drive a stake into the two most important relationships he has in his life; the one between him and Lourdes, his mom, and the one between him and Maria Isabel, his girlfriend. Because of his habits, he worries his mother, and often lashes out at her. ""You left me, abandoned me," he tells her. "You forgot about me."" He is also paying less and less attention to Maria Isabel, and sending her less and less money, making it hard for her to stay afloat in Honduras. "Enrique is struggling financially... Maria Isabel knows none of this. She wonders if Enrique sends his daughter less money because he is spending it on another girlfriend. Enrique swears there is no one else." As you can see, tension rises, until the end of the book.
This just really shows what an issue it is for so many people to cross the border each year. It is detrimental to the families, especially hurting the children left behind. It puts stress on the US economy, and sends a lot of money out of the country. All the money that people like Lourdes and Enrique send home is that much more money that is being taken out of the US economy. Also, it provides the perfect backdrop for the gangs to move in, and start transporting marijuana and cocaine across the border. This all is detrimental to both the worlds of the US and those of the central american nations. We need to take action. There is no way we could force so many people out of the country, and we would be a cruel country to do so. what we can do is offer all of those people who are already in the US a US citizenship. The thing with the citizenship is that it allows them to bring their families in too, and so would keep the dollars in the US economy because the people the money was normally sent to would be in the US. The only problem would be overpopulation. To bring in the families of all of the people in the US could severely overcrowd the country, and put jobs out f the hands of the americans and into those of the migrants,

Enrique's Journey post 3

Even with Enrique's resentment towards his mother, he ends up making the same choice as her. He hated her decision to leave him and Belky in order find work in the US. The loss of his mother created deep feelings of abandonment and depression in Enrique and caused him to start doing drugs. Only when he got to the US did he start to understand his mothers struggles. He wanted María Isabel to come live with him in Florida. Enrique has enough money to hire a smuggler, but it isn't that simple. María Isabel has to leave their daughter Jasmín back in Honduras. While on the phone with María Isabel, Enrique says to her, "We'll have to leave the baby behind" (p. 196). After everything Enrique went through, after all the anger and spite he felt towards his mother, he ended up making the same tough decision she did. He left his young child behind to give his family a better chance. He finally understood exactly what Lourdes had to go through. Having to be away from his child, never getting to speak to her unless it was over the phone. It was one of the toughest choices he and María Isabel would ever had to make. He has no idea what kind of challenges she will face or who she will grow up to become. After everything he went through as a young boy he still made the same choice that Lourdes did. Whether or not he accepted his mothers decision, he is making the same one.

Over all Enrique's Journey was a great book. The author, Sonia Nazario, did an amazing job of capturing the incredible experience of being an immigrant trying to come into the US. My favorite part of the book was oddly enough the prologue, because you realize that she actually went through the journey she's writing about. She even explained how she was relieved when she could get to hotel and relax after an intense day of train riding. Her experiences really intrigued me, because I've never known an author to actually understand to the full extent what they're writing about.

Final Post

 The tone for the last third of the book is very complicated, changing and unsettled. Enrique's decisions and actions are all jumbled up and it is very hard for him to make one right decision. For example, Enrique moved to North Carolina to be with his mother and then he kept on moving in and out with his her and they kept on having fights that tore up their relationship but Enrique would always go back to his mother in the end. Also, Enrique got back into glue sniffing and marijuana smoking as well as heavy drinking which caused family problems and self constraint problems. Enrique always enraged his mother by saying that she didn't love him because she left for the U.S. and he created an everlasting argument with his mother that made her feel very guilty.  "On Christmas Eve, Lourdes goes to bed early.. Enrique goes out drinking with his friends. he comes home late and drunk. The next morning, Lourdes gives her son a shirt. Enrique doesn't have a gift for his mother"(203). In these few sentences Enrique is showing that Enrique is disobedient and ungrateful towards his mother while on the next page when Lourdes and Enrique go to a New Year's Eve party together, "At midnight, she kisses her son. Enrique hugs her back, hard. 'Happy New Year. I love you,' he tells his mother"(204). One day Enrique is mean to his mother and the next he is compassionate. Most of the end of the story goes like this until he finally settles in with his mother, almost problem free, in Florida. Enrique's entire journey was very complicated and the separation from his mother fueled his drive to be both loving and selfish.

My favorite part of the book was when Enrique was traveling through Oaxaca and Veracruz and he and the other migrants received gifts of clothing, food, drink, and blankets. This was my favorite part because after all of the despair and trouble that Enrique went through, the people of Veracruz gave him hope that he could make it through all the way to the North and find his mother. The people of Veracruz were kind enough to realize the struggle of the migrants and then they supplied them with items that could help them achieve their goals. This is a reminder to always help out others to reach their dreams.

Post 3
Skylar Silvera


The book had a very strong beginning with factual statistics about immigration and the dangers that hold while crossing the border illegally. "An estimated 1.7 million children live illegally in the United States, mostly from Mexico and Central America" (p. 241).  I withheld a very strong start to the book which helped its plot seem more interesting to the reader. The detail put into the sentences made them more rich. This detail soon began to evolve into the real conflict in the story. It began to get more dramatic. The last third of the book has become very slow and simple. Enrique is now with his mother but after he faced the challenges he did crossing the border he still had a handful of them once he crossed the border into America. He now had to travel to North Carolina to where his mother was because she moved from where she initially was which was in California. She moved because it was very difficult for her to maintain certain jobs at a time and she still wasn't gaining the money she needed to pay someone to help her children over the border. But Enrique held true to his promise and eventually was reunited with her. The books sentences however during the book were no longer complex. They were short and straight to the point. This made it more engaging for the reader at times where the story seemed to be getting dull. " I observed Enrique washing cars for money. I observed dinner for migrants gathered at the Parroquia de San Jose. I interviewed and observed the lives of other children searching for their for their mothers as well as Enrique" (p. 287).  This made the book easier to read and easier to follow along with. I personally enjoyed the change of tone because I tend to get lost in the end of books because they get to descriptive, but this was very enjoyable to read and a lovely ending.
When Enrique was robbed on one of his first trains going towards Mexico he fell off of it. He was horribly injured and had no food water or money. He didn't know where to go or what he should do. He was alone and extremely discouraged, but he continued walking hoping to find help of water. He stumbled across a town and the towns people sent him to a doctor where the he was shocked by Enrique's condition. He went straight to work and provided him with food, water and medical care free of charge. This beautiful gesture encouraged Enrique to keep trying to go succeed. I often wonder what the world would be like today if gestures like these were given on a regular basis to people in need. Our economy would be stable, the laws for domestic violence would be more strict because there would hardly ever be any and other crimes in general. There would be less hatred and jealously through out nation it would change our perspective and encourage others to be more kind hearted and giving.

To Conclude...

              The tone in the last third of Enrique's Journey is very hopeful. Everything seems to be headed in the right direction. Although after reaching his mother, feelings are bittersweet, Enrique gets through the rough patch and begins an upward spiral. "Enrique and his mother start to call each other two or three times a week to talk. Enrique has long called his mother senora. Now he says,'Ma.' With each call he is more loving (235)." Upon arriving in the United States, Enrique was very cold towards his mother. He accused her of abandonment and not loving him. However, his love for his mother that he has always had pulls through, and readers begin to see the hope in their relationship as it grows steadily better, heading towards a version of what an ideal mother son relationship is. There is hope also for Maria Isabel, who Enrique left behind, pregnant, when he headed North to the United States. She has a beautiful daughter who worships her and longs to meet her father. Enrique and Maria Isabel both know that the best thing for their daughter is for Maria Isabel to go to America after Enrique, raise money, and then bring Jasmin there to be with them. "Jasmin, left with Enrique's sister, Belky, asks,'Auntie, is my mommy coming back?' 'No,' Belky answers,' your mommy is with your daddy.' Jasmin persists. 'And she's not coming back?' Belky tells Jasmin no, but that her parents hope to have her with them in the United States someday (262)." Enrique and Maria Isabel both know that the best thing for them to do is to raise enough money to bring Jasmin to them, and if they can't within a few years, they will return to her. Both of these situations are hopeful, because Jasmin will have a better life with both of her parents.

           Enrique's Journey, by Sonia Nazario was both factual and thrilling, one of the best books I've read recently. Nazario went further than any other author I've heard of, digging deep into how Honduran migrants make their way illegally to the United States. She even rode with these adult and child migrants as young as seven years old, on the tops of trains. She risked death by the gangsters who rule these trains, and that was what made this such a great story. Enrique, Lourdes, Maria Isabel, and all the rest in the book are real people who have talked about their experiences with Nazario, which provides the book with a thoughtful and moving information. Nazario asked each character about their own journeys, and wrote exactly how everything happened in the book. But what made the book even better was that not only was it an exciting story about traveling to the United States. It was also informative, giving statistics and facts about the areas the migrants travel through, the gangsters, the law enforcers, and the people who helped them on their journeys. The quotes and accounts of migrants' experience with police officers and immigration officers was eye-opening, and revolting. Overall, from beginning to end, Enrique's Journey is a thrilling read that I would recommend to anyone.

Post 3

The last third of the book just continues to be depressing. I was looking forward to this happy ending where Enrique reunites with his mother. Yet once he gets there its just a recap about his whole journey and more recap about the book and everyone's reactions. "The relationship between Enrique and his mother, including the resentment of immigration children at having been left behind....." (291-292). Just goes back to talking about the resentment that he once felt. of course he is better off now but it wasn't the exciting conclusion that I was looking for. We follow him through this journey of pain watching all of these horrible things happen: people getting thrown under trains, beaten by gangs, OD on drugs, huffing glue etc. All these things that we watched Enrique go through there needs to be a brighter ending. I guess it is meant to be a sad story but the recap of these dull images is horrible. " The Drowning In the river from Enrique and other migrants, including three at the Parroquia de San Jose. the Migrants said they had watched a youngster named Ricki Drown in a whirlpool two nights before." ( 290). These images that we watched Enrique go through was rough enough but i was disappointed with the recap of dull images I was expecting it to brighten up more than it did. Instead I was greeted with a bland ending.

Enriques success

When Enrique finally meets success after years and years of attempts to find his mother, he is extremely happy to have found her, but does not cry when he see's her for the first time in well over a decade. He finds her in North Carolina, meaning she moved there because she could not find a decent job in which she was treated with an appropriate amount of respect back in California. However when Enrique finds her, she is seeing a man and Enrique thinks it is best for him to move out separately, still nearby, but he wants to give his mother privacy. I found it very surprising that Enrique and his mother began to argue shortly after he had found her. You would think that they would live happily ever after, but problems arose and Enrique was even threatened to leave by his mother once or twice. As Enrique seemed to become more lonely, he communicated with Marie Isabel, and found out that he had a child back in Honduras. After weeks they eventually meet up and raise their child together, and Enrique occasionally visits his mother, knowing she is nearby, in the United states of America, the place he now calls home. He knew that feeling of dignity when he first stepped on American soil after the long cross over the river bordering the US and Mexico, he knew it was his home, where he thought he belonged.

Enrique post #3

In the last third of Enrique's Journey the tone is very candid, down-to-earth and factual. The author uses relatively short sentences which hit a point without much elaboration or opinion, instead simply stating the facts in a sometimes brutally honest way. "At home, four men drink. One can chug twelve beers as Enrique drives him home from work...On Saturday, the drinking begins at 4 P.M. Enrique and a housemate can down forty-eight beers together. Sometimes they drink until dawn. They head to work without sleeping" (pg 201). This use of short sentences is an effective method when writing non fiction, especially in such a heart-breaking topic as this. By stating only the facts of the situation in a blow by blow scenario it allows the truth itself to instate emotional impact, the reality is free to do what in another story would be illustrated by long descriptive and lyrical sentences. Another literary technique the author uses which reflects the frank tone, is her choice of words while telling the story. The words tend to be mainly simple and plain without complicated, fancy vocabulary. While describing a disappointing Christmas between Enrique and his mother she uses only plain language. "On Christmas Eve, Lourdes goes to bed early. Enrique goes out drinking with friends. He comes home late and drunk. The next morning, Lourdes gives her son a shirt. Enrique doesn't have a gift for his mother" (pg 203). By using only simple and to the point words the author says what needs to be said and no more, not only allowing the reader to fill in the emotional burden of such a difficult conflict for themselves, but in addition not taking the risk of trivializing a real and personal struggle by using an extravagant vocabulary. In the very first sentence of the Afterword, the author begins a very detailed explanation of many facts and general experiences of immigration in a larger picture. "An estimated 1.7 million children live illegally in the United States, most from Mexico and Central America" (pg 241). While in the process of unfolding an extremely harrowing personal account of a journey which is taken many times every year and the consequences which follow such a journey the author includes many informative facts about immigration in general. By providing the bigger picture the author allows the reader to take a step back from the one detailed story of Enrique and see the massive span of Enrique's journey and others like it. The facts help to put everything into perspective. In addition, the author leans away from showing opinions during conflicts such as those between Enrique and his mother, and Enrique and Maria Isabel. Not only does she show all sides involved and observations from others nearby but doesn't make comments that show which side she believes is right. In dealing with the distance that Maria Isabel and Enrique feel towards each other as time passes Sonia writes objectively. "She feels snubbed...Both are stuck in their pride. He hasn't hired a smuggler because she hasn't asked for one; she hasn't said yeas to coming because he hasn't hired a smuggler. They are drifting apart" (pg 222). The author creates a kind of protection shield for herself while becoming so involved in the conflict by stating the feelings of those involved rather than her own take on the matter. She also remains a fair narrator, allowing for anyone's opinions to be taken into account.Writing in a candid manner is very appropriate for the topic and entire purpose of the book. Enrique's Journey is designed to draw attention to a massive topic which while receiving plenty of input from politicians has become a two-dimensional issue consisting of statistics rather than the heart-wrenching tales of the individuals involved. By writing in a honest tone, if often brutally so, the author allows an extremely harrowing story to tell itself.
     My favorite part of the story is probably when Belky walks out onto the TV shows stage where her mother and brother are unaware of her having gotten a visa. In so much of the story the content is dark and depressing with so many set backs that having the three of them reunited is a wonderful contrast to everything else. In real life a happy ending is very rare and especially in such an unhappy tale it is unexpected and incredible that even though many things are still not set right and there is still so much pain and sadness in Enrique's life as well as the lives of those around him, Belky got to hug her mother just that one time. 

DIRECTIONS for third posting and comment

Third Posting due Thursday, March 20
Third comment due Tuesday, March 25

For this post, write a CCQC that identifies the TONE of the last third of the book.  The claim should include an adjective or two that you think describe the tone, then you need lots of examples/quotes from the book that prove your claim.  Sophs, if you need a refresher on TONE, I have put it up on the Edmodo site.

Then write a paragraph that does one of these things, your choice:
*describes a favorite part of the book
*is a review of the book
*uses some part of the book to comment on an issue that interests you


For the comment, find someone who has a different idea than you do about the tone, or about some other part of the book in their second paragraph.  Add to their evidence, or challenge their idea by countering it with evidence of your own.

 Is the book unfairly representing one point of view?

CCQC:

The book does portray one point of view, (the boy Enrique) however, this is not unfair. The story of Enrique is accurate and truthful. He has never harmed or tried to hurt any of the police, bandits, or the mexican immigration authorities. The police, bandits, and the mexican immigration authority are not just doing their job. They are worker, but also killers and rapists. They take advantage of others when they see that their prey can do nothing but cower and lower their head. If the book was in the point of view of the bandits, police, and the mexican immigration authority I would still never be swayed by their words. I have no sympathy for the bandits, police, and the mexican immigration authority because of the actions they commit and the fact they think it is okay to rob a boy of all his money or rip his last piece of worth (his mom's phone number) or rape a 16 year old girl and then stone her after. We all need to treat each other better; love is the answer. In the end, the money you have earned from killing young kids will haunt you in your grave. In Enrique's Journey, there is a quote from a man who lives in Veracruz who talks about the unfairness on the treatment of Enrique and the fellow immigrants. He says, "It's wrong for our Government to send people back to Central America. If we don't want to be stopped from going into the United States, how can we stop Central Americans in our country?" This is a very true quote and I agree fully on it. The central american immigrants want to go to the US just as bad as the Mexican immigrants so instead of the Mexican immigrants treating them poorly they should treat each other with kindness. Enrique's story tells it all and includes his bravery, will to keep fighting, and his eagerness to get to his mom and not stopping to fight back but instead he never gives up.

No Judgementation Without Representation

Throughout the entire book, especially during the second third of the book, the main villains are "los migras," the migration officers. In the book, these men are labeled as crooked cops, rapists, corrupt and even accused of working with gang members. It may be time to see these men in a new light. These men are being paid by the government to complete a hopeless job. Every day, 3,000 migrants cross the Mexico - US border coming from Mexico. 2,200 are caught, leaving about 800 failures per day by the US border patrol. That's pretty good. Los migras failed 3,000 times, probably catching twice that number per day, and they keep on coming back, again and again until they get through, or die. Los migras are fighting an uphill battle that doesn't have a top of the hill. Every day they get up knowing that they will catch dozens of migrants, and twice that number will get through. Also, each person is someone like them, just trying to make a better life for themselves or their family, just like each himself was trying to do when he took the job; a job where you get paid to destroy other peoples dreams. It must get degrading after awhile, to do this day after day, week after week after month after year; It must begin to work on your sanity. That could be why those officers fire at the migrants, out of frustration, out of anger, out of the realization that another person is getting away, and that you failed your job once again. ""Alto! Alto! Stop!" the agents shout. As Enrique runs he hears what he thinks are gunshots behind him." (p74) As demonstrated by the quote, the officers act out of frustration, not a wanton need for violence.
I cant imagine that the officers get payed too much either, and maybe out of a sense of mercy, they told some of the migrants they caught that if they gave them enough money, they would let them go, and then it became a habit, until they were doing it out of a sense of power instead of anything else. Power can go to the head of even the most humble of men, making them do terrible things. This is not to say that I am excusing the accounts of rape, torture or severe beatings. Any and all of those acts are inexcusable, and horrifying. All I am saying is that there many bad people in the world. Just because Hitler was so evil doesn't make every Nazi under his command evil as well. Therefore, positions of power such as that of a migration officer might attract power hungry people who then become evil as the power goes to their head as they commit atrocious acts. We need to remember that all of these people are not necessarily as evil as the man standing next to them, and remember that they are just men doing their jobs, and in fact individual men, not one giant, evil-doing entity defined by the terrible acts that the worst of them commit.

Post 2!

Skylar Silvera
Elan

Enrique's journey ccqc
Enrique's mother is an extremely caring mother and her decision to go across the border to the US was very mature and responsible. Enrique has been suffering from abandonment his entire life but his mother has always provided him with love through care packages she sends to him. She sends him monthly checks for him and his sister, and gifts such as shoes, radios and sometimes even a tv. "I want to come and be with you" (230 online book). Enrique's soul purpose is to be with his mother because he misses her so much and can no longer stand living in such poor conditions. He wants to be in America and help his mother raise money so he can go back to school and study maybe. But she never wanted him to cross the border, it was too dangerous and he could die and never see her again. She does what's best for her children, she wants to raise enough money so she can hire someone to help smuggle Enrique and his sister over the border to come and live with her. If I was a mother, I would do the same for my children, I would want them to feel like someone will always be there for them and cares for them. I would also want them to know that I didn't really abandon them, I just left to do what is right so they could survive. Enrique' mother is an exemplary mother and deserves a very happy life with her children.

Second Post

Is the Book representing One Point of View? 

Even though the book is a heart wrenching story they do only show one side of an opinion. Even  though Enrique is braving this dangerous journey for a good cause to go finally reconnect with his mother, the book only portrays the opinion that this journey is heroic and good. On the flip side of that you can look at it being illegal and something you shouldn't do. the book portrays immigration as ok and all the police and immigration workers as bad people when they are really just doing their jobs keeping people that aren't supposed to. Even though a lot of these officers shouldn't take their job to an extent that is portrayed in the book they still are protecting the law. Which is people shouldn't be crossing into other countries illegally. "Police officers run into the church and arrest migrants hiding inside, with there guns drawn. One day several migra officers came in, arrested four migrants, and put them into their truck" (112). Even though the police are brutal about their actions they still are upholding the law and doing what in their opinion is right. the book just portrays them as bad people and Im sure some are corrupt but there are cops who are just doing what there supposed to do and not inflicting any harm to people other than deporting them back to their home countries.

Enrique's Journey post #2- seeing all sides of the equation

While listening to Enrique's story and all of the hardships he has gone through, the author has done a good job of writing objectively, without taking sides in the heartbreaking relationship between Enrique and his mother. In portraying the tense relationship of mother and son and the realization that they don't know each other anymore after so many years of being separated, the author shows both sides of the argument. "Then reality intrudes. The children show resentment because they were left behind. They remember broken promises to return and accuse their mothers of lying...The mothers, for their part, demand respect for their sacrifice: leaving children for the children's sake" (pg 191). The relationships between children whose parents, particularly mothers, have gone to the United States in an attempt to make a better life, and those parents is twisted and complicated. The readers must ask themselves if it is really such a crime for the desperate mothers to risk everything in an attempt to brighten the future of their children. Meanwhile, the abandonment and depression that the child feels once their parent is gone must be observed. It is very difficult to take sides in a situation like this, and the author has done a decent job of delving into what becomes of all those involved, not just the parent and child but also those who sheltered the child after the biological parent had left, and the siblings and friends of the child. Towards the beginning of the book, the author discusses the drug addiction and rebellion that Enrique experiences after what he felt was abandonment by all those around him, making it easy for the reader to see his mother as the criminal.  However, she also describes the hardships that Lourdes faces once in the United States, the reader is provided with an insight into the other side of the equation. In Enrique's Journey, all sides make mistakes, all sides feel pain and, in some ways, all sides are heroes. 

Abandonment

Although Lourdes left Honduras for the best interest of her family, when she did not make money or find success in America, she ended up harming more than she helped. It was reasonable for her to go to America, and try to make enough money to send for her children after only a few years. However, Lourdes never sends for them and her absence mentally scars both Enrique and Belky, who grow up without a mother, knowing that she left them. When Enrique reaches Nuevo Laredo, a town just south of the border with the United States, Enrique begins to question if what his mother did was right or wrong. "Enrique wonders: What does my mother look like now?... 'It's okay for a mother to leave,' he tells a friend,' but just for two or four years, not longer.' He recalls her promises to return for Christmas and how she never did. He recalls how he longed to have his mother with him...(157)" The eleven years that Lourdes was separated from Enrique for, have changed him. He is no longer the little boy who clung to his mother. He now knows that she abandoned him. He now knows that she tried to find success in the United States, and when she didn't, she failed to return to him and Belky. She stayed away and robbed the two of them of a mother for their childhood. Both believe that they would have rather had their mother there with them than any amount of money she could send in the mail.

Enrique Post 2

Lourdes is a very good mother to Enrique because she left Ecuador for the best interests of the family with only the future of her children in mind. Lourdes knew what she had to do and even though Enrique and his sister didn't realize it at first, they later came to the recognition that she sent home money so they could go to school and live better than they would if she were still picking up small paying jobs in Ecuador. After Lourdes talked with Enrique on the phone when he had arrived in Texas safely with a smuggler the narrator says, "Fear drains from his mother like a wave back into the sea. It is Enrique. She feels pure happiness"(188). After Enrique first called Lourdes from the Mexican side of the border, Lourdes became extremely scared for her son because she knew how hard it was to safely get across the border. When she found out that Enrique was still alive she became ecstatic because she knew she would finally see her son again. Lourdes always made sure money was sent home to her children and she went to the U.S. for good reasons. Lourdes had the best interest of her children in mind when moving to the U.S. and this is why she was not an errant mother to her children.

Enriques continuos journey

As Enrique continues his journey to the United states, he takes great caution when he see's others climb aboard the train, he hides and makes sure he's not about to get beaten and robbed and thrown off of the train to his death. When he was thrown off before, he nearly reached death but was luckily saved by the mayor of the town he ended up in when he was rescued from the tracks after being thrown off of the train. When the train passes villages, the villagers often throw food to the migrants on the train. Enrique almost gets ahold of a role of crackers, but they bounce off of his hand and are sent off of the fast moving train. He later grabs tortillas, and other foods thrown from the villagers. Enrique is a very generous boy, so he shares his tortilla with other migrants that wernt as lucky when food was being thrown up on to the train. When Enrique ditches the train to go find food, he knows he must not be long for if he misses the next train, he wont have another opportunity to reach the United States. He begs for food in residential areas, and is lucky to receive a glass of water or a taco once in a while. Once he is as satisfied as he can get, he cautiously waits for the next train, because this being his 9th attempt, he would do anything to not be deported back to Central America. Enrique must always be careful on his journey to find his mother, because if he continues to be deported, he may spend his entire life attempting to reach his mother, and may find that he will never succeed.

DIRECTIONS For Second Posting and Comment

Second post due Thursday, March 13
Second comment due Tuesday, March 18

For your second post, write a CCQC making a claim about one of the questions/ideas below, and use evidence from the second third of the book to support your claim. 
   * How are illegal border crossers treated by US citizens who live around there?
   * Is Lourdes a good mother or an errant one?
   * Is the book unfairly representing one point of view?

For your comment, find someone who chose to write about a different topic than you did and ADD some evidence to their claim.

Enrique's Journey Post 1

While reading the book, I was disgusted by the amount of assault on the immigrants; not just on the journey, but when they arrived in the states as well. On page 98, the author talks about how sexual assault is common, because the migrants are seen as inferior. I wondered how big of a problem this still is in the US today? According to splcenter.org, 77% of Latina women say sexual harassment is a major problem. There are many bosses that take advantage of their employees by threatening them by firing them or calling immigration. Many people refuse to pay and end up firing Latina women just because they are immigrants, and can't do anything about it. Many women aren't speaking up at all against their sexual abuse. In the Latina culture, the women believe that a women's purity is her responsibility, causing many women to not say anything about the abuse, rape, or harassment they endure. According to news.medill.northwestern.edu, many of the abuse victims say there are threats against their families in the states and in their home countries. These statistics are frightening and I hope the future holds a better, easier life for these women.

THINK OF THE CHILDREN

One of the topics that is mentioned briefly in Enrique's Journey is foster care. On page 19, the author describes the cases of several extremely young children, some as young as 4 years old, who knew nothing of a real, parental figure. These children were abandoned by their appointed smugglers, and left to be found by strangers, hopefully strangers with their best interests in mind. According to Orphanslifeline.org, 60% of the Mexican population falls under the classification of "Poor," with only a cumulative 26% of the country's income is headed their way. The mortality rates of infants and children living in these squalorous conditions are worryingly high, over twice that of those who aren't impoverished. Right now, there are currently over 1.5 million separated or orphaned children living as wards of the state, whether they were seized while en route to a family member or otherwise. On average, of children leaving the foster care system at 18 years old, 25% will become homeless, 56% will be unemployed, 27% will become incarcerated, and 30% of women will experience early parenthood.


(NOTE: The term "orphan" does NOT necessarily mean that both parents are dead. According to worldlifeexpectancy.com, in India, it is estimated that of their approx. 30,000,000 orphans, only 0.3% were orphaned by the death of their parents. All others were abandoned in some way or another.)

http://www.worldlifeexpectancy.com/life-expectancy-of-orphans
http://www.orphanslifeline.org/Mexico.html

Enriques Journey Post 1

Eriques journey made me wonder how many people cross into the united states illegally and what percentage of those people come from central American countries. The story tells tales of people getting injured, beaten, raped, robbed, etc. Yet people still crave to brave this journey to reach a new place that could be better for them. So I wanted to find what percentage of immigrants actually come from central america. Because the route that these immigrants use is a trecherous one and I'm sure that other immigrants from other countries could find routes into the country that prove to be less treacherous. Yet still people from centeral america continue to persist at getting in. 2008 roughly around 11 million people were illegal immigrants that entered the country that year (Wikipedia). 57% were Mexican and 21% were latin american (Wikipedia).  That is the majority of the immigration that comes into the U.S. The majority of the immigrants come from central america regardless of the high risk of life and all the treacherous feats that they need to concur to get all the way to the U.S. Personally I dont think I would go through all the things that could happen immigrating to the U.S. Regardless of the Danger Central americans continue to be the number one source of immigrants to the U.S.

Immigration Smugglers

Much of the focus of Enrique's Journey spotlights the immigrants who take the extensive and dangerous journey north, riding freight trains across Central America without much aid from others. However, what caught my attention the most was how people who have more money pay smugglers to get them into the United States. I was particularly interested in the methods and trail which the smugglers and their clients traveled, and how reliable the smugglers actually ended up being. If the smugglers were paid up front, it isn't at all surprising that they were not very loyal to their clients, as was described in the case of the four-year-old being abandoned by his smuggler (pg 21). The other thing that intrigued me about that example was the fact that the smuggler was female; it made me wonder about the risk factor of sexual abuse for women in that business. Through research I discovered that the smuggling of immigrants across borders is a flourishing business which is very difficult to contain or stop because it is an underground operation. According to the UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime), the principal route from Southern to northern America alone along with the one from Africa to Europe earns these smuggling criminals around $6.75 billion a year. Most illegal immigrants are smuggled in trucks across the border, although sometimes they also come by foot or even through tunnels. It is estimated that three million illegal entries are made into the United States each year. Smugglers charge a range of fees from $2,000 to $10,000. Smugglers are often part of a larger network of criminals, some trained to smuggle people, others not. As well as physically helping immigrants cross the border, smugglers are often involved in document fraud such as acquiring fake passports. Sometimes the smugglers take immigrants hostage for additional income or simply abandon them along the way. It was difficult to find information about women smugglers and the role they play in the trade, but through this research it has become obvious that immigrants are subject to extensive cruelties at the hands of gangsters, corrupt police and even the smugglers that they believe will fulfill their dream of starting over.


Note: this is where I found most of my information; it is a really interesting site with lots of information about other aspects of illegal immigration as well as smugglers. You should check it out if you want to find out more: http://www.unodc.org/toc/en/crimes/migrant-smuggling.html

 

First Enrique Post

As I was reading through the book I kept on seeing a pattern that the main gang in the book that is talked about is called the Mara Salvatrucha. I was wondering why this gang was so dominant and why they were so feared among immigrants. On pages 82-83, after Enrique makes it past La Arrocera, Chiapas back onto his freight train, he mentions that the Mara Salvatrucha gang preys on many sleeping migrants on top of freight trains. He said that he befriended some MS members and then later when they got into a conflict they beat Enrique. Enrique said that migrants think they are friendly because they wear white rosaries but then later they rob the same migrants because they know the travelers are easy prey and they won't tell the cops.

According to gansorus.com the Mara Salvatrucha gang originated in Los Angeles when young Salvadorians crossed the border into the U.S. and they joined gangs that were already present in Los Angeles. The Salvadorians then broke off from the pre existing gangs and created the Mara Salvatrucha. Many M.S. members have been deported back to their home countries and most of them flee to southern Mexico to the state of Chiapas because the police don't have the money and power to deport them from Mexico. M.S. controls most of the southern border of Mexico for smuggling purposes and they patrol the tops all of the trains heading to the North, terrorizing migrants for money and sex. In the U.S., M.S. has invaded 33 states as well as six other countries including Mexico. M.S. is the most dangerous and deadly gang because they have strength in numbers and resources. The gang is estimated to have around 200,000 members in Central America alone. In Honduras, December, 2004 just two days before Christmas M.S. attacked a bus full of people and killed 28 passengers along with leaving a note to the government saying not to mess with M.S. and to leave them alone. They have populated Most of North and South America and they aren't looking to stop terrorizing migrants anytime soon.

Guatemala Working Conditions

As I was reading the book, I found countless references to the low wages that the people of Honduras and other Central American countries are forced to live on (for instance on page 41) and I was curious if there were any laws regarding the wages of the workers in Honduras or if it were every man and company for himself. I looked at the Encyclopedia of the Nations, and found that the working conditions and wages in Honduras is horrendous. Back in the 1960's to 1980's workers were looked after, and Honduras was "the most heavily unionized country in Central America." In the 1990's, the unions declined, and now, whatever unions are left are ignored and harassed by companies. There are repeat cases of workers have gone to the government saying their employers fired them due to their involvement in unions, but nothing has been done about this as of yet. The minimum wage is the worst thing in my opinion. The lowest is $2.12 a day, and the highest is $3.47 a day. According to EN, "Even the highest minimum wage is insufficient to provide a standard of living over the poverty line." I find this terrible, that a country could take such little care of it's people. It's no wonder that 500,000 migrants cross the border every year. (howstuffworks.com) 

In Enrique's Journey I had to read up to page 98, and the conflict in the story is completely obvious. A reporter is investigating and studying the immigration patterns of young children trying to get into the United States where either their mothers are who are providing money for them there or going there in order to provide for their family. Enrique's mother grew up without a mother, she left when he was 5. He lived with relatives threw out his life because he constantly misbehaved in school and to his family. When he finally graduated elementary school he began working to provide money for his grandmother with whom he lives with. When he turns 15 he meets a young girl named Maria Isabel and he falls in love with her and she soon falls in love with him as well. She never want to have a baby with Enrique but Enrique believes that if he gets her pregnant she will have to love him and care about him. That's all he ever wanted from everybody. His mother worked in America with many different job in order to pay her rent, send money to Honduras for her two children and to feed herself and the baby she had in America. She struggles intensely. She works in various restaurants and selling food to peoples doorsteps. then she moved out of California and found a more steady job as a waitress and a nanny, but she couldn't handle caring for children that weren't hers. She would right to Enrique and send $50 a month. Enrique would write back to her responding how much he wants to be with her. When Enrique turned 16, he developed a drug problem. This affected the entire family entirely, not only by his actions but because he owed money to various drug dealers. He received many death threats from the drug dealers and he became scared. So Enrique decided that he was going to travel to America to his mother and live there with her and help her work. His family doesn't want  him to go but in spite of them he leaves. The reporter studies the journey that he takes to further understand the hardships immigrants take in order to get a better life. And it is definitely not what she expected.

Enrique grows up in the Central American country of Honduras His mother sets off to the United States to see if she can find success for her children so that they can grow up having no trouble getting things that they need, because at the moment they barely have enough to live. As she promises christmas after christmas that she will visit her kids, she fails every year. She gets many jobs in the US but doesn't get enough that she can be happy and not have to worry as much about getting basic things needed to live. Meanwhile Enriques growing into drug addictions and behavior issues, he is missing his mother dearly. When he begins sniffing glue, (Page 32) he quickly becomes addicted and disappoints his girlfriend. When Enrique sets off on his journey, he misses his girlfriend, Maria Isabel greatly.

On page #32, towards the beginning of the book, he began sniffing glue, I wondered what affect that had on your system as a drug. According to Jeffress, D., and Bronwyn Harris. WiseGeek. Conjecture, 02 July 2014. Web. 06 Mar. 2014., sniffing glue causes severe brain damage, not the kind of glue that you find at school, but model glue, known as "airplane glue."

Enrique's Journey Post #1

          On Page 103, the author goes into detail about how in the Mexican state of Chiapas, riding the trains is incredibly dangerous, as gangsters and criminals rule the tops, robbing, raping, and killing migrants trying to make their way to "El Norte." Also, the attitude about migrants from the occupants of towns on the tracks in the states of Oaxaca and Veracruz is more accepting of migrants. They throw small bundles containing food that the migrants are very grateful for. It is interesting that the attitude can be so drastically different towards migrants from state to state in Mexico. It makes the reader wonder why Chiapas can be so hostile towards migrants, the most difficult leg of their journey, while Oaxaca and Veracruz are, comparatively, friendly towards the thousands of young and old migrants that come flowing through from Southern Mexico and Central America on their way to the United States. Perhaps it is the state of mind that the residents in these states have developed. They believe that their government is wrong to deport Central Americans from Mexico, if Mexicans don't want to be stopped from entering the United States. It is possible that this reasonable state of mind is what makes the residents of Oaxaca and Veracruz so much more friendly than the hostile, distrustful residents of Chiapas.
          According to Immigration in America, the flow of Honduran migrants has seen an 81 percent increase during the first decade of the 21st century. During this time more Hondurans have entered the country than any other migrant group. Both economic trouble and natural disasters have led to this huge spike in immigration from Honduras. The 1998 Hurricane Mitch ravaged Honduras and other parts of Central America. During the months directly following this disaster, United States Border Patrol reported a 61 percent increase in Honduran migrants attempting to cross the border. Hurricane Mitch proved to be one of the worst natural disasters ever to hit Honduras, with a death toll of 6,800 and 8,052 missing and presumed to be dead. The huge rise in immigration through Mexico has caused the Mexican drug gangs to get involved, acting as migrant smugglers and targeting migrants that travel alone through Mexico. These drug cartels target child migrants specifically. They take young boys' money and have even been known to beat and throw these children, as young as seven years old, off the trains. This is all very common in the southern parts of Mexico. Going further into the states further north, the priests and religious figures protect and shelter migrants. According to CNN News, Mexican priests like Rev. Alejandro Solalinde are fighting for immigration reform in both the United States and in Mexico. He has criticized both the government and the Catholic Church, insisting that they be more compassionate towards migrants. Solalinde, from the Mexican state of Oaxaca states that immigration reform will come only when the problem is assessed both at the source and from the migrants' destinations.
 

DIRECTIONS for first posting

Welcome to your ROCK blog on Enrique's Journey
Divide your book into three roughly equal sections.
 Read the first third in one week.
Your first blog post is due Thursday, March 6.
Your first comment is due Tuesday, March 11.
The next two weeks will match this same format.

For your first blog post, after reading the first third of the book, you are undoubtedly curious about the setting, the period, the conflict.  Do some research on something that you have a question about.
In your blog post, describe the following:
1.  What did you read in the book (page #), and what did it make you wonder about?
2.  Cite your source.  This doesn't have to be a formal citation.  You can say something like "according to...."
3.  Paraphrase (don't cut and paste) your research.

For your first comment, read through the blog and find someone else's post that interests you, someone who researched something else you were interested in.  ADD to their research like so:
1.  Tell them what happened in the book that made you wonder about the same topic.
2.  Add further research about that topic.  Cite your source and paraphrase your research.