Latino Immigrants In Enrique's Journey

There are those who choose to immigrate to the United States in hopes of leaving poverty and oppression behind in search of a better life in a country that does not welcome all with open arms. President Obama reminds those who are lucky enough to have born in this great country that, “For all the noise and anger that too often surrounds the immigration debate, America has nothing to fear from today’s immigrants. They have come here for the same reason that families have always come here–for the hope that in America, they could build a better life for themselves and their families. Like the waves of immigrants that came before them and the Hispanic Americans whose families have been here for generations, the recent arrival of Latino immigrants will only enrich our country,” (2013, para 22). One of the stories in the book Enrique’s Journey is that of a young mother, Lourdes and her inner strength to persevere through the obstacles life throws at her. She comes to the United States looking for a better future, and in the process leaves behind her two young children in

There are times when she does not feel safe, gangs are everywhere in her neighborhood and crime is widespread. While some employers have been kind, “Others seem to revel in her humiliation,” (Nazario, 2014, pp.15). Then there are those individuals who have some power, make promises, to only run away with what little money she does have. She has nightmares about returning home to visit and not being able to get back into the United States without the legal paperwork. “She has no money to pay a smuggler. She tries to come back on her own. The path becomes a labyrinth. She runs through zigzagging corridors. Each time, she awakens in a sweat,” (Nazario, 2014, pp.20). She longs for her two children, but does not want to put their lives in the hands of smugglers and risk losing them