Barefoot Heart: Stories of a Migrant Child by Elva trevino Hart

Barefoot Heart is written by Elva Trevino Hart who tells the story of her childhood.  She tells how she was born in Mexico and traveled with her family each summer to Minnesota to find work.  She tells about how difficult it was leaving her friends in Mexico each summer.  She also tells about the struggles her family faces in Minnesota and Wisconsin.  She recalls not fitting in with the white people in the U.S.  Although Hart faced many challenges she was able to overcome them.  She worked hard in school and eventually graduated from Stanford University with a degree in computer science/engineering.  This is a moving story of a migrant girl who overcame all the struggles of moving from one place to another.  It made me aware of some of the challenges that migrants face.  Challenges that I never imagined that they were facing.          

Enrique's Journey by Sonia Nazario

       This book written by Sonia Nazario follows the life of Enrique, a young boy living in Honduras without his mother. When Enrique was only five years old, his mother left for the United States in search of a job that would pay her enough money to feed her children. She left her son behind in Honduras so that he could continue to receive an education but promised that one day she would return. However, his mother faces many difficulties in the United States as the years keep ticking by. Enrique calls her and begs her to come back because without her, he feels lost and lonely. Finally, after 11 years of not seeing his mother, he decides to go find her. With nothing but his mother's telephone number, Enrique sets off for the United States and illegally travels through Mexico by clinging to the sides of trains or riding on top of them. While making the journey through Mexico, Enrique and other migrant children encounter many obstacles. Gangsters are patrolling the tops of the trains, thieves steal and even kill some of them, and cops are patrolling the border, ready to deport any illegals. In order to escape from these cops, they must jump on and off El Tren de la Muerte (The Train of Death). Despite all these harships, Enrique eventually finds his mother. However, they realize they are strangers and get into arguments, but soon they learn to get along and both get jobs in the United States.

       I chose to read Enrique's Journey in order to learn more about what immigrants have to go through. Enrique is not alone; millions of children migrate illegally in search of their parents. All my life, I have grown up with a negative attitude towards these illegal immigrants; however, this book challenged that attitude and caused me to have more respect and understanding towards those who simply want a better life for their families.

History: Gaudalupe Hidalgo Treaty

                                                 

           The Treaty of Gaudalupe ended the Mexican American War in 1848.  In this treaty Mexico lost 45 percent of its land.  What once was Mexico is now California, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, and Colorado.  In exchange for this land the U.S. gave Mexico $15 Million.  The U.S. also agreed to pay for the debts of U.S. citizens to the Mexican government.  This treaty also gave Mexican living within the now U.S. border civil and property rights.  The picture above shows the land the U.S. received in the Treaty of Gaudalupe.