Land of the free

I really miss America. I miss the ameba-free water, sewer systems, electrical grids, highways, opportunities, recreation, education... All the perks of living in a developed nation, basically. I loved America a little extra this Fourth of July now that I've lived in El Salvador for one year. Seriously, if PC teaches me anything (besides a profound appreciation for clean water) it will be that we are so fortunate to be Americans.

I use the word fortunate quite deliberately here. Illegal immigration isn't a new thing, nor is it very complicated to explain. People flock to America in order to have a better life, to provide for their families, and to escape the poor and dangerous communities they were born to. They face gangs, dehydration, dismemberment from the trains, and worse before even reaching the border. After that? Depends on how good your coyote is.

I know why they leave, and honestly, I can't really blame them. Even I get jealous when I hear about the sister who lives in an apartment in Arlington, VA with hot water, but I think the buzzwords they hear are paycheck and job. All three simply don't exist here.

It's no secret that men and women are constantly making the camino from my community. Some have even worked out a system where family members switch off years working in the US (and sending remittances home) until they are deported. One comes back and another takes their place. Those who are lucky enough to get steady work and avoid deportation generally never come back. Kids are raised by their grandmothers or aunts. A girl in my english class doubts she'll ever see her parents again. That is, unless she goes to them.

Since October more than 52,000 minors have immigrated to the United States. Most of the minors are unaccompanied and hail from Central America. They've called it an influx, a crisis, and depending on which side of the border you live, a great opportunity. America is hooking up children with their family who lives in the US! Let's go!

Wilfredo, my host nephew, left for the US with a coyote in February. He found out the coyote would take him and left within 24 hours. On his last night, family members kneeled in a circle and cried out to the Lord to protect Wilfredo on the camino. I don't believe I'll ever see such frightened and desperate praying again in my life. The next morning Wilfredo said goodbye to the only family he's known and left for a mother he hadn't seen in over 12 years. He crossed the border in 11 days, spent some time with immigration, and was reunited with his mother in 32 days total.

He'll have a deportation hearing. Sometime in the future. No one really cares or understands that now, though. He made it. And you'll make it too, if you've got the money.

There's been a big push to keep kids from leaving, even spawning a series of PSAs that show an aggressive coyote and a teen who ultimately dies from dehydration. I've never seen these PSAs on TV, and I have no idea if they'll help get the "No seriously, this is really dangerous!" message across. I'm thinking no.

America will always be there, and it will always be beaconing.