Nonfiction: Enrique's Journey

Enrique's Journey

by Sonia Nazario

Read for "Nonfiction" theme

"Blown Over"
ABC News
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-12-20/20111220-derailment-danger-transport-safety-bureau-darwin-line/3740462

Enrique's Journey is the miraculous tale of one determined boy from Honduras and his multiple journeys to find his mother in the United States. When Enrique was 17, he made the courageous decision to leave his family, girlfriend, and home behind in Tegucigalpa and embark on an illegal journey to the United States by riding the tops of cargo trains. Along the way, Enrique was robbed, beaten, starving, and caught by immigration enforcement multiple times. Although, Enrique suffered greatly on these treks and nearly lost his life several times, he persevered and continued with his quest to ultimately make it into the US and find his mother.

One of the greatest aspects of this non-fiction account is the resiliency Enrique explains and exhibits. So many times, he faced great danger and legal obstacles that sent him back to Honduras. But the love he had for his mother and determination to be with her again kept him going through it all. Knowing this to be the premise of the story, I was very interested when I first began. I often wonder to what extent would I go for someone I love. I would like to think that extent is limitless, that I would do anything for the people I love. But if I were faced with the amount of obstacles that Enrique encountered, then I'm not so sure that I would have that perseverance.

This dilemma kept my mind reeling as I read. It was so inspiring to hear of Enrique's rationale behind his decisions and perspective on his journey, yet I know that it takes more than pure will and determination to overcome something like that. Enrique mentions the idea of God and his relationship with religion as recounts his stories. As a no-religious person, I found this incredibly interesting to see how someone else who struggles with faith dealt with that sort of adversity. He contemplated whether God was with him or not on his journey, as I'm sure I would have myself. Even though I've finished the book, I still find myself thinking about this topic and assessing how I feel about it.

Overall, Enrique's Journey opened my eyes to a lot of big, saturated issues in our society today. Yes, human determination and perseverance is a great topic. But the issue of immigration presented in the book are arguably more pertinent and fore-front. This issue is not just a political issue for candidates to debate, but it is also a social issue and a livelihood issue for thousands, perhaps millions, of people who wish to seek a better future in the United States. 

For whatever reasons they may have, migrants come to the United States illegally and through extremely dangerous ways. They ride on tops of trains that could decapitate them when going through tunnels or crush migrants if the train derails. Migrants are robbed, beaten, raped, and even killed by thugs who prowls for prey on the trains. Migrants are exposed to the harsh elements for days and weeks and are so dehydrated they may not make it across the treacherous wading of the Rio Grande. Migrants are facing incomprehensible perils all for a shot at a better life that they are not guaranteed. 

I think this book is an excellent vehicle for constructive conversation on a heavy political and social issue. I would consider using this book as a whole-class text in a classroom, so long as I had a mature set of students (perhaps Advanced or AP) and I had the support of the school administration. I think it is incredibly important for students to discuss such heavy topics in a controlled environment so that they may be able to see the world around them for what it really is and possibly be called to action and start change.