The image on the left is Our Lady of Guadalupe. This was a significant item my mother brought along on her immigration journey. My mother left her hometown, Atzitzintla, Mexico in the summer of 2001. Her journey began by taking a bus to Mexico City.  From there, she took an airplane to Tijuana and the last stop she made before reaching American soil was traveling on a bus from Tijuana to Mexicali. In Mexicali, a paid guide waited for her brother, the brother’s wife, two other men, and herself to cross the border. My mother recalls her journey as tiring but worthwhile. My mom walked miles and miles, crossed a river while not knowing how to swim, and hid from immigration officers. Despite their efforts of hiding, it was not enough to successfully reach the American Dream. My mother and the others were caught three separate times in their attempt to cross the border. Each attempt to cross was important to my mom because she would pray, ask for guidance, and a miracle from Our Lady of Guadalupe, praying that she’d help them safely cross the border without being caught. The miracle was granted when they finally crossed the border, were picked up, and taken to a different location. Joyfully, my mother landed in her new home in the U.S., feeling the American Dream within reach, grateful for the life she left behind in Mexico, and hopeful for the better life she could create with the guidance of Our Lady of Guadalupe. 

– Nathaly Sarmiento

Relationship:  Im/migrant Im/migrant