Immigrants In Enrique's Journey By Sonia Nazario

Immigration is a very current issue that is extremely complex and multifaceted, due to the variety of different people it affects and the impact it can have on societies as a whole. The decision to immigrate is not an easy one and is influenced by many factors that can be defined as push or pull factors. A push factor is a condition, typically negative, that compels people to leave their homes for somewhere new and can be accompanied by other push factors and pull factors, which are conditions that entice people to a new place, typically a positive attribute of another location. Enrique’s Journey written by Sonia Nazario highlights these different motives by following a young boy named Enrique from Honduras, who decides to take the very risky

This notion is a very powerful motivator but can coincide with expectations not being a reality. For instance, when establishing Lourdes's thought process throughout this decision, Nazario mentions how Lourdes only had one place in mind when it came to having hope, stating that, “On television, she saw New York City’s spectacular skyline, Las Vegas’s shimmering lights, Disneyland’s magic castle.” (Nazario 20). This quote shows the strong influence media had on Lourdes's commitment to the United States and how it truly can shape perspective, as seen through Lourdes's optimistic and striking depiction of the United States and what it has to offer. This is a much different environment than her current living conditions, and because of her little exposure and knowledge of the United States, her hope and optimism are much more ubiquitous. Once Lourdes reaches America and can find jobs to work, she can start sending money back to Honduras to support his family, which is mentioned when Nazario writes, “Besides the cash for Enrique, every month she sends $50 each to her mother and Belky.” (Nazario 31). Although this may not seem like much money, this is a

This can be for a variety of reasons, such as concerns about living in a different country and the difficulty of the journey to get there. Enrique’s journey depicts this difficult journey descriptively, especially when they discuss Enrique’s trek, which is extremely gruesome, due to his inability to afford a smuggler, up until the end. One quote that stands out is one that briefly describes some of Enrique’s obstacles, when it says, “Enrique has slept on the ground in a sewage ditch, Another time, he had gone two days without water, The thousands of migrants who ride atop freight trains must hop as many as thirty trains to get through Mexico. Many are caught by the Mexican police or by la migra, the Mexican immigration authorities,” (Nazario 56-57). This quote depicts the struggles of immigration, not to mention that every person's journey is different and that doesn’t even include what happens once you get to your destination. This illustrates how severe the living conditions are in their home country, and how this was a difficult but necessary choice, which is the case for many