What has life in America taught you?
Y: I have learned.. I’m not sure but life is easier and there are more opportunities here. Even though, I see that here in the U.S. we spend our time working and we work a lot. Sometimes we start distancing ourselves from our families because of work. I feel like society pushes you to that and in Mexico, well, it’s different.
J: La verdad… the truth is that it’s taught me that it once was the land of opportunity. But in actuality, yo miro que esta muy descompuesto, it’s very out of order, dysfunctional. And not all dreams are dreams. Sometimes they become nightmares. Nothing is the same. Nothing is the same [in the Valley] either. Everything is really different.
Words of Wisdom
What words of wisdom would you tell younger generations reading this?
Y: Educate yourself well so you can find a good job in Mexico and stay there with their families. Stay with your family. At the end of the day, I think being close to family is something people should care about.
J: That they stay in their countries and put all their knowledge and abilities to get ahead in favor of their countries. That they do not come to this land to look for a dream and find themselves with a nightmare.
Stay in your community and do something for your community. Just like young people from other countries, stay where you are and try to move your countries forward instead of coming to waste your dreams in a place where sometimes they remain dreams. Cuantos no se han quedado en la mitad del camino. Many have remained in the middle of their journeys. I looked at the footprints of people who have not achieved their dreams when we walked through the woods [in America after we crossed over]. During the thirteen days I walked through the woods, I saw many things… many people come and do not manage to accomplish anything. Se quedan muertos nomas. They just die instead. It is better to stay in your country and do what you can for your country.
That is the advice I give to the new generations. Eso es lo que yo le doy de consejo a las generaciones nuevas.