The Crossroads
Page 21
Jaime adapted much better to his new environment than I did. By having a teacher who checked up on him and a friend on the bus, Jaime had the support I never had. I can only wish every child entering a new school system could have those friendships.
All children in the United States, regardless of their immigration status, are legally entitled to education. New Mexico is an English/Spanish bilingual state, with the highest percentage (twenty-nine percent) of Spanish speakers per capita in the United States, yet unfortunately, it ranks one of the lowest in quality of public education.
Immigration policies in the United States seem to be changing daily, but these changes are often not for the better. A person in Guatemala filing for legal status in the United States might have to wait more than ten years for the papers to be processed; that is too long for a person whose life is in danger or whose children are starving. Opportunities under the Obama administration that were available for undocumented immigrants are continuously changing, and it’s becoming harder for them to stay in the United States legally. But it’s not impossible.
At the moment I am writing this, children like Jaime and Ángela can apply for the Special Immigrant Juvenile Visa. Alternatively, if a lawyer can prove that the child’s life is in danger if they return to their birth country, or there isn’t a family member capable of caring for the child in that country, then the chances of that child staying in the United States are considerably better. However, good immigration lawyers are expensive and sometimes even they are not enough.
One of the best ways for people to show their support for immigration is to read and be aware of what’s happening. If there are immigrants in your community, make them feel welcome and get to know them as people, not just immigrants. There are programs for adults to become foster parents while the legal system determines whether a child can stay in the United States or not—an alternative to remaining in a detention center. Together as a community, immigration awareness can be raised.
We are a nation of immigrants. If it weren’t for immigrants, most of us wouldn’t be here. No matter how things change for the worse, we must keep our hope. Hope that there is a way, hope that things will get better. When we give up on hope, we give up on life.
References
American Immigration Council. “Immigrants in New Mexico.” October 13, 2017. https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/research/immigrants-in-new-mexico.
Butterworth, Rod R. Signing Made Easy (A Complete Program for Learning Sign Language. Includes Sentence Drills and Exercises for Increased Comprehension and Signing Skill) New York: Perigee Books, 1989.
Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project. “Getting a Bond: Your Keys to Release from Detention.” May 2013. http://firrp.org/media/Bond-Guide-2013.pdf.
Gómez, Grace. Immigration lawyer at Gómez Immigration (http://www.gomezimmigration.com/). Personal communication.
Love, Allegra. Immigration lawyer at Santa Fe Dreamers Project (http://www.santafedreamersproject.org/). Personal communication, June 20, 2017.
New Mexico Voices for Children. “Immigration Matters in New Mexico: How Kids Count.” June 2012. http://www.nmvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/KC-immigrant-full-report-web.pdf.
Rice, Cathy. Sign Language for Everyone: A Basic Course in Communication with the Deaf. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc., 1977.
Santa Fe Dreamer’s Project. “New Americans: New Mexico Immigrants Make Us Stronger.” 2017.
Shaw, Jerry. “Illegal Immigration Figures in New Mexico.” Newsmax, September 24, 2015. http://www.newsmax.com/FastFeatures/illegal-immigration-New-Mexico/2015/09/24/id/693112/.
The Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights, https://www.theyoungcenter.org/.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. “Green Card Through Registry.” https://www.uscis.gov/greencard/through-registry. (This program is for people like Don Vicente who have been in the United States for a long time.)
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. “Special Immigrant Juveniles (SIJ) Status.” (This program is for children like Jaime and Ángela.)
U.S. Customs and Border Protection. “Border Patrol Sectors.” https://www.cbp.gov/border-security/along-us-borders/border-patrol-sectors.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection. “Detention Facility Locator.” https://www.ice.gov/detention-facilities.
Further Reading for All Ages
Picture Books
Colato Laínez, René. Mamá the Alien/ Mamá la extraterrestre. New York: Children’s Book Press, 2016.
McCarney, Rosemary. Where Will I Live? Toronto, Canada: Second Story Press, 2017.
Phi, Bao. A Different Pond. North Mankato, MN: Capstone Young Readers, 2017.
Sanna, Francesca. The Journey. London: Flying Eye Books, 2016.
Poetry
Argueta, Jorge. Somos como las nubes/We Are Like the Clouds. Toronto, Canada: Groundwood Books, 2016.
Engle, Margarita. Lion’s Island: Cuba’s Warrior of Words. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2016.
Middle Grade
Agosín, Marjorie. I Lived on Butterfly Hill. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2014.
Freeman, Ruth. One Good Thing About America. New York: Holiday House, 2017.
Gratz, Alan. Refugee. New York: Scholastic Press, 2017.
McGee, Alison. Pablo and Birdie. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2017.
Medina, Juana. Juana & Lucas. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press, 2016.
Osborne, Linda Barrett. This Land is Our Land: A History of American Immigration. New York: Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2016.
Young Adult
Abdel-Fattah, Randa. The Lines We Cross. New York: Scholastic, 2017.
Andreu, Maria E. The Secret Side of Empty. Philadelphia: Running Press Teens, 2014.
Fraillon, Zana. The Bone Sparrow. New York: Disney Hyperion, 2016.
Grande, Reyna. The Distance Between Us: Young Reader’s Edition. New York: Aladdin, 2016.
Film
The Walt Disney Company. The Girl Who Spelled Freedom. 1986.
Glossary
Spanish is mostly a phonetic language and the words are pronounced how they’re spelled. However, some letters are pronounced differently in Spanish than in English. For example, Jaime’s name is pronounced “Hi-Meh” and Ángela is “Ahn-hey-la”. That said, Spanish speakers love it when you make an effort to speak to them so don’t be afraid to try some Spanish!
Abuelo/Abuela: Grandfather/grandmother.
Abuelitas: a plural form for “grannies.”
Acabo de hablar con: “I just finished talking to . . .”
Amigos: a word every Spanish wannabe speaker should know, “friends.”
Arnés: a “harness,” especially one used for horses.
Arte: “art,” Jaime’s favorite subject.
Así se hace: an exclamation similar to “That’s how it’s done.”
Ay no: “oh no” and a common expression that can be said in various tones to change the meaning.
Bello durmiente: the male version of “sleeping beauty.”
Bien: “good” or “fine” and the answer you would give if someone asks how are you.
Bobo: a dummy or stupid person, but more endearing than insulting.
Bruja: a witch or spiritual person who often uses spells to accomplish what she wants.
Bueno: means “good” but can also mean “so” or “well then” at the beginning of a sentence.
Café y frijoles: coffee and beans.
Cajeta: a caramel traditionally made from goat milk. It can be liquid and held in jars or in chewy candy form.
Cállate: a command to “be quiet.”
Capulín: the New Mexican/Mexican word for the berry “chokecherry” but may go by other names in other places.
Centro de inmigrantes: Immigration center.
Chico: The word for “kid” or “boy” so Jaime calling his bathroom friend “Choco-chico” is like calling him “chocolate boy.”
/> Chinchines: traditional musical instruments in Guatemala similar to maracas. They are made from gourds and often painted in bright colors.
Chisme: gossip.
Ciencia: science.
Cómo se dice: “How do you say . . . ?”
Ciudadanía: the thing Jaime isn’t sure he wants, “citizenship.”
Claro: “sure” or “of course.”
Claro que sí: a version of the above but with more emphasis and assertion, “Of course!”
Comal: a griddle used to make corn or flour tortillas but can be used for cooking other things as well.
Cómo están las cosas: a question to ask, “How are things?”
Contacto: “contact” or as in “to make contact with someone.”
Curandera: a healer or witchdoctor, similar to a bruja, often uses herbs for cures.
De: most often indicates “from” or “of.”
De todo, piano, guitarra, flauta: the first part, de todo, means “of everything” and in the context used means “a bit of everything.” The following words are, “piano, guitar, flute.”
De verdad: a question or confirmation meaning “truthfully” or “really.”
De verdad puedo visitar a mis padres: literally translates to, “Really, can I visit my parents?”
Desgraciado: this word doesn’t have a good English translation, but means “disgraceful,” “disrespectful,” and “bad-mannered.”
Diario de Greg: Días de perros: Spanish title for Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days.
Don/Doña: a term of respect for a man (don) or a woman (doña).
Dulce de leche: a sweet dessert similar to caramel.
El señor: “the man” or “the mister” and can also mean “the boss.”
Es por tu culpa: a question asking “Are you at fault?”
Está vivo: “He/she is alive,” or in question form, “Is he/she alive?”
Estadounidense: a citizen of the United States and a preferred term over americano when really all of the citizens of North and South America are “Americans,” not just those from the United States.
Estás aquí: a question, “Are you here?”
Fantástico: if you guessed this means “fantastic,” you’re right!
Flauta: the word for “flute” but can also mean “recorder.” To tell the difference, some people will say flauta transversal or transversa for the flute that is played to the side of the mouth and flauta dulce for a recorder or other flutes that are held vertical.
Fútbol: The sport most of the world calls football but in the United States is called soccer.
Futuro: the future.
Gracias: a must-know word, “thanks.”
Gracias a Dios: an exclamation, “thank God.”
Gracias, hijo. Por todo: the first part is “thanks, son,” followed by, “for everything.”
Grapadora: a stapler.
Gringo/Gringa: a person (gringo for a man, gringa for a woman) who is white, from the United States or not Latino. Gringo is not a bad word or insult.
Guayabas: guavas, tropical fruit the size of tennis balls.
Hermano/Hermanito: means “brother” and “little brother.” In Spanish, you can make most nouns diminutive (little) by adding “ito” for a boy or masculine noun and “ita” for a girl or feminine noun.
Historia: history.
Hola: another good word to know which is pronounced, “oh-la” and means “hello.”
Inmigración: immigration.
Jodón: a slightly bad word to call someone who’s being a pain.
La Bestia: the nickname for a train in Mexico that brings many immigrants riding on top of it to the United States. Its name means, “the beast.”
La frontera: literally “the frontier” but refers to the Mexico-United States border.
La migra: a nickname for the immigration officers that try to prevent people from crossing the borders without permission.
Latino: a person from a Spanish or Portuguese speaking country or a descendent from such country. Because of the colonization of the Americas, Latinos can be descendents of European, African, Asian, and Native ancestors and can be of all colors and ethnic backgrounds.
Los Estados Unidos: The United States.
Mamá: mom or the mother.
Masa: any kind of dough, but in this case made out of corn or flour to make tortillas.
Matemática: can also be called matemáticas and means “mathematics.”
Media loca: this does NOT mean “made crazy by the media” but rather a girl who is acting “half crazy” or “kind of crazy” (for a boy, you would say medio loco).
Me oyes: a question that literally means, “you hear me?” but implies “you understand?”
Mercado: a market where you do your shopping.
Mi familia: one of the most important things to Jaime, “my family.”
Mi hermano: my brother.
Mi hijo: “my child” or “my son,” but can also be a term of endearment said by anyone.
Mi’jo: A term of endearment often said by an older person to someone younger. It’s a conjunction of “mi hijo” (my child), but you don’t have to be related to say it or have it said to you.
Mira: literally means “look” but can also mean “hey.”
Mucho gusto: a nice thing to say after you’ve been introduced to someone, “nice to meet you.”
Muerte: death.
Música: music.
No lo quiero: “I don’t want it.”
No me digas: can be used as an agreement “Don’t tell me about that,” or statement, “Don’t tell me.”
No que va: an expression that means “no way!”
No puedo escribir en español: “I can’t write in Spanish.” Unfortunately, a lot of youth in the United States who have Spanish-speaking parents or grandparents never learn Spanish.
Nosotros: us.
Nuestra amiga: “our female friend.” (If you say nuestro amigo, that means “our male friend.”)
Nuevomexicanos: New Mexicans, many of who are Mexican/Spanish descendents or Native Americans.
Oye: An exclamation like “hey” but literally means “listen.”
Oye hombre: another exclamation, “hey man.”
Pandilleros: gang members.
Papá: dad or father.
Para qué necesito dinero cuando tengo todo lo que quiero: “What do I need money for when I have everything I want?”
Para ti: for you.
Pepián: a traditional Guatemalan meaty stew.
Perfecto: a good and easy word to know, “perfect.”
Pero: “but” or “however.”
Pero esta tipa: this uses a bit of slang, “but this woman/chick.” For a man, you can say, pero este tipo.
Pero solamente hasta que regrese Don Vicente, verdad: “But only until Don Vicente returns, right?”
Picante: hot as in spicy. Mexican food is often much spicier than Guatemalan.
Pimiento: a pepper, also the name of Don Vicente’s horse.
Por fa: this is a slang word for por favor (“please”) and is the same as saying “pretty please.”
Por qué estás de mal humor: “Why are you in a bad mood?”
Por supuesto: “of course” or “naturally.”
Pues: this can mean “well” or “because,” especially at the start of a sentence when you’re not sure what to say.
Pues, sí: an agreement such as, “well, yes.”
Qué: in question or exclamation, it means “what” or “how.”
Qué desastre: “What a disaster.”
Qué diablo piensas: almost a swear word, “What the devil are you thinking?”
Qué haces aquí: a question, “What are you doing here?”
Qué hora es: a common thing to teach in Spanish classes, “What time is it?”
Qué maravilla: “how marvelous,” but in the context used it is sarcastic.
Qué pasó: “What happened?”
Qué piensas: literally means “what are you th
inking,” but in the context used, it carries the implication of “What were you thinking?”
Qué te pasa: means “what’s going on with you” or “What’s up with you?”
Querido/Querida/Queridos: the words mean “dear” and it changes if you’re addressing a male, female, or several people. It’s the word you use to start a letter but can also be used in other contexts you’d use “dear.”
Rancheros: ranchers.
Sabes jugar un instrumento de música: this is an incorrect way to ask “Do you know how to play a musical instrument?” The correct form would be, Sabes tocar un instrumento de música. The verb jugar does mean “to play” but it’s used for playing with dolls or a sport, not musical instruments.
Se busca ranchero: means “rancher wanted” when hiring.
Señor/Señora: “mister/missus” but can also mean “man/woman.”
Serpiente: a serpent or snake.
Sí: another good word to know, “yes.”
Sopapillas: a traditional puffed and fried bread in New Mexico, eaten as either part of the meal or with honey for dessert.