Towards the end of the afternoon, the journalists reported the news as a main headline. Some of them had publicly read a part of the letter’s content. Others just limited themselves to stating the title of the document and called it “Traitors.” Within hours, it became national news. Although details were not yet given thoroughly, they talked about the suicide of an immigrant, the husband of the daughter of a Councilor, who could no longer bear the pain of injustice and had taken the easy way out—suicide. At last, Luis’ voice had been heard. Nothing could bring him back to life, but his last wish had been fulfilled.
Still confined in her room, Zina watched with amazement how the news had spread like wildfire. The topic was headline and she saw with delight how her father was portrayed as the main ‘Traitor.’ In her anger, she believed that her father was receiving the punishment he deserved for his vile act. Zina’s uploaded the letter on YouTube and her MySpace page, and even included a video that said:
“Here, I leave the legacy that my beloved left us. I hope the world stands witness to this great injustice perpetrated against us.
I hope you also turn your back on the traitors who abandoned us. They did not care about the lives of others, most especially my father, who let the fear of being shamed prevail over his love for his daughter.”
She remained locked up in her room all afternoon. Her mother occasionally went to check on her and to give her the anti-depressant drugs that the doctor had prescribed. Her mother had also tried to get her to eat something, but she just wanted to be alone to cry out her sorrow. At that moment, she didn’t care about the outside world. She remembered the time when her father had promised to protect her from the injustices of life and swore that her happiness was most important to him… but he had abandoned her to her fate. She also remembered all the joyful moments she shared being with her family, how life had given her everything since she couldn’t possibly ask for anything more… until that moment… She recalled how love struck her and Luis, and how they had struggled just to be together since her father never accepted the relationship. She reminisced her visit with Luis to Disneyland on her birthday, which made it the most special one she’s ever had in her life. Their love had been wonderful because they loved each other unconditionally. The struggle of one had been the struggle of the other, and the suffering of the other was more painful to bear than their own. They had had a very tough battle from the day of the accident, which completely changed the course of their lives. Since that day, nothing had been the same. Though she fought with all her might to get Luis out of the problem, she wasn’t able to manage it, and to her, that was the most painful part. She also suffered imagining the agony that Luis must have felt upon learning about the death of his grandmother. But it was all over. The strong determination to keep on fighting so that justice could be enforced by the American people was now only in her memory.
The following morning, Zina’s mother went to wake her up so that she could eat something. It had been almost two days since she last ate. She knocked on the door repeatedly, but received no response. Terrified, she yelled for her husband to help her open the door, not knowing what happened to their daughter.
“Jack! Come! Please help me!” she yelled, troubled. “Zina’s door is closed and she’s not answering!”
Jack quickly looked for the spare key to open the door. The few minutes had been terrifying for the two, but they eventually found the key and were able to enter the room. Zina was apparently asleep in her bed. They tried waking her up but they couldn’t. Jack felt her pulse and realized she was alive. But turning to see the table beside the bed, he saw two empty bottles of the prescribed drugs. She had taken a total of seventy pills. In her hand pressed against her chest was a picture of her and Luis with a couple of words written on the back: “Together forever”.
“Call an ambulance immediately!” Jack ordered his wife. Within minutes, the paramedics arrived. After giving her first aid, they moved Zina to Holy Cross Hospital, in Mission Hills, a few minutes from their home. She was treated in the emergency ward. Tamara called Norma to tell her what happened. Norma was on her way to the airport to pick up Pablo, who had just arrived from Guadalajara.
“We’ll be there as soon as I pick up Pablo,” said Norma.
Norma had committed to give a few interviews that morning with some journalists regarding Luis’ suicide, but had to cancel them upon learning about what happened to Zina. The reporters decided to go to the hospital to get more information, since it was regarding the daughter of a council member. On the way back, Norma called Aunt Lupita and Mr. Mireles to accompany them to the hospital. On his way, Mr. Mireles called the Santa Rosa Parish office to inform Father Carlos. The pastor promised to meet them at the hospital immediately. “I’ll explain there what happened to Luis and about the letter he left,” said Mr. Mireles.
Upon entering the waiting area, Pablo and Norma met with Zina’s parents who were alone. Nobody knew what to say. They only looked at each other, troubled; each with their own grief. Everything had gone too far and it was not the time for reproaches.
“I’m sorry to hear about your grandmother and your brother,” said Mr. Lee with great sadness etched on his face. “I did not consider the consequences of my actions, or lack thereof. You don’t know how much I regret this cowardly act. I know that nothing will bring Luis back, but I want you to forgive me for my mistake and to please understand my sorrow at this time. I want to turn back time and change everything, but I know it’s too late. Now I can only ask God that all goes well for my princess and that she recovers. From now on, I will devote my life to healing all the wounds that I have caused her, and I will fight so that this kind of injustice never happens again.”
They all hugged each other seeking comfort. They were subjected to the same suffering, and they shared the pain. And although things wouldn’t change, they now had each other’s support in moving forward from what life had thrown at them along the way.
A few minutes later, Norberto, Mr. Mireles, Aunt Lupita and Father Carlos arrived.
“What did the doctors say?” asked Norberto.
“They haven’t given us a concrete diagnosis yet. She took a lot of pills last night,” said Tamara, “and we didn’t realize it until this morning.”
“I don’t know how we could have been so blind as to be unaware of what she was doing,” said Mr. Lee. “It seems that the damage is extensive, but for now, all we can do is to wait.”
“It’s filled with reporters outside,” Mr. Mireles commented.
“They want to get something out of us,” said Norma. “We were supposed to have a press conference with some of them this morning, but we had to cancel it because of what happened to Zina, and upon knowing that she was the daughter of a Councilor, they decided to see what news they could come up with and perhaps ask us for an interview here. For now, it’s not necessary to pay attention to them.”
There was much anxiety in the waiting area at the hospital. Jonathan received a text message from a friend, who said that the video with Luis’ letter, which Zina uploaded in YouTube, had received the most hits at the time, and TV channels were broadcasting at national level what was happening in the hospital at that moment, and some journalists had even read the letter in its entirety already. It was now the main topic everywhere.
The doctor suddenly entered the waiting room and asked to speak with the parents of Zina. They suddenly stood up.
“That would be us. Do you have any news for us?” said Jack, anxious.
The doctor stayed silent for a while. He nervously cleared his throat, and finally said, “I’m sorry. We have lost the battle. I’m afraid that when the intoxication was discerned, it was already too late. Zina has passed away.”
The news was heartbreaking. Zina’s parents hugged each other, while the others present said nothing. All were weeping inconsolably. Father Carlos said a prayer aloud. He pray
ed for Zina’s eternal repose and peace for her parents and friends. He also apologized for the cowardly act that he had committed.
“I am truly sorry for my failure,” implored the priest. “I don’t know how I could have shied away from it. I feel like I am the cause of everything, but I will fight together with you to remedy my fault. I will no longer allow so much injustice to continue. I don’t know what to do to achieve it, but I need to atone for the guilt in my conscience that will haunt me for the rest of my life.”
Some people had already left. Only Zina’s parents, Norma, Pablo, Father Carlos and Mr. Mireles remained.
“I think we have to face the reporters,” said Norma, “I don’t think they’ll leave without getting an interview.”
“I will do it,” said Jack. “It’s time to step up and begin to remedy all the evil I have caused.”
They all left through the main entrance of the hospital and were immediately approached by the journalists.
“Mr. Councilor, how is the situation with your daughter? What can you tell us about what happened to Luis?” asked one of them.
Mr. Lee, in great agony, said, “Today, my life and the lives of those here present have changed forever. My daughter, and her husband Luis Arriaga, just lost their lives. Both have taken their lives for love, a love that I was far from understanding for I lived with my eyes closed, and with a misconception of immigrants. Everything is lost because of an injustice and an act of betrayal which some of us have committed. The very same are being committed in the shadows every day. But from now on, I will tirelessly fight to repair all the damage that I have caused. Now I understand the real need of my society. Now I understand how those people who live in the shadows are being unfairly attacked, and how we, as politicians, instead of seeking a viable solution, are dedicated to making life impossible for them. We drive them to live a degrading life. In some cases, the ending is tragic… just like what happened to my daughter and to Luis. This is not the country we want for our future generations, because America is love and not hate. The United States is unity and not division.
I now understand because I have lived it in the flesh. I understand how these hate groups and officials, that seek to change the image of what the United States really is, have poisoned our minds and our hearts. From now on, I will fight for the legacy that these youngsters from two different cultures have left us. They have shown us that love should be above everything else, because this is what the United States is about. It’s the melting pot of all cultures of the world united in one country, in a community that must live united no matter the language or the color of their skin. God bless the United States.”
Pablo took the floor.
“Today, we will start a fight, together. A fight for equality, for love, for what we came here for—the American dream.”
“And I,” said Father Carlos, “publicly apologize for my cowardice. I will join the fight of Mr. and Mrs. Lee, Pablo and Norma, and I urge all religious denominations in the country to unite to fight for this community living in our midst, whose members are abused daily with the lash of injustice and racism. It is time to unite our voices as one.”
A new movement had begun. Now a non-Hispanic politician, a Catholic priest, and an active military officer came together in a new struggle to promote a nationwide movement for justice and freedom for the estimated twelve million illegal immigrants living in the country. Twelve million human beings hungry for justice. The same twelve million who have recognizably generated resources in times of prosperity, but have been the most attacked in times of crisis. The time for change had arrived.
A Country of Immigrants
The day of the funeral had arrived. The two bodies would be buried together as a symbol of the love that Luis and Zina had for each other during their few years of relationship. The media were there to witness the departure of two young people who had lost their lives because of an injustice. They were also there to witnesses the new movement that had begun. After they buried the bodies, Pablo took the floor in front of cameras and began a speech that Jack, Father Carlos and himself had prepared:
“Today, America is the most powerful country in the world. It is the first to defend a country with a regime that enslaves its people; the first to invest billions of dollars to establish justice and freedom for oppressed peoples. It is the first to lend humanitarian aid in times of need, and it does whatever it takes: be it human resources, goods or money. Perhaps it is also one of the youngest nations in the world with a history that started no more than four hundred years ago. Its leaders have done the right things throughout the years, but it is also true that over the years, America has been occupied by citizens from around the world.”
“It is possibly the country with the most diversified mosaic of immigrants. Surely there is no other place in the world wherein at least one person from every country did not try reach or to migrate to. It tells us that migration is a common and necessary element in the normal world.”
“Nevertheless, whatever the nationality, skin color or language spoken, migration has been part of the growth of this great nation. The vast majority of immigrants have come to contribute something positive to the country. Being an immigrant is not and will not be easy, regardless of the origin of each one. Sometimes we come to this country to flee from injustice, or some strict regime, or simply from leaders who do not fight, as they ought to, to move us forward. We leave so many things behind, but we do it with the intention of having a better life or giving our families what we were not able to.”
“When we started the adventure of migration, we knew that we would be leaving everything behind, perhaps for good. There are African or Chinese immigrants who come here and know that they will never again have the opportunity to return to their country, even though they have left a sick or helpless relative behind. Many immigrants from Latin America knew that upon leaving their land, that there would be little to go back to. We have come to seek the American dream without knowing if we can even achieve it, because what may seem easy is actually not.”
“Upon reaching here, we realize that our own people are not united. We live with jealousy amongst ourselves. If someone is doing well, instead of congratulating, we begin to criticize what they have achieved through hard work. We compete amongst ourselves. Sometimes we even wish others harm. We don’t try to unite and move forward. They call us delinquents by the mere fact of being here. They treat us as if we are the worst criminals, not knowing that within us, there is already a great sense of guilt for leaving our families behind. Yes, we may be delinquents, but not of what they accuse us of, but because we have come, leaving our families behind. We are slowly killing our parents with the suffering we cause them by abandoning them, sometimes just when they needed us the most. And when their health begins to deteriorate, or when they become terminally ill, have accidents or they simply deteriorate through the relentless passage of time, we are not beside them to comfort them and heal their wounds.”
“Many immigrants have the misfortune or even the fortune of losing their lives in the attempt to cross the border. We, who managed to make it here alive, die bit by bit. We lose faith and we begin to break down as we start losing our loved ones. Time passes and we lose contact with them. Birthdays, Mother’s Days or Father’s Days pass and time never slows down for us. When it’s time to finally see them, we realize that life has passed us by and our parents have grown old without us taking notice.”
“Sometimes we only see them again in photos, or other times, not even that. One day, when we least expect it, we get a call letting us know that they have passed and we will never again have the chance to hug or kiss them. It is then that we have to make the biggest decision of our lives: whether to go back to bury them and re-run the risk of entering here illegally because we are undocumented or because we think we would not gain anything by doing so, or most ironic of all, because we have no money; for the
American dream never came to be. Our parents pass and we are rendered here to become a living dead, keeping up with the daily struggles, and with our hearts torn into pieces. A part is torn off for each family member’s passing. Some migrants lose their parents, followed by their siblings after not having the time to see them again. But we have to gather strength to keep fighting for those who remain. Sometimes the struggle becomes more and more meaningless. Some just keep on struggling for the sake of it and they forget about the American dream. They live a life of conformity, just beholding how the laws are becoming tougher each time. They see how our community is divided. We lose the desire and we end up being second-class citizens in this country, which is exactly how the anti-immigrant groups treat us.”
“The people who attain the American dream forget that they reached this country in the very same manner as those who have just arrived. They lose interest in helping the community. They think that the attacks against immigrants are only for those without legal documents. They shield themselves with their Green Cards or Certificate of US Citizenship, unaware that discrimination does not recognize their now legal status and that racism against Latinos also affect those who have been born in this country. We are seen as intruders who have come to take jobs away from Americans. And simply for being Spanish speakers, we are already considered invaders.”
“It’s sad to see how a small group of anti-immigrants are united in their fight to make the stay of illegal immigrants more difficult each day. They plan to put into effect harsher laws so as to deny citizenship for children who are born here, but are of undocumented parents. They root for laws to deny us emergency health services, or in some cases, education. Such small groups work together and remain united. They are capable of having strong influence over Congressmen and Senators, while the Hispanics who have progressed and prospered do not care about our future. They don’t bother to make coalitions that will gradually integrate more people and form stronger movements, not to go against the country or cause problems, but to give us all dignity as Hispanics and help people get out of their oppressed lives, and also to demand the implementation of legislation that will help both, the country and the people who live here—legal or illegal.”
TRAITORS Page 15