Immigration: The Story of a True Survivor

Many people think Mexicans seek entrance to the United States for money and the ambition of prosperity. However, I was able to catch up with an illegal Mexican Immigrant(which was not easy) and get his thoughts and opinions on what coming to the States is really all about....beef tacos.
Jose El Salvadores has made the trip from Mexico to the US a number of times. As a child his father showed him the art of stuffing ones self into the trunk of a car. This was a tactic specifically for younger kids who could fit 4x4 into the small confines of his father's 1959 Chevy Impala. On his first trip to America, his father introduced him to men who could provide him with a fake passport and a greencard, documents that are vital to surviving for non-citizens in America. However, before Jose was able to secure his own documents, he was discovered by an immigration officer and promptly deported back to his native Cuidad Juarez, Mexico. Shirtless, moniless, and hungry, he was forced back home without his father.

As soon as he stepped foot in his adobe, Jose was already plotting a return trip to America. But, this time he declared, he would not be captured and sent back to his mudhut, where his bed was the dirt his mother planted corn in and his sheets were the burlap the corn was sent out in. His plan would have to be fool proof and he would need some additional resouces in order to ensure a safe trip.

A few years later he was ready to act on his dream of putting beef and lettuce in his tacos rather than the corn and beans he had lived with for years. This time he would not be denied. There was just one problem, he was too big to fit into the trunk of the car. Some friends of his were plotting their own escape and offered him the opportunity to tag along. They would have to do this the old fashion way, "arriba y sobre" as it was known in Jose's culture. "Up and over" to those english speakers. After they made it across the fence they were surprised to see an immigration officer waiting for them. Jose was sure he had been set up by his friend who had always made fun of him for being caught earlier in his life. It seemed as if this trip to the states was going to end before it began. However, for Jose, the scent of beef and lettuce was too strong and he had long vowed that he would not be denied. So, he decided to make a break for it. He ran with with every ounce of Mexican energy that bean and corn tacos could provide. His efforts were not in vain as he was able to loose the older and less fleet of foot guard that had been pursuing him. After a few miles of hard running and walking he stumbled on a shipping warehouse where he was able to steal a fresh pair of sweats and some glasses. These items would prove to be vital in his shurking of the law. The rest of his buddies had been captured and would no doubt give a detailed description of him in order to avoid torture by the Federalis.

Once he was settled, he began looking both for his father and the greencard/passport man. It would be a long and hard struggle as he was unable to locate either of them. His resouces were few and his funds even fewer. He took meanial jobs just to eat and began making his way north toward the mountains of Colorado. He was able to secure a job as a grounds keeper at a local ski resort, but it was short lived because of the strict Colorado immigration policy and his lack of a greencard or a passport. His ignorance of weather patterns was also a problem and his lack of clothes left him in no shape to handle the elements. Not too long thereafter, he was informed that his sister was getting married. In his family, when one weds, members of the family are supposed to provide lavish gifts for one another. However, Jose was in the financial doldrums and was barely able to come up with the funds for his return trip. The only way around this problem was to act on the advice his father gave him many years ago. "If you ever need to get back to Mexico in a hurry, turn yourself in to INS. Jose struggled with this because deep down, he felt he was on the verge of establishing himself in the US, and if he left, there is no guaruntee that he would get to come back. He knew that he could not miss his sisters wedding, so he turned himself in and took the bus back to his home town.

The sweet taste of beef filled tacos still overwhelmed Jose that he was determined to go back to the states for good this time. There was only one way he knew for sure that he could make this happen and make it permanent. He had to do it the legal way. Since he had been in the states, he picked up a good amount of english and was therefore able to fill out the applications for his sister and her husband as well as himself. He knew it was a long shot for all of them to be granted admission to the states, but after having some of the friends he made back in Colorado pull some strings, they were all granted permission to move to the US. Jose and the rest of the El Salvadorians were moving to the US and the dream of beef filled tacos for life was finally becoming a reality.
Some people think crossing the border is all about jobs and money. Well, ask Jose, one of Americas newest citizens what he thinks and he'll tell you..."its all about more beef in the taco".