Enrique’s Journey
Uploaded by CaseyP on Aug 08, 2016
Enrique’s Journey
Enrique’s Journey portrays the story of a Honduran boy as he travels in search of his mother, who had earlier migrated to the U.S. During his treacherous journey, Enrique faces many heartbreaking challenges. Notably, his attempts to cross into American territory are frequently denied. While at Nuevo Laredo, Enrique’s experiences prove that people are basically evil.
The evil in humanity refers to both the perpetration of criminal activities and the unwillingness to help others in need. Enrique had lost his mother’s cell phone number while on a freight train. Consequently, he gets stuck at the border for several days. Despite failing to reach El Norte on seven previous attempts, Enrique remains determined to cross the border. He is primarily concerned that his mother would worry when she calls Honduras and fails to find him. Furthermore, Enrique’s mother could have found a smuggler to take him to his destination. Consequently, he sees the urgent need to obtain her number and telephone her. In this regard, Enrique would need at least 100 pesos to make two calls. However, the evil nature of the people at the border is manifested through the fact that they cannot lend him any money.
Besides, the Mexicans in Nuevo Laredo felt entitled to migrate into the U.S. However, most people could neither provide jobs nor food. Hence, Enrique was forced to earn a living by offering to wash cars. Although he approached several people, only a couple of drivers agreed to let him clean the vehicle. The intense competition for clients heightened the difficulty of finding work. In addition, the encampment is populated with hardened criminals and drug users. Nuevo Laredo has immigration agents who customarily use physical violence on the migrants. Some civilians also brandish machetes as they seek out illegal migrants. The corrupt nature of immigration authorities hinders victims of assault from seeking justice. Therefore, the people in Nuevo Laredo are evil due to their vices and lack of compassion.
Moreover, El Tirindaro serves as the leader of the encampment. He was highly respected since he customarily smuggled people across the river. Nevertheless, his evil traits were displayed in his addiction to heroin. Furthermore, El Tirindaro demanded beer and drugs from any immigrant that wished to live in peace and security. He also tattooed people and sold immigrants’ clothes to finance his evil habits. The extent of evil is seen in that the majority of the...