Linda Barghoorn

Benito started life in El Salvador. Unlike many of the other personal narratives in this series, his family felt they had to flee not because of government oppression, but because gangs were terrorizing everyone, demanding payments and inflicting violence when families were unable to pay. His family fled 500 miles north to Tapachula, just across the border between Guatemala and Mexico. Even so, the family had to leave another son behind after he was grabbed by a gang of drug dealers. Gang violence, along with limited work opportunities are their new reality, but their aunt who remained behind to run the family store keeps them posted. According to her, things in El Salvador are getting worse. She's been beaten up when unable to pay, and her son was forced into a gang, only to be killed by a member of a rival one. When they look north in hopes of migrating to the United States, their hopes are dashed by the border wall and large numbers of refugees in camps awaiting acceptance. This is a gritty and realistic look at what people south of our border face on a daily basis.… (més)

This entry in a powerful series looks not only at what happens when a family flees their country to stay alive, but at the difficulties they encounter when the neighboring country, in this instance Ecuador, eventually pulls in the welcome sign. Not only did Andres' family have to flee Colombia, they left his older brother behind because he'd been conscripted by the rebel army. Eventually, the fear of returning was less than having to stay after being evicted from their apartment. Much of the book goes into detail about the frustrations Andres and his family experienced after returning and how his brother had to face hostility from former friends and neighbors after being released by the rebels. It's a sober and thoughtful look at a unique, but growing, refugee situation.… (més)