Love in Unsuspecting Times

To me, one of the most important messages I learned from this book is best while Enrique's train is traveling through Oaxaca and Veracruz. At this point during one of his many journeys, Enrique has experienced some pretty uncongenial experiences; nothing a boy at his age should be facing. It is known that a voyage across any border of any country is not easy, and the villagers in Oaxaca and Veracruz understand this well. Instead of sending negative messages and energy to migrants like most do, they send positive messages full of love.

While their train is passing through Mexico one day, the native villagers from Oaxaca and Veracruz began to throw bundles onto the train tops for the immigrants to use. Alarmed at first, Enrique believed these packages held rocks and other objects that were used to hurt him. His previous experiences with negative villages led him to believe that he and the other migrants were the only ones who understood his intentions for going to America. On page 104, Nazario describes the villagers throwing packages: “Women and children on both sides of the tracks are throwing bundles to the migrants on the tops of the cars. They run quickly and aim carefully, mostly in silence, trying hard not to miss… they smile, they shout, and then they throw food” (Nazario 104). These positive bundles not only provide necessities that Enrique would later use, but also they provide faith in humanity and reassurance for the good in humans.

I believe that it is easy for anyone who hasn’t taken the voyage to America to assume what it is like to go on a journey such as the one that Enrique went on. These premade assumptions are what make the acts of love from the people in Oaxaca and Veracruz stand out. Amongst the mostly negative energy immigrants receive, the people in those towns sent those packages of love because they understand that they are people just like them. If you were in the same situation as the villagers in Oaxaca and Veracruz, what kind of messages and packages would you is sending out? Would you be outside throwing bundles to migrants, or would you be inside, contributing either way?