The Art of Survival

The year is 1970. A moment that is nestled inside a vast web pregnant with endings and beginnings. The world watches as the final glimmers of Vietnam War start to fade into the ether. In the humblest of countries lives a woman in her mid-forties. She is a wife, mother, and friend to a community has somehow found solidarity amidst an ever-worsening socioeconomic climate. She lives every day with one goal in mind: survival. Her homeland has been rattled by the after effects of the most recent war - a mere squabble when compared to what would happen only a decade later. She receives a letter from an old friend that she hasn’t seen for over a year. He writes of a land overflowing with the proverbial milk and honey that will ensure the lives of her and her family should she choose to travel there. He warns of the difficulties she will face during her journey: living as discreetly as possible until the time is right; the possibility of death while traveling; increasing racism and hostility; but these hardships are nothing compared to the countless tragedies they’ve grown accustomed to. The letter concludes and she makes her decision. She will leave and she will survive at all costs so that she can one day tell her story to her children and grandchildren. Did she survive? Yes. I know because I am a product of that journey, as that woman was my grandmother. Her story is my family’s genesis narrative and details her escape from El Salvador to find a home for our family in the United States. My grandmother’s story is her own, but it is one of many that have continued into today. In the United Sates, we’ve grown accustomed to the barrage of news reports of a “crisis” at the border, an issue that has generated a litany of proposed resolutions that include an increase of deportation numbers and a tightening of border security. While these answers continue to appeal to a large majority, the most recent migration issues coming from Europe are indicative of a much larger global problem. According to Eurostat, an estimated 500,000 migrants have entered Europe and have sought refuge predominately in Germany and Hungary, with Germany offering the most support. The country’s comparatively progressive immigration policies have led to the creation of groups like “Refugees Welcome” that assist immigrants in finding temporary living spaces. Historically, organizations of this nature have proven to be crucial in mitigating the effects of post-war and trauma. In the United States, undocumented individuals such as my grandmother are not only expected to deal with these issues alone, but they live in a continuous state of fear that is perpetuated by misinformation in the media and lack of governmental support. Additionally, should these individuals remain long enough to become citizens – a process that took my grandmother over two decades – they are at risk of losing state and government retirement assistance. While this sounds like a minor issue to some, this is particularly hurtful for an immigrant who has dedicated a significant portion of their life as a severely underpaid laborer. This financial loss, along with the sacrifices of community and identity seen in communities of diaspora, leave many families full of regret and scarred for life. While these social conditions are indeed detrimental to the immigrant experience, what also becomes a tremendous burden are the many hardships faced during the arduous migrant journey. One of the most haunting images to have come out of Europe’s recent migration problem is that of 3-year-old Aylan Kurdi. The photo of the Syrian toddler who drowned along with his family quickly circulated upon release, with many seeing it as a visual eulogy for those who wandered and were lost. In Europe, immigrants continue to cross the Aegean Sea, with many succumbing to its tempestuous waves . Similarly, immigrants fleeing Latin American countries - especially those that have been ravaged by war and poverty - must confront the Rio Grande as well as an expansive desert area where dehydration becomes a very real and serious risk. Recent studies issued by several U.S. border affiliated entities indicate that in 2012, a total of 613 deaths were discovered, with immigrants between the ages of 18-40 making up an estimated 40%. Immigrants also run the risk of vigilante attacks or even falling off the roof of the train that they frequent called “The Beast”. Like these brave individuals, my grandmother embarked on the same treacherous journey and narrowly escaped several instances death and sexual assault. She was forced to hide underneath beds and behind bushes, all while her body screamed for the relief of water. What pushed her forward was a picture of my mother and uncle, which she kept in her pocket. She carried it as a constant reminder that the survival and success of her journey was tethered to the future success of our family. Had she arrived in the 80′s or 90′s, I may not have had access to the educational opportunities I’ve been afforded. Neither would my family have been able to start our community arts program, a groups started to help enrich the local Latin American community and offer them a small piece of the home they left behind. My grandmother’s story along with others that share a similar narrative, demonstrate the dangers involved in the immigrant’s plight. Individuals who singlehandedly salvage the lives of their families and fight every day to keep their cultural identity alive in a foreign country. When set adrift in a world that constantly reminds them that “we don’t want your kind here”, it becomes harder to remember the America that once beckoned for the world to bring its “poor and huddled masses”. The fight for life is so pervasive among immigrants that my grandmother once noted, “We’ve turned survival into an art form”. What she meant to say was that this struggle has gone long enough. It must end with extensive reform of our countries current immigration policies. Together, we can stop this ceaseless wave of pernicious contempt and light the candle for those were lost in the darkness so that they may finally come home.----------#write4good #iam4