美国国家公共电台 NPR--Migrants in Tijuana reflect on what brought them on their journey to the U.S.

Migrants in Tijuana reflect on what brought them on their journey to the U.S.

Transcript¹

NPR's A Martínez speaks with migrants in Tijuana, Mexico about why they chose to leave their home countries in hopes of reaching the U.S.

A MART?NEZ, HOST:

What is the American dream? One could argue the American dream is deeply rooted, maybe even codified², in our early historical documents. Listen to President John F. Kennedy recite the first line of the preamble³ in our Declaration of Independence.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

JOHN F KENNEDY: That all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

MART?NEZ: So there it is, the belief that anyone is free to try to achieve their personal version of success. During our recent trip to Tijuana, Mexico, we met migrants who are seeking that, too.

DANIEL GUTIERREZ: (Through interpreter) We're not looking for anything luxurious⁴. All we really want is to give our kids a better education.

MART?NEZ: That's Daniel Gutierrez (ph), who we'll hear more from later. But we also spoke⁵ with a local migrant advocate who doesn't think the pursuit is worth the risks.

LOURDES LIZARDI: (Through interpreter) And they come looking for that famous American dream that sometimes turns into a hellish dream.

MART?NEZ: Lourdes Lizardi (ph) has been helping⁶ migrants in Tijuana for 28 years and has seen firsthand how the pursuit of the American dream has put people in perilous⁷ situations. The path to the U.S. is a long one. For example, starting at the Mexico-Guatemala border, it's at least a 2,000-mile trip split up any number of ways - by train, car, truck or by foot. The journey on a moving vehicle can be crammed⁸ in tight, unsanitary spaces with no bathrooms. And all that, coupled with extreme weather and cutthroat cartels, can prove fatal. Dr. Cesar Raul Gonzalez Vaca, the state director at SEMEFO - Baja California's forensic⁹ medical service - says they get a lot of migrant bodies from Tijuana, Mexicali, and Tecate.

CESAR RAUL GONZALEZ VACA: (Through interpreter) These are border cities where we frequently find bodies that have a link to migration¹⁰, who die trying to cross or due to other violent causes.

MART?NEZ: They receive around 1,600 bodies per year, with the majority recovered in Tijuana. Each year, about 120 mass graves are added there. Now, the other big change in migration toward the U.S. is in the reasons why it happens, why people are making this sometimes-dangerous journey. When my grandfather came to the United States from Ecuador in 1969, it was simply because he thought he'd be able to find a better paying job. For many migrants today, their motivations are more about survival. Rafael Fernandez de Castro Medina, director at the Center for U.S.-Mexican Studies at UC San Diego, says migration has shifted from just an economic motive¹¹ - that better life - to also now one of safety, as in just being alive.

RAFAEL FERNANDEZ DE CASTRO MEDINA: It's very difficult to separate the fear from the economic need. I will say, both of them come together.

MART?NEZ: And we heard violence and a fear for their lives as a reason from every migrant we spoke with.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: (Through interpreter) Why did I leave my country? Because of death threats and persecution¹².

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #2: (Through interpreter) Because of the gangs over there. Things are really dangerous.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #3: (Through interpreter) Because of violence in my home state of Michoacan. If there was peace there, I wouldn't leave.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #4: (Through interpreter) If I returned home right now, they'd kill me.

MART?NEZ: These men and women are from Honduras, Mexico and Haiti. And all say death threats, gang violence and extortion led them to flee their home countries. And this is where life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness gets boiled down to simply being alive in order to have a life to live. So is pursuing this American dream still worth it to them?

JUNIOR ANTONIO RAMIREZ: (Non-English language spoken).

MART?NEZ: Junior Antonio Ramirez (ph) says, yes. Ramirez came from Guatemala with his family. We found them one hot morning sitting on the sidewalk, huddled¹³ together, each wearing a hoodie, their backs up against the wall of a shelter called Movimiento Juventud 2000. It was full, but he was hoping to be first in line if a spot opened up. When I asked him why he was there, his answer checked all the boxes I've been telling you about.

RAMIREZ: (Through interpreter) We had to leave because of safety concerns, because we had problems with the gangs where we were living. They were demanding rent for our business - extortion, you see. They also wanted my sons to join their gang. But that's not something we approve of. My sons were raised well. They're educated and calm. The fear became real when the threats began. We either had to start paying up or they would start killing¹⁴ us.

MART?NEZ: So the decision to leave came quickly after that.

RAMIREZ: (Through interpreter) We grabbed what little we had and got rid of other stuff. As far as our neighbors and family members, we didn't tell them anything for their safety and for our own. We had to leave like we were fleeing. And that was really sad, not being able to say goodbye to everyone.

MART?NEZ: Driving from Guatemala City to Tijuana takes about 50 hours of travel. Ramirez explains why it took a lot longer.

RAMIREZ: (Through interpreter) It took us six days. Normally it takes three days, but there were lots of complications along the way. The first bus left us stranded¹⁵. Then we had to find another ride. And they left us in another town. It's a draining trip and a little dangerous. The immigration checkpoints are nice, and they treat you well. But there are also cartels and others that stop you along the way. We were told each one had their own territory, and that's the way it was. Every place we passed through, they asked for our papers and where we're from. And they also asked us to pay for passing through their territory in order to continue safely.

MART?NEZ: Ramirez made it clear to me a couple of times that he was never planning on leaving Guatemala. He liked his life there. He told me his wife was taking college classes and that his kids were enjoying being high schoolers. I noticed that every one of them had colorful streaks¹⁶ in their hair, which he explained by telling me his daughter had fun experimenting and was thinking about going into cosmetology. I asked him what he's hoping for in America, what he's hoping will be different.

(Non-English language spoken).

RAMIREZ: (Through interpreter) Over there, gangs, at least, aren't as prevalent. And they aren't in contact with you as much. I trust the authorities over there more. From what people have told me, it's a little safer.

MART?NEZ: There was a reason Ramirez and his family were waiting outside of that particular shelter, Movimiento Juventud 2000. And that's because the people that stay there live in tents. This way, families can sleep together with a degree of privacy and safety and not have to be separated, as they might be at other shelters. UC San Diego professor Fernandez de Castro Medina says, living as a migrant has changed.

MEDINA: Shelters are different. In the past, shelters were for migrants to stay three or four or five days, and they come across to the U.S. Now it's different. In the shelters, migrants are staying months, even years.

MART?NEZ: That brings us to Daniel Gutierrez.

GUTIERREZ: (Through interpreter) In May, we marked one year and three months of living here in Tijuana.

MART?NEZ: Daniel Gutierrez is also from Guatemala. He's at a shelter, Embajadores de Jeses, with his family.

GUTIERREZ: (Through interpreter) We felt a little more hopeful staying in a border city like Tijuana.

MART?NEZ: Gutierrez told us, in the past year, he had made three attempts to cross the border. And each time he was apprehended¹⁷, he asked for asylum¹⁸. But no explanation was given for why he was being sent back.

GUTIERREZ: (Through interpreter) The same thing happened all three times. There wasn't any difference whether I was there with my family or on my own. The three times they apprehended me, they did it without saying a single word. They never asked me questions like, what made you come from your country? And what are you running away from? Nothing. They didn't ask me anything. They just took us to some kind of shelter. And then they kicked us out.

(Non-English language spoken)

MART?NEZ: This lack of communication by Customs and Border Protection sounds familiar to Fernandez de Castro Medina and the migrants that he has spoken to, especially since the start of Title 42, the public health order that allows for quick expulsions because of COVID.

MEDINA: Titled 42 basically facilitates them to try to come into the U.S. because under Title 42, they could try many times, as many as they can.

MART?NEZ: I asked Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas about this. And he wanted to be clear that Title 42 is not an immigration policy. It's a public health order, which is why when a migrant is sent back, it is considered an expulsion, not a deportation¹⁹. And Mayorkas said migrants are made aware of the expulsion. Either way, Gutierrez wishes American immigration officials would be more sympathetic to what migrants have to go through.

GUTIERREZ: (Through interpreter) Psychologically speaking, because of the damage it causes us, I wish the protocol²⁰ had a little more humanity - that is, that they were not so rude and that they at least explained to us that we have some type of right.

MART?NEZ: He says the psychological trauma²¹ is affecting his children, too.

GUTIERREZ: (Through interpreter) I have twin girls and a boy. And one morning, one of my daughters woke up and asked me, how long are we going to be here? And we told her, God willing, about three weeks, and we'll be gone. And she said, and what sneakers am I going to take? We told her, well, these are fine. And she said, but the problem is those are a little loose. And sometimes we have a lot of uphills (ph). So they still believe we're going to keep doing the same thing, go up hills and down hills. (Non-English language spoken)

MART?NEZ: Gutierrez says if a fourth attempt for asylum in the U.S. does not work, he's promised his kids they'll stay in Tijuana and try to make a life there. And Lourdes Lizardi says, that's OK, that the American version isn't the only dream worth chasing.

LIZARDI: (Through interpreter) And the whole world is still chasing the American dream when there are Mexican dreams, Canadian dreams, Chinese dreams - all these other dreams.

MART?NEZ: The mayor of Tijuana, Montserrat Caballero Ramirez, works with migrants to try and get them to consider making Mexico their new home. She agrees with Lizardi.

MONTSERRAT CABALLERO RAMIREZ: (Through interpreter) It has been romanticized a lot. We need to remind the citizens of the world that these dreams can be built wherever you are.

MART?NEZ: The mayor welcomes anyone to make Tijuana the place where they build that new dream.

RAMIREZ: (Through interpreter) I think Tijuana is a safe city. We do not have the peace that we would like in the whole country. I would be lying to you if I said that. But we are going for stability.

MART?NEZ: And for many migrants and refugees, a simple sense of stability would be a big improvement from where they were before.

(SOUNDBITE OF BEN SOLLEE AND TIME FOR THREE'S "LEARNING TO TRAP")

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 codified   

v.把（法律）编成法典( codify的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• In the meantime, however, Kennecott had been codified elsewhere in the Act. 然而，“肯尼考特”一案已被编人法案。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法
• Congress has since codified this holding. 从那时以来，国会编纂整理了最高法院的这一裁定。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法

3 preamble   

n.前言；序文

参考例句：

• He spoke without preamble.他没有开场白地讲起来。
• The controversy has arisen over the text of the preamble to the unification treaty.针对统一条约的序文出现了争论。

4 luxurious   

adj.精美而昂贵的；豪华的

参考例句：

• This is a luxurious car complete with air conditioning and telephone.这是一辆附有空调设备和电话的豪华轿车。
• The rich man lives in luxurious surroundings.这位富人生活在奢侈的环境中。

5 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

6 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

7 perilous   

adj.危险的，冒险的

参考例句：

• The journey through the jungle was perilous.穿过丛林的旅行充满了危险。
• We have been carried in safety through a perilous crisis.历经一连串危机，我们如今已安然无恙。

8 crammed   

adj.塞满的，挤满的；大口地吃；快速贪婪地吃v.把…塞满；填入；临时抱佛脚( cram的过去式)

参考例句：

• He crammed eight people into his car. 他往他的车里硬塞进八个人。
• All the shelves were crammed with books. 所有的架子上都堆满了书。

9 forensic   

adj.法庭的，雄辩的

参考例句：

• The report included his interpretation of the forensic evidence.该报告包括他对法庭证据的诠释。
• The judge concluded the proceeding on 10:30 Am after one hour of forensic debate.经过近一个小时的法庭辩论后，法官于10时30分宣布休庭。

10 migration   

n.迁移，移居，（鸟类等的）迁徙

参考例句：

• Swallows begin their migration south in autumn.燕子在秋季开始向南方迁移。
• He described the vernal migration of birds in detail.他详细地描述了鸟的春季移居。

11 motive   

n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的

参考例句：

• The police could not find a motive for the murder.警察不能找到谋杀的动机。
• He had some motive in telling this fable.他讲这寓言故事是有用意的。

12 persecution   

n. 迫害,烦扰

参考例句：

• He had fled from France at the time of the persecution. 他在大迫害时期逃离了法国。
• Their persecution only serves to arouse the opposition of the people. 他们的迫害只激起人民对他们的反抗。

13 huddled   

挤在一起（huddle的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• We huddled together for warmth. 我们挤在一块取暖。
• We huddled together to keep warm. 我们挤在一起来保暖。

14 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

15 stranded   

a.搁浅的，进退两难的

参考例句：

• He was stranded in a strange city without money. 他流落在一个陌生的城市里， 身无分文，一筹莫展。
• I was stranded in the strange town without money or friends. 我困在那陌生的城市，既没有钱，又没有朋友。

16 streaks   

n.（与周围有所不同的）条纹( streak的名词复数 )；（通常指不好的）特征（倾向）；（不断经历成功或失败的）一段时期v.快速移动( streak的第三人称单数 )；使布满条纹

参考例句：

• streaks of grey in her hair 她头上的绺绺白发
• Bacon has streaks of fat and streaks of lean. 咸肉中有几层肥的和几层瘦的。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

17 apprehended   

逮捕，拘押( apprehend的过去式和过去分词 )； 理解

参考例句：

• She apprehended the complicated law very quickly. 她很快理解了复杂的法律。
• The police apprehended the criminal. 警察逮捕了罪犯。

18 asylum   

n.避难所，庇护所，避难

参考例句：

• The people ask for political asylum.人们请求政治避难。
• Having sought asylum in the West for many years,they were eventually granted it.他们最终获得了在西方寻求多年的避难权。

19 deportation   

n.驱逐，放逐

参考例句：

• The government issued a deportation order against the four men.政府发出了对那4名男子的驱逐令。
• Years ago convicted criminals in England could face deportation to Australia.很多年以前，英国已定罪的犯人可能被驱逐到澳大利亚。

20 protocol   

n.议定书，草约，会谈记录，外交礼节

参考例句：

• We must observe the correct protocol.我们必须遵守应有的礼仪。
• The statesmen signed a protocol.那些政治家签了议定书。

21 trauma   

n.外伤，精神创伤

参考例句：

• Counselling is helping him work through this trauma.心理辅导正帮助他面对痛苦。
• The phobia may have its root in a childhood trauma.恐惧症可能源于童年时期的创伤。