Joshua Brull Dr. Alan Pappas Sociology 201 May 13th, 2024 Enrique’s Journey: A Response Summary "Enrique's Journey" tells the powerful story of Enrique, a young boy from Honduras, as he makes a dangerous journey to find his mother in the United States. Sonia Nazario wrote the book after meeting many immigrant children and hearing their stories. She even followed Enrique's difficult path herself, including riding on top of freight trains, to make her book feel real and show the true challenges of immigration. Enrique grew up in Honduras with his mother, Lourdes, and his sister, Belky. Their life was hard—they didn't have enough money for basic things like food and school. Feeling desperate and hoping for a better future, Lourdes decided to go
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Response Around the time of the 2016 presidential campaign, I first stumbled upon "Enrique's Journey" by Sonia Nazario. Though I didn't fully grasp the bigger picture or the numbers Nazario shared back then, I felt a slight connection to Enrique's struggles. Growing up in a stable, middle-class family, I couldn't relate to working from a young age to help support my family like Enrique did. At the time, I always questioned, "Why would Enrique force Maria Isabel to do the same thing that his own mother had done to him?" And unfortunately, I was never able to rationalize his actions. As a result of the election, a growing divide in public support or opposition to illegal immigration became noticeable through most political channels. The opposition favored the "Build The Wall" campaign, which was not feasible either in cost or effectiveness. I found myself immersed in political discussions where some believed that building a wall would stop migrants from entering the country. Having already read "Enrique's Journey," I quickly understood how experienced smugglers could easily navigate around such barriers and …show more content…
His actions were often foolish; clouded by his long-lived fantasy of seeing his mother again, but they were human. We often make irrational decisions driven by emotions, biases, and societal pressures. Enrique's journey exemplifies this human tendency to act against our own best interests and sometimes avoid learning from our experiences, whether it's risking our lives for a dream or perpetuating harmful cycles of poverty and separation. Reflecting on Enrique's story, I can't help but feel a sense of frustration at the systemic failures and societal attitudes that perpetuate the hardships faced by migrants like him. It's disheartening to see how easily we overlook the humanity and dignity of individuals like Enrique, reducing them to statistics or political talking points. But amidst this frustration, there is also hope. Enrique's resilience and determination remind us of the indomitable spirit of humanity, even in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. His story serves as a poignant reminder of the need for compassion, empathy, and meaningful action to address the root causes of migration and to create a more just and equitable world for
Response Around the time of the 2016 presidential campaign, I first stumbled upon "Enrique's Journey" by Sonia Nazario. Though I didn't fully grasp the bigger picture or the numbers Nazario shared back then, I felt a slight connection to Enrique's struggles. Growing up in a stable, middle-class family, I couldn't relate to working from a young age to help support my family like Enrique did. At the time, I always questioned, "Why would Enrique force Maria Isabel to do the same thing that his own mother had done to him?" And unfortunately, I was never able to rationalize his actions. As a result of the election, a growing divide in public support or opposition to illegal immigration became noticeable through most political channels. The opposition favored the "Build The Wall" campaign, which was not feasible either in cost or effectiveness. I found myself immersed in political discussions where some believed that building a wall would stop migrants from entering the country. Having already read "Enrique's Journey," I quickly understood how experienced smugglers could easily navigate around such barriers and …show more content…
His actions were often foolish; clouded by his long-lived fantasy of seeing his mother again, but they were human. We often make irrational decisions driven by emotions, biases, and societal pressures. Enrique's journey exemplifies this human tendency to act against our own best interests and sometimes avoid learning from our experiences, whether it's risking our lives for a dream or perpetuating harmful cycles of poverty and separation. Reflecting on Enrique's story, I can't help but feel a sense of frustration at the systemic failures and societal attitudes that perpetuate the hardships faced by migrants like him. It's disheartening to see how easily we overlook the humanity and dignity of individuals like Enrique, reducing them to statistics or political talking points. But amidst this frustration, there is also hope. Enrique's resilience and determination remind us of the indomitable spirit of humanity, even in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. His story serves as a poignant reminder of the need for compassion, empathy, and meaningful action to address the root causes of migration and to create a more just and equitable world for