10/10/2018
Felíz
Katherine Enriquez (), a member of LASA wrote the story of her grandfather and dad:
“We can say my family story began with my grandpa from my dad's side, he came legally as a Bracero to the United States, and worked when the US farmers needed employees at low wages. When the bracero program ended my grandpa was sent back to Mexico and as his children grew up they began to see the family struggles. My father at only 14 years of age and his brother decided to cross the border to help their family out. My dad remembers clearly crossing the border and froze when he saw the immigration officers with weapons and dogs. His older brother who was with him kept yelling at him to run. My dad did not move so my uncle came for him as the immigration officers were approaching him and they ran together. My dad thought the dogs were going to rip him open, and he would die. They ran until were able to hide in grass and crawl with their elbows and knees. Once they were clear, they kept going with no water. Near San Diego once again they were chased by ICE. However my dad did not know freeways were two ways. so he ran across half of the freeway interrupting cars and finally feeling safer jumped what he remembers to be as bushes to find out there are other cars going the opposite direction! Thankfully, he was able to run through that to, get to LA, and later in life was able to become a Citizen and start his own family in the US.”
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