This World Traveler

Dispatch from Nicaragua

Sometimes, travel can break your heart. A couple mornings ago, I was enjoying a smoothie in Granada, in this fruit juice shop off the Central Park, and I got to meet Bryan. Bryan is a 17 year old Nica kid and a really nice guy. Speaks English very well and is putting some time in at the juice bar so that he can buy Christmas presents for his family. We spoke for a good 45 minutes and talked about his life, my vacation and eventually the subject came up: America.

Long story short: he wants to go to the US. This is not the easiest thing for people from the 3rd world to do, even if these people are well off. I have a friend, Jorge, who is from South America and is studying for a doctorate in Economics. It allows him to stay in the states legally, but even after living in our country for six years, being fluent in English and having a Ph.D, the government won't grant him a green card. Why? Because he's from the wrong continent.

There's all sorts of talk in the US these days about illegal immigration. With 12-20 million latinos living an undocumented life in the US, there is legitimate concern about being able to have an American identity that isn't being taken over by other countries. People want to build walls, people want to close out immigration entirely. It seems as if it has gotten to the point these days, where the only way to get in our country is to sneak in our country. And that is sad. It brings the people in who we may not want in our country. And keeps the people like Bryan, who have a lot to offer us, out of the US.

He talked at length about his dream to see New York and live with his family there, maybe go to school there. He asked how easy it was to get there, and it broke my heart. How do you crush a dream like that? How do you tell him, that the people in power don't really want you there, unless you go sneak in and work at a meatpacking plant for five dollars an hour with no benefits or insurance? You don't. You tell him that he has a good chance of getting there. You tell him that he should go and make it happen. Even though, deep down inside, you know that the thought of him getting there seems unlikely. And it breaks your heart.

Labels: immigration, nicaragua, travel