This past Wednesday, a woman who immigrated from Peru many years ago came to our class and shared her story. Her name is Mery and she is Lizbeth’s husband’s aunt. Lizbeth translated for us as Mery told her story in Spanish. After Mery’s visit, students wrote down what they heard (and thought they heard). They also wrote poems and thank you notes to Mery. Below are some excerpts from that experience.
Oni: “Mery’s story was a strong story to us all. Mery’s story is an immigration story that no one will forget…”
Gus: “Mery’s sister wanted to go to America from Peru. At first the sister tried to bring her children but they wouldn’t allow her to. So she had to leave her children with Mery to illegally cross the border. The first time she tried to cross the border she got caught with her niece, Annie and was sent back to Mexico. Then the guards offered to sneak her across if she would pay them. So she payed them and she got across the border safely.”
Kate: “Mery (Lizbeth’s aunt) immigrated from Peru to Mexico to California to New York. And she traveled with her nephew Luis and her niece Annie, she did not know what would happen. She was very scared. On Marie’s journey from Mexico to California she got caught by the police trying to cross the border to California and the police made them go back to Mexico. The next night Marie tried again to go to California and she tried again to go to California and she was already very scared because she got caught by the police once and I didn’t mention this but on Mery’s first try to get to California from Mexico she and her nephew had to split to be safe and to try not to get caught…’
Dora: “Mery wanted to get a better life and go to America because in Peru it was very hard to get a job and she doubted she would get a job….How did she get from California to New York? Well she did. They had a better life. Meryt has a husband. Guess what she even has kids!”
Piper: “Marie traveled from Peru to the US when she was 25. She also went with a three year old and a two year old. She traveled in 1989.”
Lila: “…Her niece got caught and she started screaming ‘Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!’ so she (Mery) got out of hiding so she could save her niece who was two years old…I really think her story was very very interesting and scary. She was very brave. She loves Peru. She says it is her country. I think she is a courageous person.”
Polly: “Marie tried to cross the border from Peru to Mexico. She had to climb up a wall and then she had to run right after. She had to hide, run, walk and sprint. It took her nine hours…When this happened she was twenty five and now she is fifty.”
Olivia P: “…We know that she had to climb a wall in a hard process…It was hard for her because police would always stop her before crossing…It was so dark they couldn’t see…Now Mery and Lizbeth have a better life in New York.”
Olivia B: “Marie’s sister got the chance to immigrate to California but her daughter, Annie and her son, Luis, couldn’t come.”
Johnny: “Mery came from Peru. She had a niece and a nephew. After Peru she went to Mexico….She got caught crossing the border…When she got to Mexico the people said, “You’re not one of us.” So their police had to escort her to California.”
Colette: “…She met someone in New York and got married. Her two year old niece’s mother was in New York already. When she married the person in New York she got to be a New York citizen.”
Tilda: (poem)
I am the border
that you tried to cross
but you got caught
lucky for you
your nephew
got across
and went to California
the next time you tried to cross
you went without getting caught
you couldn’t get caught
because you were with the catchers
you got California
you got your nephew
you went to NYC
and complete your dream
now I am just a wall
an enemy to you
and now my story is through”
Freddie: “She went from Peru to New York to get a better life…She went with her niece and nephew. She started at Peru, got stopped at Mexico and then got helped. Crossing the border she lost her nephew. She went to California and found her nephew there and then went to New York…”
Jack: “…She got caught crossing the border and her nephew was taken away…The police were working with another organization who helped Mery and Anny get to California from Mexico. Mery, Anny, and Luis crossed the border got to New York reunited with Mery’s sister and lived there from then on.”
Zach: (poem)
A long time ago
before
I knew how to so
we want to cross the border,
the first time we
went we had to confess
that we wanted the best but they sent
us back home for a lawyer
the third time we
went we did not confess
so we did not do
our best but we got
through the border
gracias
Margaret: “When she and her niece got to the border, they had to split up…they had people talking to them telling them exactly what to say. It must have been very scary for the niece because she was only two…Later, Marie married someone who helped her get American citizenship and she had one kid. Now she is happy with her life in NYC.”
Eli: “She told us she wanted to give up but the other people helped her and she finally got over…She said she heard gunshots when she was crossing the border but it was so dark they couldn’t see who was shooting snf the people who were shooting didn’t know they were there…She said it feels like it was a movie when she remembers it and thinks about it.”
Ben: “One day she got a note saying ‘It is a very nice nondisturbing life here in New York, please come I want my children.” Well, this made her start to think! So one day she decided to leave for the U.S.A!”
Cooper: “Marie, her niece and her nephew went from Peru to Mexico and tried to cross the border to the USA…”
Emily: “…She was so scared her feelings were taking over her. While she held Annie in her hand she wasn’t sure what was gong to happen…She wanted to go home to Peru but a Mexican man that was guiding them across the border said it will all be alright.”
Meadow: “…They (the children) were so young that they don’t remember anything, but Mery does.”
