Enrique's Journey
!
Jordan Sparks
INTD 101-08
14 Sept 2014
The Boy Left Behind
“Enrique’s Journey”, by Sonia Nazario, tells the story of a young Central American boy on his journey to find his mother in the United States. At the age of five, she left both Enrique and his sister with the hopes to find work within the United States. Undoubtedly, Sonia Nazario uses Enrique’s story to present the negative long term effect immigration has on family. For example, Enrique’s mother, Lourdes, decision to immigrate, and how it affected both her family in Honduras, and her family in the United States. Along with the reunion of Enrique and his mother, and how the degree of separation affected their relationship. And also, how Enrique’s immigration affected his own family with Marie Isabel and daughter Jasmin.
Enrique’s mother, Lourdes, made the sacrificial decision in the beginning of the book to leave her two children behind to immigrate and find work in the United States. Lourdes left with high hopes of making a living sufficient enough to both send money to her children in Honduras, and possibly one day smuggling them to the United States. Subsequently, an unexpected pregnancy and inability to land a suitable job made her ability to save and send money slowly diminish. “The money Lourdes sends is no substitute for her presence. Belky, now nine, is furious about the new baby. Their mother might lose interest in her and Enrique and the baby will make it harder to wire money and save so she can bring them north.” (p16). Although
Lourdes thought that her immigration would be beneficial to her children, no money could replace her presence to Enrique and Belky. Her children began to feel the effects of Lourdes
! immigration especially with the new baby, and felt as if their mother was forgetting about them.
This caused both Enrique and Belky to lose hope in ever reuniting with her once again.
Unable to wait any longer, Enrique sets out on a quest of unimaginable peril
Jordan Sparks
INTD 101-08
14 Sept 2014
The Boy Left Behind
“Enrique’s Journey”, by Sonia Nazario, tells the story of a young Central American boy on his journey to find his mother in the United States. At the age of five, she left both Enrique and his sister with the hopes to find work within the United States. Undoubtedly, Sonia Nazario uses Enrique’s story to present the negative long term effect immigration has on family. For example, Enrique’s mother, Lourdes, decision to immigrate, and how it affected both her family in Honduras, and her family in the United States. Along with the reunion of Enrique and his mother, and how the degree of separation affected their relationship. And also, how Enrique’s immigration affected his own family with Marie Isabel and daughter Jasmin.
Enrique’s mother, Lourdes, made the sacrificial decision in the beginning of the book to leave her two children behind to immigrate and find work in the United States. Lourdes left with high hopes of making a living sufficient enough to both send money to her children in Honduras, and possibly one day smuggling them to the United States. Subsequently, an unexpected pregnancy and inability to land a suitable job made her ability to save and send money slowly diminish. “The money Lourdes sends is no substitute for her presence. Belky, now nine, is furious about the new baby. Their mother might lose interest in her and Enrique and the baby will make it harder to wire money and save so she can bring them north.” (p16). Although
Lourdes thought that her immigration would be beneficial to her children, no money could replace her presence to Enrique and Belky. Her children began to feel the effects of Lourdes
! immigration especially with the new baby, and felt as if their mother was forgetting about them.
This caused both Enrique and Belky to lose hope in ever reuniting with her once again.
Unable to wait any longer, Enrique sets out on a quest of unimaginable peril