In the book Refugee by
Alan Gratz, a girl Isabel and
her family along with her friends' family are fleeing Cuba to go to Miami,
Florida. There is a part in the book where Isabel stops to think what the
United States will be like. “ ‘Shelves full of food and the store’, Señora Castillo said. ‘Being able to travel the anywhere we want, anytime we want!’
said Amara ‘I want to be able to choose who I vote for,’ Luis said.” (p. 84) As they continue to go through all the things that they can have in the United
States, her father says “Be free”(p. 85). In Cuba they were rioting on the
streets trying to get Castro out, there was no food, no work and they were searching
for freedom. For people coming to
America they are looking for freedom and wanting to start an new life. In the
book The Grapes of Wrath, the Joad
family had the same idea that America would be a place to start over, where
they can finally be free and make a better lives for themselves.
Happening right now is the Honduras Caravan, where thousands of people are leaving Honduras and walking to the United States. These people are leaving for a better and safer life, free of gangs and kids being able to go to school; to start and new life. “Many people are leaving because they fear for their lives if they stay,
because they’re being threatened by gangs and the local government is either
complicit or absentee. They’re seeking asylum, even if their circumstances may
not fit neatly into the definition of “persecution” in US asylum law.” When
Isabel and her family finally made it Florida, it became their home, a fresh
new start, but in the Grapes of Wrath
the Joad family was not welcomed with open arms. How are the people from Honduras
going to be welcomed?
I love the quote you pulled from the novel! And a great way to tie in The Grapes of Wrath. Both stories consist of migration in the US, yet differ significantly in their outcomes. I question, too, how the US will ultimately handle the Honduran refugees as they enter our country. While I hope we welcome them with love and support, the news and attitudes of our leaders has me fearing otherwise.
ReplyDeleteHonduras is definitely a rough country. It's sad to that the people who are fleeing the crime in their country are probably going to be treated poorly by the United States. Great blog post, though!
ReplyDeleteI like your question at the end: "how will the caravan be welcomed?" I love that you tie it to The Grapes of Wrath, too, I hadn't made the connection between the two. It's scary to think that the caravan may likely be met with a huge number of troops trying to keep them out- what a welcoming arrival.
ReplyDeleteI like your ending question, it's heartbreaking to think that people in need of help and safety may not be welcomed, though I hope they are.
ReplyDeleteLike Amy and Emily, I think your final question is powerful. I guess we will find out - or will we? I wonder if the media will dig deep enough to learn what really happens to those people.
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