Back from Mexico

      (Originally posted August 2008)

After an amazing month at the Casa YMCA, Tijuana and a long day with Frontier Airlines, I am back home in Minneapolis. During the month of July, 163 youth passed through the Casa, some of them arrived more than once as they were unsuccessful in a second and sometimes third attempt at crossing into the United States. The grand total of young adults that the Casa YMCA Tijuana has served since its opening in 1991 is over 34,000. The number is even high when you consider the three other Casas YMCA along the border.

Some days have been hectic, for example, last Thursday when twelve kids arrived within an hour. The phone had been ringing off the hook since 10:00 am with family members making arrangements to bring kids home. Answering the phone is always a gamble as Spanish is not my first language and I’m not from Tijuana. Therefore I’m a bit limited with giving driving directions to the Casa. I let out a little sigh of relief when families actually arrive based on my explanation. Also, over the phone I’ve been confronted with accents from all over Mexico, none of which understand my name. “Megan,” “What?” “This is Megan.” “Huh? What’s your name?” “(sigh) Maggie.” “Oh, OK, thank you, Maggie.” And for the official that calls each day from the Mexican Consulate in San Diego, my name has officially been changed to Maggie.

The days have been busy with lots of phone calls, faxes and making arrangements to reunite kids with their families. Evenings are usually calmer and the Casa YMCA has a more family-like atmosphere that makes it so successful for the nature of the work they do.

Playing cards is always fun and relaxing for the kids. For a few evenings we had a good game of “Spoons” going. Another day, two kids played twenty-one betting each other household chores until the whole place was spick and span. We watch some TV but not too much, some novelas and cartoons here and there and an entertaining evening of Megan-translated “America’s Got Talent.”

I’ve been so touched with the opportunity to listen to the migrants’ stories. After hours, sometimes days of nothing but official agents the kids are often eager to just chat and hang out. One evening, Adrian told me all about his nine brothers and sisters and his job as a mechanic in Colima. Noe spent many days with us at the Casa YMCA and really lent a hand back to the Casa by helping with the cleaning each morning. Noe told me about the last year of his life working and studying in California and his four failed attempted to return to his family. One his last attempt, he tried to swim around the barrier at the beach and go up the shore to San Diego. Soaking wet, he and another adolescent were placed in the uncomfortably-over-air-conditioned holding cell. He didn’t get any dry clothes until he arrived at DIF the next morning after passing the night in the bitter cold. Many kids talk about the ridiculously frigid holding cell with a thin, scratchy blanket. They are often not wearing appropriate clothing for such cold: shorts, tank tops and skirts.

I enjoyed a walk with Oscar from Michoacán as I was on a wild goose chase for a map of Mexico. Following Martin’s directions to the bookstore: “Down the street, walk to the street corner that smells nasty and take a right.” (Only Martin would give directions based on winds passing a slaughterhouse.) We did find the store, no maps, but we certainly stopped for the yummy apple pastries at the panaderia on the way home.

Most of the youth arrive at the Casa via a close connection with DIF at the border. Miguel had a much different experience. He had been living and working in California as a day laborer when he accepted a job and climbed into a pick-up truck. This man then drove him to the border and pushed him out onto the street and drove away. Essentially, he was kidnapped and taken across the international border by a complete stranger. Luckily for Miguel, he was helped up by a kind stranger that knew of Uriel and the Casa’s work with adolescent migrants. He arrived at the Casa late one night and was on a bus back to his grandpa in Mexico City the next afternoon.

In contrast to some busy afternoons, we had plenty of calm days and some overnights without any kids. I did some studying for my upcoming ACTFL Spanish test but mostly caught up on some summer reading. Yadira, Jessica and I started a little fan club of Lois Lowry books. We read “El Dador” (The Giver) and “En busca de azul” (Gathering Blue) but we were unsuccessful in locating a copy of the third and final part. Martin and I read “Las Hijas de Juarez” about the unsolved murders of hundreds of young women in Ciudad Juarez over the past fifteen years.

Last night, Yadira and Martin invited me out to a free concert to celebrate Tijuana’s 119th birthday. We went to the flood canal (currently dry) to see an amazing concert by Alejandro Fernandez.

Now back in the Twin Cities I’ll be taking another three week summer course at Hamline: Bilingual Education: Methods and Materials. At the end of August, I look forward to returning to Green Central as a Spanish Native Language Literacy teacher for kindergarten and first grade and as a sixth grade science teacher.

I greatly appreciate the time I spent at the Casa YMCA and was so happy to support them in the valuable service they provide. I’ve felt so at home for the past month and I thank everyone down in Tijuana for teaching me and welcoming into the Casa YMCA family. Although I am sad to leave, I know the Casa YMCA will continue to provide for migrant youth 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Thank you, Casa YMCA.