The novel Enrique’s Journey is about love and about family. When we first start reading the book we see in the first chapter a young mother talking to her son. The mother of the child will not look him in his face. The little boy Enrique has no idea of where his mother is going. The little boy feels lost without his mother. The mother of the little boy want even let no one bathe or feed her child. Little Enrique loves his mother so much, without his mother he is so shy. In the novel Enrique journey we see a variety of push and pull factors which are clarified in the prologue and chapter 1 of the novel. The novel shows the story of a young boy dangerous journey to reunite with his mother which he has not seen in years. In the prologue we …show more content…
In each article it states certain acts. The first article talks about how all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. Enrique mother on the other hand was not born in America so she could not have the same rights as other born in the United States. In the United States everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person. If Enrique comes to America to be with his mother he should have the right to life. He is coming to America to have a better life with his mother. Another point I felt related to this reading was the point was no one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. I feel that undocumented immigrants are treated unhuman and are punish for not evening committing a crime. In Enrique Journey if he is caught crossing the border he will be deported back or put in detention center. This connects to article 9 that states “No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile.” Undocumented are treated unhuman in the United States and it is not right. Enrique never gave up on seeing his mother. He was deported numerous time but somehow the hope to not give up. Enrique reminded me of a case in Jailed …show more content…
One that stick out me the most was the support Enrique’s mother got from the family she worked for. The creation of the Novel was the most humanitarian thing someone could do. The author Sonia Nazario is most humanitarian writing Enrique’s Journey which recounts the unforgettable quest of a Honduran boy looking for his mother, eleven years after she is forced to leave her starving family to find work in the United States. I wish that I could help someone put their story out there. In conclusion this has to be the best book I ever read. The book made me realize how thankful I should be for my mother but mostly how thankful I should be for my
What I liked most about it was reading from two different perspectives and how those different perspectives met through the book.
I really enjoyed all of the characters and this book tremendously. Both Lupe's and Juan's mother were very strong and God fearing women. They had a very strong bind between their children who were taught values and morals. This book made me want to know my ancestral routes and learn more about my culture. Since this book was a true story about Victor Villasenor's family, it made the stories even more real. I would recommend this book to everyone who loves to read.
Like many other migrants, Enrique had many troubles with his mother too. When Enrique first arrived to the U.S., Enrique and his mother’s relationship was going well. Lourdes was proud of Enrique for finding a job as a painter and sander. Lourdes would always brag to her friends that Enrique is her son and that he’s big and a miracle. However, Enrique starts going to a pool hall without asking Lourdes’s permission which makes her upset. Enrique often yells obscenities and mother tells him not to, but Enrique tells Lourdes that nobody can change who he is.
In Enrique’s Journey, Enrique had to witness many of these incidents occur to others. He has seen many women get raped, people get things stolen from them, people fall off the train
The main events of the story occur in Honduras and Mexico. Tegucigalpa, Honduras is where Enrique was born and raised by several family members. In Tegucigalpa, Enrique is shuffled from house to house simply because he is unable to control his emotions. This makes Enrique angry and he begins to rebel against the people he lives with. At the age of 17, Enrique decides to leave his family in Honduras and travel to the United States in hopes that he will reunite with his mother. His journey will take him through Chiapas, Mexico, the most hostile city at the point of his travel. In Chiapas, corrupt Mexican police officers and gangs stop migrants and order them to give up anything in their possession. Enrique was beaten and thrown off a train in Chiapas by gang members who raiding the train. After being thrown off of the train Enrique realizes that the journey is not going to be as easy as he dreamed it was. The second most hostile city of the trip, Oaxaca is where many migrants are deported. The people of Oaxaca have a very distinct way of speaking and behaving. In Oaxaca Enrique is kept on toes, wondering if he will be deported because of his awkward dress and dialect. The last important place in the story is Nuevo Laredo, Mexico. Nuevo Laredo is last stop for immigrants travelling to the United States. From Nuevo Laredo immigrants will illegally enter Texas and begin their struggle for financial success in America. Enrique does finally enter Texas after being pushed on a boat from Nuevo Laredo. Once he entered Texas, Enrique takes a cab to North Carolina hoping to find his mother. Sonia Nazario begins the story by describing Enrique’s confusion as to why his mother has left him. He doesn’t understand that she can’t afford food and ...
Although this book had no major affect on me, I learned how a boy can go through traumatic experiences and still have the will power to keep going on. That was the only thing that really affected me in the whole book.
The most meaningful part of the book for me, was the sit-ins, a form of protest in which demonstrators occupy a place, refusing to leave until their demands are met. The reason the sit-ins were so meaningful is that it really brought attention to how Americans were segregating the African Americas. Just as if you do nothing when a bully, whites, is picking on you, blacks, they will continue picking on you until you fight back. The sit-ins were a nonviolent way to show that they no longer will or have to take the abuse.
Throughout Enrique’s many attempts at successfully making his way by train to the border between the United States and Mexico, he has encountered people who were more concerned with stopping and harming the travelers rather than ensuring their wellbeing. Therefore this imagery during the journey part of the novel helps to provide the reader with the sense that not everyone in Mexico is out to get the people who are trying to obtain a better
Enrique decides to set out on a journey to reunite with his mother in the US. It takes eight attempts over four months to finally reach her. The first seven times he is robbed, beaten, and deported again and again, yet never gives up. Like most migrants, much of Enrique's journey is atop a freight train, but there are many dangers between Honduras and the US. If migrants aren’t killed by the trains themselves, they must worry about the gangsters, bandits, and robbers beating, robbing, raping, and even killing migrants. Just as dangerous are the corrupt police called la migra that do whatever they want to immigrants before deporting them. On the bright side Enrique meets a variety of people on his journey, many attempting the same voyage he is. They share their stories and advice about where to go and where to avoid.
Enrique’s dilemma is to either stay in the United States or return back home to Honduras. After showing resentment he hoarded towards his mother for abandoning him by departing back to North Carolina he still loves her as shown in this quotation, “He even begins to make plans to move… He does not want to live apart from his mother anymore.”(Nazario 235) This section of the novel indicates Enrique’s desire to remain in the United States. His actions in this quote explain greatly how much he loves his mother, despite the fact they had numerous rebellious arguments since their relationship as mother and son is atypical . From their quarrels, Enrique departs back to North Carolina to be with his friends, however he begins to miss his mother still yearning for her affection. Enrique, unable to bear with the separation, returns back to Florida to be with her again.
He left Honduras with little money, one change of clothes, and his mother’s phone number written on a piece of paper and on the inside of his jeans. He attempts this journey eight times before he finally succeeds. During the first seven attempts he talks about how he was beaten, robbed, deported and constantly humiliated. Enrique has discovered several important things about Chiapas. In Chiapas, do not take buses, which must pass through nine permanent checkpoints, never ride alone, do not trust any authority figures, and even to be aware of the local residents. Gangsters aboard the train are seen in a negative way because they are ruthless, and have no respect for authority, others, or even their own lives. On the other hand, the positive view about them, is that they offer protection from the police. They even at point let Enrique join them, which benefited him as he did not travel alone and did not have to worry about
The themes explored in the novel illustrate a life of a peasant in Mexico during the post-revolution, important themes in the story are: lack of a father’s role model, death and revenge. Additionally, the author Juan Rulfo became an orphan after he lost
I am reading Enrique's Journey. Enrique interacts reflectively most of the time. By that I mean he treats others based on how they treat him. His mother loved him so he loves her, his uncle loved him so he loves him, his grandma aunts and cousins didn't care or like him much so he didn't like them much... One exception to this is Maria Isabel who was originally rejecting Enrique's persecutes but he kept trying. I think that this shows that he is ever so slightly self centered. He behaves and loves only those who love him no mater what else they do for him. Except for Maria Isabel. I'm not sure how to enplane this one.
Many emotions and thoughts were elicited in me while reading Enrique’s Journey and attending class. I felt empathetic, intrigued, and frustrated because of the systematic oppression that works against people of color. I also enjoyed learning about the resiliency and strength that people must overcome strenuous obstacles to succeed. Currently, I have been learning about the effect of mass incarceration and how previous policies have continued to oppress and criminalize the most vulnerable populations: people from a lower socioeconomic status and people of color. The mass incarceration system has continuously oppressed, used, and devalued people of color since the era of slavery. Slavery started when there was a demand in labor to aid the production
Enrique’s Journey by Sonia Nazario presents the overall themes of poverty, crime, work, and drug abuse. To society these themes are also seen as social problems. These problems affect society on a larger scale but on a smaller scale they have a huge affect on Enrique’s family. “The effect of immigration has been family disintegration. People are leaving behind the most important value: family unity.” (Page 282)