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or me the most thought provoking event came fairly early in the book. It was a small moment that made a big impact on me. Alma is exploring the community and happens to walk into a class where they are learning English. She describes how different English is from Spanish but she is wanting to learn more.

The event that struck me was moments after this in which she got off at the wrong stop in the rain. She had no idea where she was and she knew she had to meet Maribel, so she tried calling the school and she couldnt get in contact with anyone who also spoke Spanish.
She says "there was only a thin veneer separating me from their meaning" , saying that the only thing holding her back was just this language barrier. She cried in frustration and I cried a bit too. I've never had that same experience but the way it was described seemed very heart-wrenching and a feeling of helplessness.
This stood out to me because I, and many others understand what it is like to not have control over a situation, but when the control is just ever so slightly out of your reach because of a language barrier I can imagine there would be a feeling of panic.
Imagine a student wanting to do something as simple as go to the bathroom, but they dont know how to ask, or they may not even know how to ask you where it is.
I feel grateful that I live in a place where many people around me speak the same language as me. I can appreciate the differences of everyone and understand that not everyone has that same luxury.  A situation like this can help you understand what it is like for and ELL student and their families and how you would want someone to show you empathy and compassion if you were in a situation like this.

-Adrina Torrence

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In this book, one of the main characters, Alma, brings her daughter to America after a traumatic brain injury that occurred while they were living in Mexico. The doctors recommended that they move to America because they could get a better education for their daughter an she could receive an IEP. This stuck out to me that Mexico did not seem to have an equivalent an IEP that would fit Maribel’s needs, but is something that we often utilize in the American public education system. This made me wonder more about the education system of other countries that we are receiving students from (like Mexico) and how it impacts the students we are receiving and then reaching.

Last year a newcomer to the country from El Salvador was made a part of my classroom in October. His math skills were very strong but he struggled with learning to read or write in english because he had only very basic skills in Spanish. After reading this book, it makes me realize just how much education systems must vary from place to place, and also based on other factors as well. In the future when I would like to do more research on some of the countries where my students are from to figure out what they value in education to better help my students.

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Prior to reading Enrique’s Journey my only knowledge about an immigrants travel to the United States came from history books and anecdotes of my students. Stories about the hardship of the journey and the process of immigration tended to have an endpoint around the border in my mind. What I found interesting, and at the same time devastating, about the book was just how strained the relationships were between Enrique and his mother after he had arrived to the United States. You have two people who sacrificed their lives for each other and yet they have trouble living under the same roof as a result. It’s a side of life I had never thought about or considered and for that I am grateful for having read this book.

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Before reading this book I knew people immigrated from Mexico to America and the trip isn't always an easy one.
I didn't realize how difficult and challenging the trip would be for children as they aren't always brought along. They are at time left behind in world that isn't safe, and doesn't have a lot of food or money for them to be able to get what they need. They struggle, and have to work twice as hard as well as go to school. This is a tremendous story from the eyes of a child what immigration is like.

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As an educator we touch upon immigration and it’s impacts on industry and labor within Maryland. I would like to learn more about my students’ individual stories and journeys of immigration.

In terms of lingering questions I’m am curious about the specifics of Enrique’s and Lourde’s life. Are they still  in the United States? How is their relationship? How are Enrique’s children? Their story is one of hope but t also brings a sad reality to the very current immigration issue.

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Before reading this book I knew how life could be when you first come to America. Both of my parents are immigrants, one from Mexico and the other from Guatemala. So I heard a lot of stories growing up about the crossing of the border. The hardships of living in America and not understanding the language. My parents took a long time to open up and trust people who were not hispanic, not because they were racist, but more so because of the language barrier. My parents moved from state to state for a bit because my dad works in construction with other hispanic people, so that was a bit of a community for them. This book kind of helped me better percieve

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A part that that was thought provoking to me was in the beginning in Alma's chapter on page 24, where her husband Arturo came home from his new job and it turned out to be nothing of what she had imagined it being. She felt so guilty that this new job was a huge downgrade from what he had been doing in Mexico..this hit a soft spot for me because it made me think of my dad who in Mexico, was on the verge of getting a degree in accounting and then he comes to America in hopes of a better life but all he is qualified to do is work in construction. So for as long as I can rememeber my dad is a construction worker. Whenever I talk to him about it he seems to be okay with this path in his life.. he says it is an honest man's living. And he too like Arturo is just happy to have a job that helps support his family. This to me is so admirable, to put your needs, your accomplishments underneath of your priorities.. not many people can go from having a great job to being okay with a job, that not anyone would choose to do.

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As an educator I am interested to learn more in depth how coming to America can change you, but not only you but the dynamics of a family that has all come together to America. It's different for me since I was born and grew up in America, so this book is a good window fro me to see how it could be.
I do not have any lingering questions as of now, but I am curious and wonder what my own immigrant student's journey to America because I know everyone's journey is not the same.

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Before reading this book I slightly knew how difficult it was for immigrants to enter the United States, however, I never realized how scary and dangerous the journey was. It was eye opening to me that immigrants travel on top of trains and it often takes months of this dangerous travel to make it to the United States.
It was also sad to know that the mothers who leave their homes believe they are doing what is right to help their children, however, the children often perceive it as abandonment and eventually show resentment towards their mothers.

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The most thought provoking event that I read about in Enrique's Journey was when Enrique finally met his mother in North Carolina. For years all Enrique could think about was seeing his mother and being with her again and the moment he was able to share that with her was beautiful to me. Later on in the book we then hear about how strained their relationship became due to the resentment Enrique had about his mother leaving him. It was just so interesting to me that Enrique attempted his dangerous trip to the United States 8 times only to find that his relationship with his mother was not as he thought it would be.

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The most thought provoking event that I read about in Enrique's Journey was when Enrique finally met his mother in North Carolina. For years all Enrique could think about was seeing his mother and being with her again and the moment he was able to share that with her was beautiful to me. Later on in the book we then hear about how strained their relationship became due to the resentment Enrique had about his mother leaving him. It was just so interesting to me that Enrique attempted his dangerous trip to the United States 8 times only to find that his relationship with his mother was not as he thought it would be.

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Before I read my novel I honestly did not know much about immigrants and the process that they went through when they tried to enter the United States. I knew that it was not easy and it was a long process. Family’s were usually separated and jobs were hard to come by. Although, I did not realize that it was so easy for them to lose jobs and difficult to pick up more work.

Now that I have read my novel I have learned a lot about the difficulties that immigrants face when they enter the United States. They have certain areas where they live and some people do not treat them properly. There are also many immigrants that are illegal due to their difficulties with getting settled in the United States. The jobs that are available for them can be long, boring and tiresome. Finally, a lot of people view immigrants as all the same and sometimes in a negative way just because they were not born in the United States. I had many valuable insights from this novel!

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As an educator, I am interested in learning how we can help these countries that people feel so compelled to 'escape.' Immigrants are often separated for years from their families in search of a better life because life in their country is often unbearable. How can we as a civilization help these countries out so people do not feel as though they need to illegally enter the United States for a better chance at life.
Also, how can we make the immigration process easier for people who are looking for a better life? This book focused on illegal immigration into the United States and the often very dangerous journey immigrants go through. It is sad to me that these immigrants literally risk their lives in order to get to the United States for a better future.

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One of the most thought provoking events in the book was when I finally learned about Maribel and how she got injured. I was really interesting to find out what had happened to her. At first, it is a mystery and the reader is unsure what to think about her condition so that is why it really made me think. I tried thinking of all the possibilities at first. It was refreshing to finally understand her injury. Also, I loved how she challenged herself and showed her making progress as the novel continued. It was very empowering!

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I am now more intrigued with all of the other unknown Americans out there. How many other nationalities there are and more about their journey to become a United States citizen. I am curious about what other struggles immigrants have. Also, what are some of their hopes and aspirations for coming to America. I want to know what they would like to accomplish by moving here. These are all thoughts and questions that came up as I read my novel. I was ignorant prior to this novel on the Americans that live among us that I have never been aware of. I am not more accepting and understanding of these Americans!

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While reading I was intrigued by the whole story as it was from a child's point of view on immigration and what it felt like for them. Then I got to the part of the story where their father comes back and brings them to America. What stood out to me was when they talk about not having to live in the shadows anymore one day, Reyna started to think about how her teacher ignored her, about how she couldn't express herself in class and how her lack of English kept her silent. It made me think of all the ESOL students I've had in my class and how much I would hate for them to feel as if I didn't care about them. It brings a challenge to their learning, but it is my job to help them to be the best that they can be, to help support them, and to teach them in a way that they can understand.

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As an educator, I feel I have a better understanding of how a child might feel if they've immigrated into the country. How they must feel out of place, scared, confused, but also excited and hopeful. I am interested to know more about from their point of view what do they need from their teacher to be successful? How can I better reach them so they feel apart of the classroom?
I loved reading this book, because it made me feel more connected to the Annapolis cluster where I work. I have had several ESOL students in my classes, and now that I reflect upon this book I want to make sure I am giving my best to all of my students so they can be successful students.

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Prior to reading Enrique's Journey I knew very little of what struggles and hardships many immigrants faced coming to America. Other than what has been discussed in recent news, my knowledge of the journey north is rather low.

From reading this book, it gave me more of an insight of the day to day struggle of an immigrant trying to travel to the United States. What shocked me the most is that a good majority of those traveling are children, some traveling alone. I have learned that the this journey can mainly be possible from the use of the railroad. Immigrants will brave the dangers of climbing on top of the trains to travel to the border. As I was reading this, I thought that once they were on the train, that would be it, they would be able to ride the rails until their final destination to the Rio Grande. I was wrong! The many struggles that Enrique faces throughout this book at the age of 17 while traveling to find his mother is mind-boggling to me.

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The  most thought provoking event for me in this book was a point where as the main character, Enrique, was riding the rails, a group of corrupt retired police officers (bandits) robbed and threw him off the train leaving him in a ditch to die. I think this event stood out the most to me because later in the book it was explained that the local Immigration Services looked to the help of these bandits to locate any immigrants riding the trains and capture them. Upon their capture, the bandits are allowed to keep any items robbed from the immigrants they find. The majority of the people captured by the bandits are not lucky enough to survive, they are often attacked with machetes and left for dead.

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After reading this book, I am interested in learning more about these journeys. How can we assist these countries? Does it begin with their government and figure out where the corruption occurs? Also, for the immigrant children that do come to America, do we have something in place that could help them locate their parents?

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My grandmother immigrated to the US before Kindergarten. I’ve heard many of her stories growing up, but it is very different to hear about the immigrant experience from adults. My grandmother picked up English relatively painlessly and made a best friend quickly and easily. Growing up, I remember having the impression that it must have been difficult to have a complete life change like that at such a young age, but I did not have much personal experience hearing the stories of adult immigrants.
Reading the characters’ accounts, I was struck by how challenging the nuances of day to day life would be for adult immigrants - little things like buying groceries or asking for directions.  Time and again, this book made me realize how many things it is easy to take for granted, and how brave it is to move without your family ties to a foreign land where you are unfamiliar with the language, customs, norms - everything. And on top of those inevitable struggles, to often have to face unkindness or lack of empathy seems like so much to overcome.

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Before reading this book I knew that the a migrant's journey from Central America, through Mexico and into the U.S was not easy. I never really thought about the reality of this journey, or the blatant dangers most migrant endure.

Reading The Beast has been an eye opening experience. I now have a better understanding of the time required to make this journey as well as the dangers of the journey. Mutilation, rape, kidnapping and even death are all real and likely possibilities of the journey. In many areas of the journey these violent atrocities are known about by authorities but nothing is done to prevent them or to punish the people who take advantage of the migrants.

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The section I found to be the most interesting in The Beast was The Invisible Slaves: Chiapas, which talks about the human trafficking and prostitution rings present in that area. On page 81 of the text we learn that "The National Institute of Statistics and Geography affirms that there are an estimated 20,000 boys and girls enslaved or being exploited by sex traffickers throughout Mexico." Yet when the author of the book Oscar Martinez interviewed the anti-trafficking prosecutor in Tapachula, he learned that they have very few cases of Central American trafficking. I find the discrepancy between both statistics astonishing. Central Americans who have escaped prostitution rings are afraid to come forward because many of them believe that it is a consequence of the journey they chose to take. On the other side of this problem is the Mexican government who turn a blind eye to the human trafficking going on in this area and the involvement of the cartels.

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After reading this book I would like to learn more about people who endure this journey and are successful in reaching the U.S. What is their life like once they arrive here? Are the hardships they experienced in the journey worth what is waiting them here?

After reading this book I have a better understanding of why people leave Central American and journey north. This book talks a lot about people who leave to escape gang violence. I wonder what can be done to prevent the gang violence in Central America. I also wonder if gang violence wasn't an issue if central american migrants would be more inclined to stay in their home countries. What can we do to help support these countries dealing with poverty and violence?

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Prior to reading this book, I thought that I had a solid understanding of the impact that leaving one's home country to move to another country has. After all, my husband is an immigrant who left a third world country for the promise of a better life in the United States.

However, as I read the book, The Distance Between Us, I had to pause many times to reflect on the overarching impact that immigration has on a community. I was saddened to learn about the feeling of abandonment that was felt by the children of parents who left their home country for a better life in the United States. I now realize that even under the best of circumstances, there is going to be some trauma experienced by all parties. As a teacher, the impact that it has on a student is greater than I ever imagined.

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The most thought provoking event that occurred was when the children had to "fend" for themselves once both parents left for a better life in the United States. It saddened me to think that the children did not have their basic needs met and how the memories of those years would be forever etched in their minds. Ultimately, it would impact the relationships that they had with their parents. The longing that they had to be loved and nurtured was overwhelmingly difficult to read.

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The Distance Between Us

As an educator, I am interested in learning more about the experiences that other children have related to immigration.

My husband immigrated from Gambia, West Africa. It would be interesting to compare the journey of children from different parts of the world. I would also love to hear more about the experiences that children and parents have navigating the educational system here in the United States as an immigrant.

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This book made the stories of immigrants that I have read about in the news lately come to life. I appreacited reading about the range of different circumstances that lead people to immigrate, as well as the diversity of immigrant experiences within one Delaware community. ][

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Prior to reading Enrique’s Journey, my knowledge of Central Americans immigration journey was very limited. I knew that the average migrants journey was rough but I had no idea how hard and traumatic it is. Another thing that I had limited knowledge of was how many mothers leave their children with other family members to seek out money making opportunities in the United States. Enrique’s Journey follows a seventeen year old male from Honduras who is making the journey to find his mother in the US. This was his eight attempt at immigrating.  Enrique and other migrants regularly encounters corrupt police officers, immigration agents and many gang members and robbers.  I had no idea how dangerous or scary it was for the Central Americans.  Many lose their lives or limbs while attempting their journey.  Additionally, many of the migrants mentioned were children whose main desire was to be reunited with their mothers. Reading this book was truly eye opening to me.

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The most thought provoking event that occurred in Enrique’s Journey was the group of locals who helped Enrique after he was beaten, robbed and left for dead. He was found by a farmer who spoke with the local priest and they were able to get Enrique to a Red Cross Hospital to get better. This particular event stood out to me because Enrique had not encountered a lot of kindness on his journey.  He found that there were pockets in Mexico where locals helped the migrants instead of hurting them.  Even though the locals were very poor, their kindness helped many migrants survive their difficult journey. It is the norm in some towns to stand by the train tracks to throw food, water and clothes to migrants riding the train. There are even food services available to migrants at the border that are provided from churches or individuals who just want to help.  Overall, it was the overwhelming kindness from some people that really stood out to me.

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After reading Enrique’s Journey, I am interested in learning a few things. I wonder what migrants are able to do to cope with trauma that has occurred due to their journey and assimilation into the United States.  I know that there are some resources for spanish-speaking families in Anne Arundel County, but I wonder if there are supports in other communities as well. I am also interested in learning more about the legal immigration process.  It is no surprise that Central Americans and Mexicans desperately want to come to the United States.  The legal process must be incredibly expensive, hard and long since so many opt to cross the border illegally.

Finally, I am interested in learning about the immigration process from other countries like Africa or areas in the Middle East.  I wonder if other migrants journey is as intense and dangerous as those coming from Central America and Mexico.

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Before reading this book, I knew a little about immigration but not very much. My mother traveled to the United States from Jamaica when she was 8 years old. She came here legally with her family, but where they were living was dangerous and they didn't have much. There was a better life for the in the United States and  things worked out from what I understood of her telling me.
After reading this book though, I realized that coming to the US isnt the end all and be all of problems or difficulties that a family has to face. Traveling to the US is part of the journey, but the journey isnt over then. In this book, the characters, still had struggles of finding jobs, finding where they fit in their community and the language barrier proved to be a struggle.
America isn't the "answer" to all of the issues but another step in making a better life in this case for their families.

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As an educator, I am interested in knowing more about how we help students assimilate to moving to an entirely different country.
In the Book of Unknown Americans,  Alma speaks a lot about how she misses her family and tries to get to know the people around her. If this was so difficult for an adult, I wonder what it would be like for a child; considering they most likely have little to no say about if and when they are moving.
I have worked with ELL students before and some were born in the US and some were not . Some have family still in their home country and some do not. I would be interested to know how some students are adjusting to this change because sometimes it is not something that they can communicate well through words because of the language barrier.
I would be interested to know:
-How can help ELL students cope with a  big change such as moving to a new country?
-What do we do when we find out that the student has endured some type of trauma that happened before they moved here or during their transition?

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In my experience, most of my students who are newcomers come to the U.S. before their parents, which is opposite of Enrique's experience. They are in a new country, new home, new school, and they are not even able to be comforted and supported by their own family. Now, many of my students stay with family friends or extended family until their parents are able to reunite with them.

I am interested in how we as educators can help better support these students both inside and outside of the classroom. What outside organizations can help support these children? Many of my students in these situations attend church, so how can we connect and communicate with supports put in place there?

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Prior to reading, I knew the journey to America was not an easy one. I knew it could ultimately cost them their lives. I am also aware their journey doesn't end once they cross the border. It is very difficult to find work, a place to live, and to begin to build the life they always dreamed of.

I knew people could be cruel and discriminate against those who were in the states illegally, however, I was very naive to think that others wouldn't take advantage of those who made the journey the way Lourdes was. The people who promised to help her and took her money, only to disappear days later, infuriate me. I was unaware, or maybe didn't want to know, how cruel people could be to those who are so desperate, yet are busting their butts to make something of themselves and support their family. Scams happen everyday, it's just a shame to think that people can ans choose to act this way.

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When I first began considering this question, I struggled to choose just one single thought provoking event in this book.  I decided to approach it by thinking about the most events that had left the strongest mental images in my head. Some of these moments were Alma, alone in the rain trying to get home, confronting the boy she perceives as a threat to her daughter, calling Maribel’s school, in the emergency room following her husband’s death. I noticed that in all of these situations, Alma is very much alone - not always physically alone, but very much alone none the less. To me, this isolation is such a permeating theme throughout the novel.
- Alsasha Conley

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Reading this book made me wonder about the personal stories of my students. As educators, we get such small glimpses into the lives of our students. In some situations, I think it would be helpful to know more about what these children have been/ are going through in order to better support them.
In this book, Alma struggles at multiple points to communicate with Maribel’s schools. This also makes me think about what we, as teachers, can do to be more accessible and communicative with all of our school’s families. I know I have been in many situations  (sneak-a-peak, dismissal, after school clubs, target) where I have introduced myself to a student’s parents, and we have struggled to communicate. I would like to be able to do more.

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The most thought provoking event for me is the meeting of Enrique and his mother. After so many attempts to come to America to be reunited with his mother, it is almost as if the anticipation was a let down. Enrique wanted nothing more than for his mother to come back for him, yet he was the one who sought after her. While I don't doubt Lourdes love for her child, I can imagine the resentment and disappointment Enrique must have felt. From Enrique's perspective, I can only assume he feels as if he risked his life to be reunited with his mother, but doesn't not necessarily feel the same amount of effort from his mother. Lourdes made this move for the benefit of her family, however, during her journey she kept her family, especially Enrique, at arms length. The lack of contact during their separation made Enrique feel forgotten and unworthy of his mother. Then to find out she had another child in the process, I can imagine Enrique would feel abandoned.

The strain families feel during their journey to America is nothing but overwhelming and it makes me wonder the thought process and the emotions of our students. This only proves that we as educators and a school system need to provide the family counseling support to ensure we are taking care of the whole child and not just worried about catching them up on the curriculum during the school day.

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It is amazing how many traumatic experiences some children endure - from the loss of parents, temporarily or permanently - inadequate housing, food, water clothing, medical care, repeated moving from one location to another, abuse, fear of abuse, or seeing abuse, etc., as well as, the hope and disappointment of seeing or being with loved ones who have changed over time.  I have read a few other books over the years, including Enrique's Journey, and have seen firsthand some students who have gone through some of these types of experiences.  You never know all of what a child may have gone through, how resilient they may be, how their experiences may affect them over the years.   I think that is was is most challenging as an educator.  Not knowing the true background or how a child may see the world at a specific point of time. It is important for us to be empathetic and understanding while we also encourage and hold high expectations of our students. This is a delicate balance and difficult position - especially when we will rarely know half of the experiences that our students have gone through.   I think The Distance Between Us provides me with additional knowledge and awareness of situations that our students, colleagues, and community members may have experienced. I must keep my mind open to the experiences and viewpoints of others and how those experiences may impact the way they view educators, our school environment, and our future.

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Sorry about the duplicate posts!

Prior to reading Enrique’s Journey my only knowledge about an immigrants travel to the United States came from history books and anecdotes of my students. Stories about the hardship of the journey and the process of immigration tended to have an endpoint around the border in my mind. What I found interesting, and at the same time devastating, about the book was just how strained the relationships were between Enrique and his mother after he had arrived to the United States. You have two people who sacrificed their lives for each other and yet they have trouble living under the same roof as a result. It’s a side of life I had never thought about or considered and for that I am grateful for having read this book.

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The most provoking event was the number of times Enrique attempted the journey. I believe the book had said he made the trip 9 times. I can't imagine having the perseverance to try the journey after deportation. But Enrique never gave up even after being beaten, chased, thrown off trains, starved, and almost killed on many occasions. The book's ending states the number of issues there are within the concept of immigration at the southern border. But I can't begin to think that we could turn somebody like that away from their family.

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I found the reoccurring emotional concerns that the children had to be extremely thought-provoking.  These events happened again and again in both countries with multiple family members, no matter how "well" the children's lives seemed to be at the time.  The children do not want to disappoint anyone. They do not want to side with one family member or another in fear of upsetting another. They long for a parent or grandparent that they are not near, but fear if they share this information, then it will somehow be wrong, angering, upsetting, worthy of punishment, etc. If they miss a family member that once cared for them, that should not mean that they do not want the current life they have now.  Unfortunately, they kept so much to themselves and did not always have a sibling or other family member to share their concerns, hopes, or ideas.

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As an educator, I interested in learning more about immigration experiences from other countries around the world.  I am curious if there are common themes that are more likely to occur from certain parts of the world.  I understand that each experience will have a different impact on each person.  For example, two people who have seemingly similar experiences may feel completely different and may not transition to a new location in the same way.  I have read and watched historical information about immigration to the US during the 1700s, 1800s, and early 1900s, and am curious about finding out more information over the past 50 years and how things are different today.  What seems to have gotten better? Worse? And whose viewpoint is it from?

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Before reading this book, I knew that migrants were fleeing terrible situations in Central America, and that the path through Mexico to the US border was difficult and dangerous. But I didn't know just how bad the violence was that they were fleeing, or how much violence they faced along their trek. I also hadn't realized how much the drug cartels also preyed on the migrants heading to the US, and how much more dangerous the trek has become as the Mexican cartels have become stronger and more entrenched. With all of the many obstacles that migrants face along the way, I am surprised that any of them make it to the US at all.

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For me, the most thought provoking section of this book was the chapter "The Invisible Slaves: Chiapas," which was about human trafficking and prostitution. What stood out most to me was how the girls who were interviewed all insisted that they were there of their own free will, and weren't victims of trafficking. But these girls all fled abusive family situations, and while they hoped to migrate to the United States, the dangers of migration led them to stay in Mexico and work in brothels instead. What stood out most to me was the hopelessness of these girls' lives - they became prostitutes as teenagers, and with the way the author describes their lives, they don't really seem to have any options for doing anything different.

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As an educator, I want to learn more about the different paths that people from Latin America have for emigrating to the United States. This book was focused on the desperate and dangerous paths that the poorest migrants take to escape dreadful conditions in their home countries. But it did occasionally reference other options for undocumented migrants with more financial resources, who didn't have to hitch a ride through Mexico on top of a train. I also wondered about the paths for legal immigration - I know they take a long time, and are more expensive, but I don't know much about how the process actually works.

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Before reading this book, my understanding of immigrant experiences came from the news, history classes in high school and college, and family stories about my great grandparents' immigration from Lithuania.  My understanding of the modern Latinex immigrant expericence was limited, despite teaching many students whose families immigrated from Latin America.  I appreciated the range of immigrant stories presented in this book.  It was a great reminder that Latinex immigrants are not a homogenous, although they are often treated as such.  The book spoke to the variety of backgrounds, circumstances and goals that brought the characters to the United States
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Although each family's experience was compelling, I found Alma's the most memorable.  As her family were the most recent immigrants in the community, she revealed some of the struggles that can confront immigrant families soon after their arrival.  Seeing the apartment complex through Alma's eyes, as well as the challenge of navigating the public bus, grocery shopping, and communicating with Maribel's school showed how stressful and tiring even the most mundane tasks would be in an unfamiliar language.

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I am interested in learning more about ways to make our school, and education in general, more accessible to families for whom English is a second language.  Working in a school with immigrant families from many different countries, I have encountered some friction with families around the IEP process.  I am wondering how our school can make the special education process clear and culturally responsive for the variety of immigrant families that we serve.

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I was woefully ignorant of the issues and trauma faced in Oscar Martinez' The Beast. I had vague knowledge of violence faced in Mexico, but never considered other countries would be facing similar issues. Even how the issue is tackled in popular culture--a character in the Netflix series, Orange is the New Black, refers vaguely to the gang violence that awaits her and her boys should she be deported--does not touch on the real trauma that El Salvadorans face. I went in to this work, in short, with inaccurate and misguided background information.

Now, however, I am much more aware of the trauma inflicted on these people, who only sought to leave such violence behind. It stunned me to learn that many of those who travel on "la tren de la muerta" do so multiple times, at great risk, all for the sake of freedom. It made me want to research more about what has brought such violence to El Salvador and why nothing is being done to help these people who are so obviously in need of asylum.

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I wanted to know more about how we can help--both as a nation, and as individuals capable of change. It seems like there should be a considerable effort taking place between the governments of all affected areas to lessen the strongholds of these cartels and gangs. I realize this is a touchy subject, given the discussions about walls and border security. But it really did interest me in finding out more about non-profits and organizations that may be working to combat these traumas.

The biggest question that remains for me: how do we have discussions about these issues when presented by students? Gone are the days that students are unaware of world issues--with social media and cable news, it seems a virtual impossibility that these issues won't ever be raised, especially among 5th through 12th graders. How do you still answer questions about immigration in a way that doesn't disrupt a narrative the student may have learned at home (regardless of whether that narrative is correct or not)? And how do you get students to consider their classmates may have lived through these kinds of experiences, or may have lost family and friends to such trauma, without revealing too much? It seems like a delicate balance of information and protecting them from further trauma.

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I am definitely interested in reading the other books from the EMPOWER Summer PD, as well as the other titles by Reyna Grande. My mind just keeps going back to the children in camps at the southern border who are being traumatized right this very moment...I want to help but don't know how.

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This was the first time I have read a memoir or autobiographical account of immigration from Mexico to the US. My prior knowledge of the immigration experience was snippets of stories featured in news articles or through a friend who is an advocate for Dreamers in Arizona. I was intrigued by young Reyna's perspective of "El Otro Lado" as almost a sentient being, a taker of family members, rather than a destination. Reading this book helped me develop a deeper empathy for the families who are separated by the immigration process.

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For me, the most powerful event was ongoing in Book 1: Reyna actively trying to remember her parents, and her trying to forgive them as well. As she grappled with this it tugged on my heart. In the end of chapter 2 she says: "I had to keep on believing my parents left me because they loved me too much and not because they didn't love me enough."
The first time I read it, tears came to my eyes. It's impossible to fathom the immense difficulty of the choice her parents faced. It's even more challenging for a young child to comprehend why her parents left.

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The most thought provoking thing in the book to me, was the difference in Maribel and Mayor's stories, yet they had such similar struggles. Maribel came over to find the best education for her. She was born in another country migrated to Delaware as a teenager. She was learning a whole new language, culture and education system at the same time.
Mayor was born in America. His family migrated before he was born with his older brother because of the destruction of Panama. Still he had trouble fitting in at his school. He was picked on because he looked different ,had a unique name and spoke another languae, although he knew English just as well.
Though their stories for coming to America and even Delaware are drastically different, they still had trouble fitting in and only found comfort in each other.

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Before reading this book, I had known a few stories of why my students had come to America and the Annapolis area. They were very unique and different in their own ways. However, there were also a lot of students who’s background I didn’t know and think to talk about with the students or how it might be effecting their day to day lives.

After reading this book, it has made me realize just how much their background does matter. Whether it is for new opportunities or to leave something else behind their families carry this with them. Mayor’s story especially stood out to me, because he is most like the students I teach. He was born in America and although he speaks fluent English he is still struggling to balance the different cultures and challenges.

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Before reading The Beast by Oscar Martinez, I knew that migrants left their home countries due to gang violence and traveled to America for a better life. Much of what I thought I knew, came from what I’ve read or seen in the news which is typically that caravans of people are coming to the US fleeing gang violence and struggling to get asylum at the border and that immigration detention centers are ill-equipped.

I’m embarrassed to be some ignorant to the traumas these migrants face on their journey northward. You don’t hear anything about these traumatic events on the news ever. I knew nothing of the gang violence, kidnappings, armed robberies, falling off or getting cut in half by fast-moving trains, rape, murder, human trafficking & being trapped in prostitution rings, being taken advantage of by gangs, compromised police, the random “nice” guy on the migration road until I read this book. Being a father of two wonderful girls, on thing that stuck out to me was the stat that every woman migrant goes on this journey expecting that she will be raped or raped multiple times is a horrific thing to picture in my mind. I remember cheering for the girl in the book who thwarted her attackers by claiming to be a whore and having HIV. That last sentence seems crazy to me, but that’s the hell these migrants face often multiple times on their trip.

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The most thought provoking event in The Beast was the constant theme that migrants aren’t people and can be taken advantage of. Throughout the book, I read about how different people (gangs, ranchers, police, migration officials, men, people migrants trusted, etc) kept abusing, extorting, raping, murdering, kidnapping, robbing, and taking advantage of migrants. It was repeated multiple times that it was easy to take advantage of migrants as they rarely report crimes for fear of being deported by imigration authorities or for their desire to keep moving northward on their journey. One stat I read in the book, I forget where, mentioned that a certain police task force only had two convictions throughout their existence. The reason for so few convictions was that migrants didn’t stay to report crimes or show up to trials.

As I think about this horrible perfect storm of events, it deeply saddens and troubles me how people can do and repeatedly do such unspeakable acts to migrants. Obviously, this system is broken and in desperate need of fixing. How does one fix this broken system? That’s the billion dollar question. Knowing the theme of migrants being taken advantage of, I wonder why migrants haven’t adapted their journey to El Norte? Many of the migrants get robbed for the hundreds of thousands of dollars they are traveling with. I don’t get risking all the heinous and torturous crimes being committed to yourself or your family when you could buy a plane ticket with that money for a “vacation” to the United States and never leave. Personally, I would rather risk the United States Government knowing I’m in the country illegally then going through that hell of a trip. Either way, you are always going to be hiding from immigration officials for fear of deportation. So why run the risk of having multiple heinous crimes being committed on your or your family? Obviously, this strategy doesn’t fix the problem but I don’t get why it isn’t on the table for more migrants. Thoughts?

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First and foremost, I am interested in learning more about this topic. I wonder why the news doesn’t talk about the horrific journeys that migrants go through. I read an article on CNN that followed a woman migrants story through much of Mexico. That story basically touched on not knowing where her next meal was coming from or how she was going to feed her kids, trying to keep everyone happy and healthy and stuff like that. I feel like that story does a huge injustice to migrants stories after having read The Beast by Oscar Martinez. The stories in his book need to be front page headlines and out there for a wider audience to read. I feel like there are many people who are blind or unaware of the traumatic journey that migrants have when coming to America.

I also wonder how no one has created a better system for migration? Over the last 50 years, how many people have gone through this traumatic journey for a better life? How has no one figured out a better way to fix this system? The injustices happening to migrants on their journey northward is a modern day humanitarian crisis that’s been going on for far too long.

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I always felt like I had more of an understanding of immigration than I really do. My mother was an immigrant and always told us how much her and her family struggled when they first came here from the Dominican Republic, but knowing one story, second hand, doesn't even begin to scrape the surface of all the stories that are being lived right now.  Life was hard for her when she immigrated, but she wasn't villainized the way latinos, Mexicans in particular, are today.
The stories in this book give us a small glimpse into the worlds people are living in when they come here. We can't even begin to understand what someone is going through, what they have been through and the reasons why they had to take the risks they are taking.

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One of the most thought provoking events, or story lines, to me was Alma.  When they first arrived and she was all alone in a place that was so strange, not knowing any english and just wanted to do something as simple as getting groceries.  Standing on the road and not even knowing which way to turn seemed so scary.  That event and then when she goes to the community center and you start to feel hopeful for her because she stumbled upon English classes and then gets on the wrong bus and is sent into a panic because she wont be there to get Mirabel from the bus.  Her story really helped put me in the shoes of someone in such a foreign world.  So scared and so alone in those moments.
Another powerful part was on page 236 when Micho Alvarez describes how people feel when they hear he is from Mexico.  This whole page really wraps all of the unspoken (and, unfortunately, sometimes spoken) biases and fears that become associated with Mexico and Mexicans.  Seeing it all written down in one place, from the voice of someone who believes that's what people are thinking every time they meet him, made me so sad and I felt guilty in a sense.

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As an educator, my biggest takeaway from this book was first, to learn as much as I can about the stories my students come to the classroom with.  I've never been in a school with such a large population of new immigrants and while it can be a challenge, I have to remind myself to try to understand where these families are coming from and what they are going through.
I also wonder what kind of educational services are available for adults to learn English and if there are other things we can do, as a school, to help these families feel more comfortable and at home.