He climbed the fence, his breath was broken and shirt wet of sweat. He stopped for a while to catch up on his breath and then looked at the land which was his dream, passion and just everything since he had recognized the world. Being a Mexican, the glamour, lifestyle and freedom of the U.S always appealed to him. He always wondered why he wasn’t born in the U.S even when it was a few miles from his land. Both are neighbours but the huge difference in the culture and establishment always perturbed him.
Today, he had crossed the border illegally and all his desires were satisfied. It wasn’t that he didn’t try to get into the U.S legally, he did, wasted so much money on the immunizations, travel documents, travel agents, and medical and so on but it never worked. He was just the one of the massive sea of people who wanted the immigration. Just for a better life, family, job and facilities he took this risk.
He was overwhelmed at his achievement. The bright future of his kids and the content faces of his family members flared in his mind. At the peak of anxiety he didn’t even think about the means of communication. He didn’t know English, a few words at the most. With just the high spirits, he began to walk alongside the road in the southern Arizona. It was almost an hour before sunset and the desert had started getting colder, as it is always at nights. It was one of the unusual days because of the sudden rain. He was still enjoying the thought of freedom, which he had just gotten when a car passed by him and hit the fence of the bridge. He was still recovering from the shock when the car flipped. He doubted if the driver was yet alive. With fright running down his veins, he stood there watching the car in the heavy rain. His clothes completely soaked and body aching.
A kid appeared from the destroyed car suddenly and ran towards him, he thought it was an illusion until the innocent kid grabbed him from his pants and cried, “Uncle, save my mom.” He looked at the beautiful round green eyes of the kid and tried to figure out what he said. It was in a different language but the situation and the harassment on the naïve face didn’t take long for him to realize what the kid wanted.
They walked to the car but unfortunately the mom had died. He looked at the kid forlornly. His eyes were filled with tears. The kid didn’t seem to talk or respond to any of his actions. In the cold night across the bridge sat both of them sharing the misery of the poor kid. He reminisced about the joy he had felt about an hour ago and sobbed on the melancholy of the little boy. When it grew extremely cold, he laid the kid beneath himself to keep him warm with his body heat. The entire night passed and with the sunshine a new day began, maybe for the kid but for the Mexican future held some surprises…
He held the kid’s finger and walked him up to the police station for the sake of ‘humanity’. A translator of Spanish was called for his convenience to explain the situation to the cops. Everything was over, the kid’s family was called but the Mexican was being ordered to deport back to MEXICO!! The kid screeched, “Uncle, no go” but the government of Arizona had already decided his future. The result of his sympathy and help was THIS!! He felt shattered inside and finally was deported after 13 hours!!
There were huge rallies in Arizona for him. Arizonans rose in revolt against the State’s decision and after a lot of struggle he was invited back to United States with his family and they were given lots of respect! He was rewarded for the ‘little act of kindness’ he did. After deportation, he wouldn’t have imagined in his sweetest dream that once again he could get into the ‘wonder land’!
Today, Americans curse Mexicans, say racist remarks to them, they aren’t given equal rights and are always considered ‘illegal’. Even I hated illegal immigrants but when I asked myself that what would I do if my family won’t have food? They would be dying out of hunger? Won’t I try to move to another place where life would be much better? Where I would be able to see my offspring prosper? And when I won’t be able to do it through the right means I would go against the law to ensure a successful future for my family.
Why do we judge people on the basis of stereotypes? Why do we not respect them for what they are regardless of their faith, virtues, clothing, race and skin color? Are they responsible for their white, tan or black skin? No, they aren’t! Please stop being racist and take people as they are because you don’t know what kind of situation and feelings they are going through. Try walking a mile in someone’s shoes before being judgmental…
4 comments:
I dig the moral of the story. But perhaps, Americans frown upon Mexicans not because of the colour of their skin, but because they take up jobs that could otherwise go to them. But then again, the world needs to learn how to empathize with the less-privileged.
Why do we judge people on the basis of stereotypes?
whaooo do i not ask that always and i have an asnwer too... but who cares... they will continue doing what they only know how to do :)
love the title for th e post!
@Sadia, Mexicans get really cheap job. Like 50 cents per hour and so. There is nothing to make an issue about that. Also, the U.S is a super power partially because of immigrants like Asians, Middle-easterns, Mexicans and so on!
@Seher It's so true but we could try to stop the little racist comments among our social circles or at least not be a part of it when a punjabi curses a mahajir or a pakhtun curses a sindhi. It's so sick!
A very important issue nicely cited!! (:
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