49 pages • 1 hour read
The Far Away Brothers: Two Young Migrants and the Making of an American Life
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Themes
Going North
Central and South American migrants refer to the trek to the United States, Canada, and Northern Mexico as “going north.” Immigration across the United States’ southern border was predominantly comprised of Mexicans, but increasing numbers of Central American immigrants also journey north and enter the United States through the southern border to flee gang violence in their home countries. Going north is a common aspect of life for many Central Americans, especially young men from the Northern Triangle. El Salvador’s president jokes that the country’s chief export is its people. Three of the four Flores boys go north, as do most of their friends, and their sister Maricela dreams of going north.
Far Away Brothers
Far away brothers are Central American siblings who have migrated to the United States and cannot return. Ernesto and Raúl live in El Salvador for seven years with a far away brother before migrating and becoming far away brothers themselves to their other siblings. The far away brother relationship is bittersweet, if not sad: The siblings in the United States ostensibly have a better life, but they will likely never see their families again. If they leave the United States, they must sneak back in, which is risky and dangerous. The sadness of this relationship is exemplified in Ernesto, who has a daughter in the United States; he hesitates to tell his parents about her in part because of the pain they will experience when they realize they will never meet her.
Debt
Debt is a part of life for undocumented immigrants, who must obtain loans to pay for their journey north. The debt is especially burdensome because, for many, the United States is not the land of opportunity they believe it to be before they embark on their journey. For many, like Raúl and Ernesto, it doesn’t matter—they go north to flee violence rather than for economic opportunity. However, Ernesto and Raúl’s journey proves that even when someone doesn’t migrate for economic reasons, the debt is still a burden. The twins should be living with Wilber and focusing on school, but their debt consumes their lives and forces them to work long hours and constantly worry for their family. Debt is as much a part of their migration as coyotes, courts, lawyers, and border patrol.
Gangs
Salvadoran gangs control the country and the region, and drive Ernesto and Raúl’s migration story. The Flores family is pious and avoids gangs as they infiltrate La Colonia, believing that if they keep their heads down and work hard, everything will work out. However, the gangs find them and force the twins north. The Barrio 18 gang leaves Maricela a single mother when Sebastian migrates north after impregnating her. Later, gangs threaten the lives of Maricela and Lupita and try to recruit Ricardo to murder Wilber Sr. More powerful than the Salvadoran government, gangs control life for those in El Salvador and those who have gone north.
The Border Crisis
The surge of unaccompanied minors entering the United States’ southern border is frequently called the border crisis. Gang violence and disastrous economic conditions in Central and South America has caused thousands of children to flee their home countries for the United States. Ernesto, Raúl, their friends in El Salvador, and others they migrated with are all part of what the United States media calls the border crisis. Private Detention Facility Contractors earn significant revenue from the border crisis and are criticized for what immigration advocates perceive is subpar treatment of children in their facilities.
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