In Enrique’s Journey, we follow the life of a young Honduran boy and his quest to reunite with his mother who left him at the age of five to search for work in the United States. Enrique’s mother, Lourdes, leaves him and his sister Belky in the care of other family members with the hopes of giving them a better life. While Lourdes is able to support her children through the money and gifts she sends, it is ultimately not enough to replace her absence. Enrique decides that risking his life and leaving all that he knew would be worth finding his mother, so he sets off on his journey. The author, Sonia Nazario uses Enrique’s story as an entry-point to depict the grim realities of immigration in Central America.

One particular issue that came to my mind while reading this book was the sheer amount of individuals attempting to journey up north and the dangerous encounters that Enrique and other immigrants faced. From reading this book, you find that they had to deal with the dangers of riding atop of trains, bandits, gangs, corrupted police officers, immigration officers, the fear of being deported, not having enough money–all very brutal stuff. The amount of courage that these individuals have is immense. They’re not only looking for opportunity but are also trying to escape the persecution from their home countries. Which brings up the question: Are these people immigrants or refugees?