Conclusion

These accounts of the night of October 23, 2002, where left untold until now. The accounts of the brave men doing what they felt right by protecting their country, the man supporting his family, the young woman who demonstrated charity and for those searching for a dream all coming together to create this untold story, all hold a deeper meaning. Immigration can hold a benefit to our society. Although, there are many different perspectives on this issue one thing is for sure, that is that the events that occurred on a night in October of 2002 have occurred and still are waiting to be told by many others.

Illegally Crossing: Anonymous

Venir a los Estados Unidos no fue una decisión fácil. Mi esposa y yo había ahorrado dinero durante un año desde que nos casamos. Después de añadir nuestros salarios juntos sólo tenía suficiente dinero para arreglar los documentos legales de uno de nosotros. Al principio decidimos que estábamos los dos va a emigrar juntos. Sólo que uno de nosotros ir, no era una opción.

Todo lo que podía dejar de pensar es que no debería haber dejado sin ningún tipo de chaquetas. Era octubre y que iba a pensar que cuando se arrodilla en el suelo por la noche sería tan frío. Nosotros afortunadamente encontramos periódico viejo de otros que habían pasado antes que nosotros para mantenernos calientes. Después de esperar en la oscuridad y avanzando lentamente cada vez más cerca de la frontera se oía un helicóptero de la itinerantica por encima de nosotros. Ellos no podían ver al ocultarse tan cerca de la tierra en la oscuridad.

Como estábamos en lo cierto a punto de cruzar la frontera a través de un guardia de patrulla casi nos descubrieron escondido detrás de arbustos gruesos y como estábamos de rodillas que podría sentir un calor que sube a la espalda. Tenía miedo de que si se detecta a mi esposa y yo sería separarse. Ella y yo apenas había comenzado nuestra vida juntos y perder su me devastan. A la espera de la luz deje de brillar cerca de nosotros todo lo que podía imaginar era ver a mi tío y su familia. También pensé en lo que mi futura familia, pero sería como volver a ser por la frontera.

Una alarma que suena terminó y el pánico golpeó dentro de mí. Nuestro guía, Julio nos dijo que mantenerse en movimiento ya que los guardias se distraiga. Una vez pasada la frontera que pasó por muchos campos. En un momento tuvimos que cruzar por el patio de un campo. A medida que se escondió entre los árboles y arbustos que lo hizo más allá de la mayoría de la tierra hasta que el perro empezó a ladrar. En el sonido de la Julio ladridos nos corrieron a correr hacia el final de una carretera. Esperando al final de la oscura carretera era una vieja camioneta Chevy, donde todos corrimos hacia la espalda. Al tratar de esconderse en la parte de atrás el sonido de un arma de disparo se escuchó.

Antes de que supiera lo que golpeó a mi mujer dejó escapar un grito pequeño. Un calor comenzó a formarse en mi hombro y la sangre comenzó a salir a la piscina de mi brazo. No tener los suministros médicos necesarios para detener la hemorragia con la familia nos encontró trapos viejos en el camión. Eso fue suficiente, hasta que fueron dejados en la casa de mi tío.

Mientras que en casa de mi tío, nos recibieron con amor. Yo había crecido con mi tío hasta que él se había casado y había emigrado a los EE.UU. con su familia. Ellos dijeron que su hijo, José, estaba tomando una clase y sería capaz de ayudar. Cuando José se le trajo también a lo largo de un amigo. Ella era una muchacha blanca. Ella sabía mucho acerca de lo que estaba haciendo y fue capaz de detener la hemorragia. Yo sólo había tenido experiencias con los gringos se les pediría a mí se podrían conseguir tequila más barato, mientras que en las vacaciones de primavera o si pudiera lavar la ventana de su coche.

Yo no sabía que ser un extranjero ilegal ya que la mayoría se refieren a mí como, podría ser tratado por una joven. Hoy estoy un residente legal de los Estados Unidos. Yo trabajo en compañía de camiones, mi esposa trabaja como empleada doméstica a través de un servicio de limpieza local, y tenemos dos hijos. Soy trabajador que con la ayuda de clases de la noche aprendió Inglés y ahora estoy apoyando a mi familia. Mi nombre es Santiago García.

Translation:
Coming to the United States wasn’t an easy decision. My wife and I had saved money for about a year now since we’ve been married. After adding our wages together we only had enough money to fix legal documents for one of us. We decided early on that we were both going to immigrate together. Only having one of us go was not an option.

All I could keep thinking was that we shouldn’t have left without any jackets. It was October and who would have thought that when kneeling on the ground at night would be so cold. We luckily found old newspaper from others that had crossed before us to keep us warm. After waiting in the darkness and slowly moving forward closer and closer to the border we could hear a helicopter roaming above us. They couldn’t see us when hiding so close to the ground in the darkness.

As we were right about to cross through the border a patrol guard almost caught us hiding behind thick bushes and as we were kneeling I could feel a heat rising on my back. I was scared that if caught my wife and I would be separated. She and I had barely started our lives together and to lose her would devastate me. While waiting for the light to stop shining near us all I could imagine was seeing my uncle and his family. I also thought about what my future family would be like but back to being by the border.

An alarm ended up sounding and panic struck inside of me. Our guide, Julio told us to keep moving since the guards would be distracted. Once past the border we went past many fields. At one point we had to cross through the backyard of a field. As we hid among the trees and bushes we made it past the majority of the land until a dog began to bark. At the sound of the barking Julio rushed us to run towards the end of a road. Waiting at the end of the dark road was an old Chevy truck where we all ran onto the back. While trying to hide in the back the sound of a gun-shot was heard.Before I knew what it hit my wife let out a small scream. A heat began to form on my shoulder and blood began to pool out onto my arm. Not having necessary medical supplies to stop the bleeding the family with us found old rags in the truck. That was sufficient until we were dropped off at my uncle’s home.

While at my uncle’s home we were greeted with love. I had grown up with my uncle until he had been married and had immigrated to the U.S. with his family. They said their son, Jose, was taking a class and would be able to help. When Jose got him he also brought along a friend along. She was a white girl. She knew a lot about what she was doing and was able to stop the bleeding. I had only had experiences with gringo’s were they would ask me were they could get tequila the cheapest while on a spring break or if I could wash the window of their car. I didn’t know that being an illegal alien as most would refer to me as, I could get treated by a young girl.

Today I am now a legal resident of the United States. I work in trucking company, my wife works as a maid through a local cleaning service, and we have two children. I am hard worker who with the help of night classes learned English and am now supporting my family. My name is Santiago Garcia.

Being a Friend: Hailey Cooper

I am currently a senior at El Paso High. It is that time of the season that college applications and scholarships need to be filled out. School counselors are constantly reinforcing us to apply, apply, and apply! I send what used to be fun filled weekends of dates and adventures, writing essays for schools across the country and reasons why I deserve scholarship money.

Some of my friends have already finished applying to schools. All they had to do was apply to the local community college and they were done. It was their only option around here. They are illegal immigrants.

One of them is the brightest in my class. His name is Jose and he is always involved in some sort of activity whether it may be leadership, sports, or service. He doesn’t have any money to go to school since his parents never saved any. Jose also can’t apply to scholarships or larger schools since he doesn’t have legal documents.

On my weekend taking a break from school stuff I was hanging out with Jose and some of our other friends. We were just goofing off and were planning on heading to one of our houses to watch a new movie from the Red Box. We decided to head to mine and about half way through the movie Jose got a call on his cell phone.His mom sounded really worried on the other end. I couldn’t really understand since she was talking in Spanish but what I did pick up was that he was needed at home , casa.

Jose got up and said he had to leave. I told him I would come with him since I was the one that had picked him up.Once we arrived to Jose’s house we found a trail of blood leading past his door. Jose booked it to his living room, with me close behind to find his mom wrapping towels and bandages around a man’s shoulder. I didn’t know it at that time but the man was Jose’s cousin. I could tell from his mother’s language that I wasn’t supposed to be there but I stayed and helped the best I could from the things I had learned in my EMT class so far.

At the end of the night all that I could to do help was stop the bleeding in the man’s shoulder. Turns out it that Jose’s cousin had been smuggled across the border with his wife earlier that night and had been fine until the very last strip of the journey to Jose’s house, while crossing through a ranch a stray bullet had hit him. He didn’t even know that someone was out with a gun on that ranch. He wouldn’t say his name in fear of me ratting him out to authorities but I know he was searching for something greater in this country.

Just Doing My Job: Julio

Tonight was different like every single night. My job as a trafficker is to guide people safely past the border undetected and get myself back to my family. Tonight we almost had to call it quits right by the border. A patrol guard was distracted by something else going on another end of the border.I led a group of seven tonight. I knew it was too large of a group by five of them came in as a family. I didn’t want to separate them and I knew that if I could get three of them in, I might as well try the other two as well.

After pushing past bushes and keeping warm with newspaper we made it to a ranch. I always led my groups through here. As the group hid behind the large grassy and forest area I made sure to keep an eye out for the rancher living here. Through all the times I’ve crossed back and forth I have never seen him before. I wonder whether he has seen me. With a quick run we made it past the ranch until we were all loaded in the truck.

Having the large group of seven I know I was putting all of them in danger. A group this large if not careful could be noticed. I was sure we were careful until a fire shots were heard and one of my group members was shot in the shoulder. With one of my clients being hurt I knew this would end badly. Not having any medical experience all we could do was wrap old greased towels that we found in the back of the truck on his shoulder until we got him to his family. I hope that he will be fine and will start a new life here even without a warm welcoming.

Protecting My Country: Jon Hess

Patrolling a wall wasn’t something I had envisioned in my future. I simply thought as a young boy that I would enlist in the National Guard. The word guard caught my attention because I would do anything to protect and guard my family and my country.

Tonight was just like another night. I was guarding in the tower when I spotted movement in the bushes from the corner of my eye.I waited to shine the spotlight on the bushes. More than likely it would just be the wind or maybe a snake moving through it. But what if it was people? I had to wait and see. After taking my eyes off for a moment to circle and shine the light on other areas, the bush that had been brightly shining of sage green was dark. There was nothing there but a little mouse and its family that had gone on through it.

No immigrants tonight I supposed.When on the south side of the border wall an alarm sounded off and a helicopter that was roaming the area headed over. The north side was then surrounded by the sounds of alarms and a truck trying to get past the border had been caught with a drug cartel.

I sometimes wonder if I have let immigrants pass through the border under my nose. I understand that my family immigrated to the Colonies and so I am an immigrant too. Wondering sometimes takes a toll on my mind. Sometimes I rather not wonder at all. I think of the possibilities and mistakes that I have done while on the job.

I once shot at a young boy. I was given orders to do so. I wonder if he had successfully crossed the border would he be on the streets selling drugs and causing chaos, or would he be going to school and trying out for sports teams just like other American kids? All this wondering makes me think of my son. I hope he can look up to me even through the mistakes I have made. I can only hope that he looks up at me in approval for protecting our country from criminals.

My Land: Dan Rosewood

I wear a bullet proof vest. I own a high-powered rifle. I am a citizen of the United States living on soil that has been my families for generations. At the moment it happens to be anyone’s who happens to be crossing it. I live in fear.

I don't typically don't go out at night but tonight I had to. I heard the cattle moving and although I was scared knew I just had to. Living on this ranch for my entire life I knew the place front and back. I also knew that by being so close to the border I was putting myself in danger. My ancestors didn't know that what we called our backyard would be known as no man's land.

Wearing my bullet proof vest I grabbed a hold of my rifle and my dog Sam. We made our way through the backyard porch and didn't hear a thing for a couple of minutes while out there. As I turned my back I heard some rustling in the bushes. I could see distinctly male outlines in the pitch black. Hiding myself behind a column of the porch I waited. Hoping to be unnoticed Sam began to bark. I didn't move. They went on their way and as they loaded a truck at the end of my property.

My life could have been taken that night. I was in shock. I had prepared for a moment like this before in my head but I just could not shoot. There was no adrenaline rush just shock. Just as I heard the truck's roar I shot into the distance. I don't know if I even hit anything but what I do know is that people were crossing my land and the American people's land illegally.

Introductions

In the series of journal accounts of a night by the border there will be shared accounts of those that surround the U.S. and Mexican border. Among those sharing are a rancher, a patrol guard, a near-by citizen, an illegal immigrant and more. Displaying the different accounts of each individual with a night by the border is the purpose of this online journal and to display that connection that everyone is involved in immigration. This story will soon be aired on ABC’s hit show 30/20.

My name is Dan Rosewood. I am a rancher living in South Texas and the Rosewood name has been living here for many generations. Until recently I lived with my family of six children and wife in our home overseeing our cattle and farm. I now live alone and I have sent my family to live in a bigger town about 25 miles away. Being a man of large stature I didn’t know I could fear anything until recently.

My name is Jon Hess. I work as a patrol guard of the U.S and Mexican border. I have a wife and recently added a new addition to our family. We now have a son who is growing up faster than I could wish. Working long hours at night I stand patrol at Puente Negro bridge that spans from Rio Grande, linking Cuidad Juarez to El Paso. I stand guard and have seen many immigrants been open fired on and have done so myself to protect my country.

My name is Julio. I won’t tell you my last name because I want to keep honor to my ancestors. Mi familia lives in Ciudad Juarez. I have lived there all my life. My job is a trafficker. I don’t traffic drugs just people; both illegal.

My name is Hailey Cooper. I live in Texas and am in high school. The majority of my friends at school are white with the exception of a couple of friends in our inner circle. We know that they are immigrants although they try to hide their heritage. Their skin tells it all along with their accents but they are still my friends and I would do anything for them.

Mi nombre no importa. Yo soy un inmigrante ilegal en este país. Tengo una familia de dos. Mi esposa y yo, no entendemos muy bien el Inglés a excepción de lo que nos enseñaron en la escuela hace muchos años. Yo soy un mexicano. En este país, que es lo que me define.

Translation: My name doesn't matter. I am an illegal alien in this country. I have a family of two. My wife and I, We don't understand English very well except for what we were taught in school so many years ago. I am a Mexican. In this country that is what defines me.