illegals
“Illegals,” A Message to my Tíos
“Illegals”
Tío German
“Aliens”
Tío Victor
“Foreigners”
Tío Santiago
“Mijita,
Our sacrifices
Our journey
They’re for you
Make us proud.”
My tíos describe crossing the border with nothing but pride.
Their stories of struggle and sacrifice
So that they could provide.
A life in the United States,
The American Dream,
This is what my Tío dealt
with as a teen.
I wonder what he felt.
Was he scared?
Was he lonely?
Was he hungry?
Was he hurt?
Now, I may never know what this journey felt like And sometimes I can feel it in my heart like a spike But all that I know from what my Tíos described, He only ever speaks with pride.
Seventeen years old is the first time
I began to consider my future truly
Like a hill to climb,
With college meetings, grades, and things to decide. These opportunities are a privilege and a fear
I hoped that no one else could hear. I think of my family,
The ones who allowed me to shine. And I call to mind,
Seventeen years old, My Tío Santiago
Left his home,
His country,
Alone.
I turn back the clock, and I return,
To the time, my Tío had no choice but to flee his home,
I meet him at the border, holding out my hand
And I hope to affirm,
I’m here, and I wish to understand.
This border is nothing but a line in the sand.
Please, take my hand.
I hope you know you were never alone,
I promise you, Tío,
Your story will not be unknown.
Priscilla Centeno
I wrote this piece about my three uncles, the first in my family to immigrate to the US from El Salvador during the Civil War. Their journey to the US was long and dangerous; they were caught and deported to Mexico five times before they successfully crossed. My Tio Santiago, the youngest of his brothers, was 17 years old at the time. In this poem, I quote labels that target and dehumanize undocumented immigrants, and I put the names of my family in between as an attempt to combat this, share their stories, and recognize my family origin. This poem is my message to my tios and an effort to understand and empathize with their journey and sacrifice.