Which Way Home

[CanAmCharlotte 0]

I caught an excellent, gut-wrenching documentary called 'Which Way Home ' last night on TV. The filmmaker followed a group of Latin American children making their way from places like Honduras to the US, using a freight train called 'The Beast' as their mode of transportation. Although the children profiled were 13-17 years old, other children they spoke to were as young as 9 and travelling alone. Unbelievable. The lives of these children are so deplorable back in their own countries that even though the horrors of this trek are well known, they are willing to take their chances. When interviewed, they all said they either wanted to get a job so they could help their families back home or wanted "to be someone else" once they got to the US. One child had been on the streets since he was two and the stepfather of another boy openly said he did not want him around.

An entire cottage industry has sprung up along this train route and it seems almost everyone is out to take advantage of these people. Train employees, private security firms, local police, Mexican immigration officers, you name it, everyone seemed corrupt. It really was a sad comment on society. The one bright light is that there is at least one humanitarian group that provides shelter, food, clothing, bathing facilities, and advice to those hellbent on making the voyage. They don't judge or encourage illegal immigration, they just try to provide a few necessities to those in dire need.

Since this documentary was shot, illegal immigration in general and using The Beast for passage specifically has tailed off 60%. A hurricane knocked out a couple of bridges on the route which means a few hundred miles have to be traversed on foot before you can even attempt to hop the train.

Being close to finalizing my own immigration, it certainly gives me pause for thought. A number of people over my four year immigration process have asked me if I am angry that someone can just sneak into the country "from Mexico" (they always assume the illegals are from Mexico!) without going through the proper red tape whereas I have spent upwards of $5000. My answer has always been the same and is not always a popular thing to say: I tell them I have great sympathy for these people and cannot possibly imagine what conditions would drive someone to risk it all in the hopes of a better existence. I simply cannot put myself in their shoes because in Canada and now the US, by all accounts, I have led a charmed life.

I'm not stirring up yet another thread of illegal immigration here, honest! I just want to recommend that you watch this documentary if you get a chance.

[Minya's wife 25]

I caught an excellent, gut-wrenching documentary called 'Which Way Home ' last night on TV. The filmmaker followed a group of Latin American children making their way from places like Honduras to the US, using a freight train called 'The Beast' as their mode of transportation. Although the children profiled were 13-17 years old, other children they spoke to were as young as 9 and travelling alone. Unbelievable. The lives of these children are so deplorable back in their own countries that even though the horrors of this trek are well known, they are willing to take their chances. When interviewed, they all said they either wanted to get a job so they could help their families back home or wanted "to be someone else" once they got to the US. One child had been on the streets since he was two and the stepfather of another boy openly said he did not want him around.

An entire cottage industry has sprung up along this train route and it seems almost everyone is out to take advantage of these people. Train employees, private security firms, local police, Mexican immigration officers, you name it, everyone seemed corrupt. It really was a sad comment on society. The one bright light is that there is at least one humanitarian group that provides shelter, food, clothing, bathing facilities, and advice to those hellbent on making the voyage. They don't judge or encourage illegal immigration, they just try to provide a few necessities to those in dire need.

Since this documentary was shot, illegal immigration in general and using The Beast for passage specifically has tailed off 60%. A hurricane knocked out a couple of bridges on the route which means a few hundred miles have to be traversed on foot before you can even attempt to hop the train.

Being close to finalizing my own immigration, it certainly gives me pause for thought. A number of people over my four year immigration process have asked me if I am angry that someone can just sneak into the country "from Mexico" (they always assume the illegals are from Mexico!) without going through the proper red tape whereas I have spent upwards of $5000. My answer has always been the same and is not always a popular thing to say: I tell them I have great sympathy for these people and cannot possibly imagine what conditions would drive someone to risk it all in the hopes of a better existence. I simply cannot put myself in their shoes because in Canada and now the US, by all accounts, I have led a charmed life.

I'm not stirring up yet another thread of illegal immigration here, honest! I just want to recommend that you watch this documentary if you get a chance.

Good post. I saw this film the other day...on HBO. And you're right, it is quite gut-wrenching to see.

[Carlawarla 1]

Sounds like an incredible movie. We don't get HBO, which I just googled and it seems like that is where it's being shown. Perhaps it will come on video or PBS at some time. I'll try and remember to view it then. Thanks for sharing this info!

[Krikit 1,164]

I feel the same way you do, Charlotte. We are so blessed to live here in the US and Canada. The conditions in which some people live in this world are heartbreaking, and I cannot blame anyone who struggles to find a way to survive.