Pedro Gomez Domingo, 51, Carolos Enrique, 15
Faces of Immigration

Faces of Immigration Day 22 of 40

Pedro Gomez Domingo, 51, from Cienega y Al Castan in the Huehuetenango Department of Guatemala, came with his son Carlos Enrique, 15, in search of a better life. They spent eleven days travelling through Mexico, and then four days in migration detention in the United States. “Thank god we we arrived more or less safely,” he said.

“In our home we don’t have a place to live,” he said, “We heard in the news and from other people that one can earn something here, and that’s the reason why we have come to this place.” His wife and other kids remain in Guatemala, whom he hopes to support by working.

In Guatemala, life is difficult for the “campesinos” who work in agriculture. “We are abandoned like wild animals,” he said, “There are no projects, there is no assistance from the government.” he said. “There is money in our government, but they aren’t doing anything with it.”

15 year-old Carlos’s only wish is simply, “That we aren’t poor.” He only studied until the completion of the sixth grade, but like most other kids in Guatemala, he hasn’t gone to school since.

After leaving Trinity Lutheran Church in Las Cruces, where they were given hospitality and assisted in booking their travel tickets, they would travel to Tennessee, where they would be accepted by friends met along their journey.

 

 

Pedro Gomez Domingo, 51, de Cienega y Al Castan, Departamento de Huehuetenango en Guatemala, viene con su hijo Carlos Enrique, 15, en busca de una vida mejor.  Estuvieron viajando once días por México, y después cuatro días en detención migratoria. “Gracias a Dios que llegamos más o menos seguros,” dijo él.

“En nuestro país de origen no tenemos donde vivir,” dijo él. “Escuchamos en las noticias y de otra gente, que uno puede ganar algo aquí, y es por eso que llegamos hasta este lugar.” Su esposa y sus otros hijos se quedaron en Guatemala, quien intenta mantener con su trabajo.

En Guatemala, la vida es difícil para los “campesinos” que trabajan en la agricultura. “Somos abandonados como animales salvajes,” dijo él. “No hay proyectos, no hay asistencia del gobierno.” dijo él. “El gobierno si tiene dinero, pero no están haciendo nada con él.”

El deseo de Carlos de 15 años es simple, “Que no seamos pobres.” Solo estudió hasta el término de la primaria, pero como cualquier otro niño en Guatemala, ya no ha podido regresar a sus estudios.

Después de dejar La Iglesia Luterana de Trinidad en Las Cruces, donde les han brindado hospitalidad y los has asistido en la compra de sus boletos de viaje, se dirigen a Tennessee, donde serán recibidos por amigos que han conocido durante su viaje.

 

The Faces of Immigration Project is a 40 Day photo journal series used to highlight the stories of all Immigrants. The project is meant to shed light on some of the many reasons people have for immigrating to the U.S. Statements and stories have been edited for content, clarity, and brevity and may not reflect the entirety of an Immigrant’s reasons for immigrating to the United States.

By Paul Ratje

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