Happy New Year!

After a long radio silence, I thought I’d touch on what it’s like to be a volunteer or a United States citizen in Guatemala. Other than the Dominican Republic and Mexico, Guatemala is the closest PC site to the continental United States of America. This proximity to the US has its obvious cultural influences that can be seen in Hannah Montana backpacks, Justin Bieber posters, and people still listening to Nelly’s first studio album – Country Grammar. However, as I’ve come to find out in my 2 years of living in the western highlands of Guatemala, the US for many is a land offering opportunity and a way to advance one’s financial standing. Every week men and women leave for the border of the US with hopes of making a better life not just for themselves but, more often than not, their children. In 9 out of 10 cases men are the ones who attempt this grueling and dangerous trek through Mexico up to the border of the US. It often falls on the males of the household to try for “el norte” because the women have to stay and tend to the children. With that said, I know many adolescents in my pueblo that have never meet their father or older brother. On my local soccer team, more than half of the players have spent some time legally or illegally in the states. Once again, 9 out of 10 of them who have spent time in the states have done so on false papers and illegally. Of all the men I’ve known who have spent time in the states on a valid visa or on false papers, I can truly say that they all became more financially stable due to their time in the good ol’ US of A. So, how do we stop the flow of illegal immigrants from flooding our southern border? If I had an answer to that my post PC plans wouldn’t be so wide open.

My time in Guatemala has allowed me to see and understand the immigration issue from a realistic vantage point. On the other hand, I saw the legal side of this same issue while interning at an immigration law office during my final semester in college. After seeing both sides of the equation, I can accurately say that there’s no quick fix, answer, or way of making the border issue any less hot of an international topic. I could go on at length on my opinions on the immigration issue but I don’t want to bore you more than you might already be. Instead, I'd rather tell you what the most beautiful words in the world are.