enrique's journey chapter 1 quotes

Enrique's Journey

39 pages • 1 hour read

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Prologue-Chapter 2

Chapters 3-5

Chapter 6-Epilogue

Key Figures

Index of Terms

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Discussion Questions

“I was struck by the choice mothers face when they leave their children. How do they make such an impossible decision? Among Latinos, where family is all-important, where for women motherhood is valued far above all else, why are droves of mothers leaving their children? What would I do if I were in their shoes?”

Nazario writes her Los Angeles Times series, the basis for Enrique’s Journey , after a conversation with her housekeeper Carmen. Nazario learns that Carmen left four children behind in Guatemala when she immigrated to the United States 12 years earlier. Nazario comes to understand that Carmen’s story is not unique. For many mothers in Central America and Mexico, supporting their children financially means abandoning them. Latinos view motherhood as integral to womanhood, making the decision particularly difficult.

“The letter helped me obtain permission to ride atop the trains of four companies that operate freight trains up the length of Mexico. That way, the conductor would know when I was on board. I would tell them to be on the lookout for my signal. I’d wear a red rain jacket strapped around my waist and wave it if I was in dire danger. I tried to have a source in each region I’d be in, including his or her cell phone number, so I could call for help if I was in trouble.”

Nazario’s approach to researching immigration is multipronged. She interviews migrants, aid groups, and others involved in illegal immigration, and undertakes the journey herself. Her direct experiences riding the trains lend authenticity and immediacy to Enrique’s Journey . This quote describes a letter Nazario obtains from the personal assistant to Mexico’s president asking that the authorities and police cooperate with her reporting. The letter helps keep Nazario safe by alerting conductors of her presence on the trains. It also keeps her out of jail three times.

“The boy does not understand.”

Don't Miss Out!

Access Study Guide Now

Featured Collections

Books on U.S. History

View Collection

Contemporary Books on Social Justice

Immigrants & Refugees

Inspiring Biographies

Politics & Government

Required Reading Lists

Enrique's Journey

By sonia nazario, enrique's journey quotes and analysis.

"'Dónde está mi mami?' Enrique cries, over and over. 'Where is my mom?'" Enrique to his family, 5

These haunting words, spoken by Enrique when his mother first leaves, touch at the center of the book's themes. No one tells five year old Enrique where his mother has gone, or when she is coming back. Lourdes and Enrique’s long distance relationship consists of telephone calls and short letters. This particular quote resonates throughout the text as Enrique travels from Honduras to the United States in search of his mother, having no idea what she looks like anymore, where she lives, or if he will ever reach her. Implicitly, these words reveal the depth of abandonment, since this sentiment of longing will serve as motivation for Enrique to pass through a terrible ordeal.

"The single mothers who are coming to this country, and the children who follow them, are changing the face of immigration to the United States." The author, xxv

In this quote, the author explains her purpose and inspiration for writing the book. Sonia Nazario wrote Enrique’s Journey to shed new light on the broader issue of immigration in the United States. In order to bring a human face to her investigation, she chose to follow one boy's journey. This approach lets her make an implicit statement to any Latina mothers who are considering immigrating to the United States - in the end, the separation of parent and child might not be worth it. The resentment the children feel toward their mothers never really goes away. Similarly, the guilt the mothers feel for having left their children also persists. Even after mother and child are reunited in the U.S., new issues arise, often resulting in negative consequences. Nazario does not want to write a political book - she wants to put a new "face" on the issue by exploring its personal, individual side.

"This is what they get for doing this journey." Adan Díaz Ruiz to Carlos Carrasco, 47

This quote is spoken in the time period directly after Enrique was savagely beaten and robbed by six men on the train, and reveals one obstacle migrants must face: the resentments of Mexican citizens. The mayor and townspeople of Las Anonas, in Oaxaca, Mexico have gathered to stare at him after his beating. Some are kind and give him money, while others look on in disgust. The mayor of a neighboring town utters this statement, specifically referring to the many injured and dead migrants he has dealt with over the years. Díaz decides to take Enrique to a local hospital not from kindness, but from pragmatism - it is cheaper for the community to treat him than it would be to bury him. Díaz's distaste is disturbing but not uncommon in this part of Mexico. Some Mexicans believe Central Americans have no business being in Mexico at all. They are concerned with their own economic problems, and have little sympathy for the problems brought by others. Their racism blinds them to the plight of the Central American migrant.

"In spite of everything, Enrique has failed again - he will not reach the United States this time, either. He tells himself over and over that he’ll just have to try again." The author, 60

Enrique’s determination to reunite with his mother is an underlying theme of the novel. Here, he is being deported to Guatemala for the last time. He sits on the Bus of Tears, with other migrants who have been caught, and wonders whether the threat is worthwhile. He has already sacrificed so much. Ultimately, though, the many arguments for giving up matter less than his determination to reunite with his mother. If he lacked even a bit of such perseverance, he would surely be deterred as many others are. This sense of determination in the face of such extreme odds is one of the many sides of immigration that Nazario wants to present and explore.

"They really screwed me up." Enrique to himself, 100

Enrique looks into a store window, and sees for the first time his battered reflection. He has been beaten, robbed, and humiliated. The scars on his head and body bear testament to what he has endured on this journey. When he looks into the window, he is ashamed by what he sees, and acknowledges that he is now marked by violence. However, he does not give up, but rather accepts this as another obstacle that he must overcome in order to succeed. His hope and determination are stronger than the troubles, and in confronting his own weakness but persisting nevertheless, he reveals that quality that ultimately facilitates his arrival in the U.S.

"It’s wrong for our government to send people back to Central America. If we don’t want to be stopped from going into the United States, how can we stop Central Americans in our country?" A man from Veracruz to Sonia Nazario, 103

This quotation addresses the larger issue of immigration within the text. As the author states, a number of Americans believe that Central American and Mexican immigrants are taking jobs away from native-born citizens, are over-using government aid, and are bringing crime into the country. Some Mexicans, in turn, feel similarly about the Central Americans in their country. And yet this man's opinion touches on an unsettling hypocrisy that suggests a wider truth. It is within our human nature to want to protect what is ours. Most societies are reluctant to share their resources, and yet we usually recognize a duty to help our fellow man. Whereas an individual might acknowledge a flaw in his society's policy, the society as a whole cannot be so easily led to practice such idealism.

"Can you imagine how far they have come?" The people of Veracruz to the author, 106

Unlike the citizens of many other states in Mexico, the people of Veracruz are known for their unwavering kindness toward migrants. Their priests and bishops encourage them to feed and clothe the migrants. They are reminded that Jesus himself was once a migrant, moving from Israel to Egypt. The migrants, in turn, view Veracruz as a land of hope and faith. Having passed through "the beast" of Chiapas, migrants are welcomed by the hope and kindness of Veracruz. Because this one part of Mexico is willing to show regular charity, many migrants are given the strength to continue that that might otherwise lose. This statement suggests that empathy can exist if we are willing to consider the migrants as individuals and not just faceless parts of a social problem.

"Thank you for returning to your country." American Border Patrol officers to migrants, 137

These words have been heard hundreds of thousands of times by the migrants on the Mexican side of the Rio Grande. Enrique hears them as well. Certainly, they are representative of the final great obstacle migrants face - crossing the border into the U.S. However, the horizon in their sight is a symbol of hope, and this implicit warning functions in the same way. Although the Border Patrol agents offer constant reminder of their presence, there is also a tantalizing hope that if a migrant can avoid the Border Patrol, he or she can cross into the promised land and end this journey. They can change their country from Mexico to the U.S. with just a little bit of luck.

"The effect of immigration has been family disintegration. People are leaving behind the most important value: family unity." Oscar Escalada Hernández to author, 248

This sentiment touches on what is arguably the book's primary purpose. Referring to the lasting emotional damage of family separation, Oscar Escalada Hernández, director of the Casa YMCA shelter for immigrant children, suggests that dissolution of the family is the worst effect of immigration. The separation between mother and child creates irreparable emotional damage that impacts not only those involved but also the community in which they interact. Nazario explains how some children grow into restless adults, who are never able to forgive their parent(s) for leaving them. Others, like Enrique, try to overlook the past and move toward a brighter future; however, their lives are often marked by addiction or other coping methods. The true irony is the fact that the mothers originally left their country and children to help keep their family intact. Little did they realize the future ramification of that decision. One of Nazario's purposes is to remind us all of this less palpable risk that migrant parents run.

"We’ll have to leave the baby behind." Enrique to María Isabel, 196

In a sad turn of events, María Isabel decides to leave her daughter, Jasmín, in Honduras while she joins Enrique in the United States. Enrique and María Isabel feel they are giving their daughter the best possible opportunity for the future. Yet, as Nazario insinuates in the Epilogue, this decision suggests that a vicious circle is continuing. Enrique's journey morphed from a trip through Mexico into a trip through himself, an attempt to make peace with his resentment over abandonment. And yet he and María Isabel repeat the same destructive pattern by leaving their daughter, with only hope of reuniting. Belky stands as a counterpoint, someone who actually does return to Honduras to raise her son, while Enrique persists in his hope that his family unit will not be too damaged by separation.

Enrique’s Journey Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for Enrique’s Journey is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

WHAT IS ENRIQUE FORCCED TO DO UPON RINALY REACHING THE AMERICAN SIDE OF THE RIO GRANDE

In order to remain undetected, Enrique and the others must wait for an hour in a half in a freezing creek into which a sewage treatment plant dumps refuse.

Why is crossing the river so difficult?

For Enrique, crossing the river by himself is dangerous. He cannot swim and if he's caught, he will be deported.

They are put in detention centers and sent back. The detention centers ar cramped full of crooks and people that exploit them.

Study Guide for Enrique’s Journey

Enrique's Journey study guide contains a biography of Sonia Nazario, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About Enrique's Journey
• Enrique's Journey Summary
• Character List

Essays for Enrique’s Journey

Enrique's Journey essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of Enrique's Journey by Sonia Nazario.

• Criticism, Sympathy, and Encouragement: Depicting the American Dream in 'The Great Gatsby' and 'Enrique's Journey'

Lesson Plan for Enrique’s Journey

• About the Author
• Study Objectives
• Common Core Standards
• Introduction to Enrique's Journey
• Relationship to Other Books
• Bringing in Technology
• Notes to the Teacher
• Related Links
• Enrique's Journey Bibliography

Wikipedia Entries for Enrique’s Journey

• Introduction
• Don Francisco Presenta Reunion
• Recognition
• Sonia Nazario

Enrique's Journey Quotes

Recommended quote pages.

• Help Center
• B Board Book Club
• P Picture Book Club
• J Junior Chapter Book Club
• M Middle Grade Book Club
• Gift a Book Club
• B Book Registries
• Beautiful Collections
• C Classrooms
• B Book Fairs
• Schedule Demo

Book Platform

• Find a Book
• Reading App
• Community Editors

Authors & Illustrators

• Get Your Book Reviewed
• Submit Original Work

Follow Bookroo

• study guides
• lesson plans
• homework help

Enrique's Journey - Chapter 1 Summary & Analysis

The story begins with Lourdes, 24, leaving Honduras without her children -- 5-year-old son Enrique and 7-year-old Belky. Enrique doesn't understand why his mother is leaving. He clings to her leg and she can't bring herself to tell him goodbye.

Lourdes has tried making a living in Honduras doing laundry and selling gum, crackers and cigarettes on the street. It isn't enough money to feed her children, much less allow them to continue their education, which requires uniforms, supplies and tuition. Lourdes knows she cannot find a well-paying job in Honduras, so she has decided to illegally emigrate to the United States where she can make enough money to send back to her children in Honduras, along with clothes and toys. Emigrating will allow Lourdes to pay for her children's schooling and offer them a better future. Lourdes has only ever seen the United States...

(read more from the Chapter 1 Summary)

FOLLOW BOOKRAGS:

Enrique’s Journey | Chapter One: Notes About Sources

• Show more sharing options
• Copy Link URL Copied!

Sonia Nazario, the writer, found Enrique in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, in May 2000. She and Don Bartletti, the photographer, spent two weeks with him there and rejoined him at the end of his journey in North Carolina. Then, based on Nazario’s extensive interviews with him in Mexico and during three visits to North Carolina, she and Bartletti retraced each step Enrique had taken, beginning at his home in Honduras.

Between May and September 2000, Nazario and Bartletti spent three months working their way north through Mexico just as Enrique had, riding the tops of seven freight trains and interviewing and photographing people Enrique had encountered, along with dozens of other children and adults making the same journey. Nazario and Bartletti walked around immigration checkpoints and hitchhiked with truckers, exactly as Enrique had. To retrace Enrique’s steps, they traversed 13 of Mexico’s 31 states.

Nazario conducted interviews in the United States, Honduras, Mexico and Guatemala with immigrant rights advocates, shelter workers, academics, medical workers, government officials, police officers and priests and nuns who minister to immigrants. At four INS detention centers in California and Texas and in two shelters for child migrants in Tijuana and Mexicali, Mexico, she interviewed youngsters who had made their way north on top of freight trains. She also consulted academic studies and books about immigration.

The Los Angeles Times has a strong preference for naming the subjects of its articles in full. It has done so with two members of Enrique’s family, his girlfriend and a friend. But The Times has decided to identify Enrique, his mother, father and two sisters by publishing only their first names and to withhold the maternal or paternal name, or both, of six relatives as well as some details of Enrique’s employment. A database review by Times researcher Nona Yates showed that publishing their full names would make Enrique readily identifiable to authorities. In 1998, the Raleigh, N.C., News and Observer profiled an illegal immigrant whom it fully identified by name and workplace. Authorities arrested the subject of the profile, four co-workers and a customer for being undocumented immigrants. The Times’ decision in this instance is intended to allow Enrique and his family to live their lives as they would have had they not provided information for this story.

Scenes from Enrique’s life in Honduras with his mother and sister, including his mother’s departure: written from interviews with Enrique; his mother, Lourdes; his aunts Mirian Liliana Aguilera and Rosa Amalia; his maternal grandmother, Agueda Amalia Valladares; and his mother’s cousin Maria Edelmira Sanchez Mejia. Quotation in which Enrique asks his mother to look at things: from Lourdes and Maria Edelmira.

Lourdes’ departing words to Enrique: from Lourdes and Enrique.

Enrique’s reaction to his mother’s departure: from his paternal grandmother, Maria Marcos. The boy’s remarks asking about his mother come from Marcos.

Estimate that at least 48,000 children enter the United States from Central America and Mexico each year, illegally and without either parent: This total, for 2001, is reached by adding the following numbers, which are the latest available. The U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service says it detained 2,401 Central American children. The INS has no figure for Mexican children, but Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs says the INS detained 12,019 of them. Scholars, including Robert Bach, former INS executive associate commissioner for policy, planning and programs, estimate that about 33,600 children are not caught.

For 2000, the total was 59,000.

Reasons children travel to the United States and information that many come in search of their mothers: from Roy de la Cerda Jr., the lead counselor at International Educational Services Inc., an INS-contracted detention shelter for unaccompanied minors in Los Fresnos, Texas. His information is corroborated by Aldo Pumariega, principal at the Bellagio Road Newcomer School; Bradley Pilon, a psychologist who counsels immigrant students in the Los Angeles Unified School District; and Rafael Martinez, director of Casa YMCA, an immigrant shelter in Piedras Negras, Mexico.

Children bringing photos of themselves in mothers’ arms: from Ralph Morales, pastor of the End of the Road ministry in Harlingen, Texas.

Estimate that half of Central American children ride trains without smugglers: from Haydee Sanchez, executive director of Youth Empowerment Services, a nonprofit Los Angeles group that helps immigrants; Olga Cantarero, a coordinator for the nonprofit Casa de Proyecto Libertad in Harlingen, Texas, which provides legal help to INS child detainees; and De la Cerda.

Details about travel through Mexico: from immigrant children in Mexico and the United States and from children in INS detention facilities in Texas and California. Included are Nazario’s observations as she traveled with children on Mexican freight trains. The University of Houston study about violence to children is titled “Potentially Traumatic Events Among Unaccompanied Migrant Children From Central America” and was published in 1997.

Encountering children as young as 7: from Pedro Mendoza Garcia, a railroad security guard at a depot near Nuevo Laredo. Remarks of 9-year-old boy searching for his mother who is in San Francisco: from Haydee Sanchez in Los Angeles. Police placed him in her care until she found his mother.

Typical age of children: from INS data and immigrant shelter workers in Mexico.

How children recall their mothers: from interviews with several of them, including Ermis Galeano, 16, and Mery Gabriela Posas Izaguirre, 15, questioned in Mexico on their way to find their mothers in the United States.

Enrique’s life with his father: from interviews with Enrique; his paternal grandmother, Maria; his father, Luis; and his stepmother, Suyapa Alvarez. Enrique’s question about his mother’s coming for him: from Maria.

Lourdes’ journey and her early years as an immigrant: from her and members of her family. Lourdes’ remark about feeding another child: from Lourdes. Grandmother Maria’s assurance that Lourdes would be home soon: from Maria, confirmed by Enrique.

Enrique’s father’s new family and how he left Enrique: from Enrique, his father and his grandmother Maria. Enrique’s statement to his sister Belky about how his father did not love him anymore: from Belky and Enrique. Maria said Enrique said the same words to her.

Belky’s reaction to Mother’s Day and her mother’s absence: from interviews with Lourdes, Enrique, Belky and his aunt Rosa Amalia. Belky’s commiseration with a friend whose mother left her behind: from Belky.

Enrique’s life with his paternal grandmother: from her and Enrique and from Nazario’s visits to the home of the grandmother and the home of Enrique’s father, as well as her visits to the market where Enrique sold spices. The amount of money Lourdes sent Enrique each month came from Lourdes and was corroborated by Enrique, his grandmother Maria and his aunt Ana Lucia. Happy birthday wish: from Maria. Quotation from Maria urging him to earn money: from Maria and Enrique. What Enrique shouted as he sold juice and spices: from Maria, confirmed by Enrique. Words Enrique wrote on a Mother’s Day card to his grandmother: from Maria, confirmed by Enrique.

Lourdes’ infrequent calls and her life in Long Beach: from Lourdes and members of her family. Quotation from cousin Maria Edelmira when Lourdes phoned after one year: from the cousin and confirmed by Lourdes. Belky’s reaction to having a new sister: from Belky, confirmed by Enrique and their aunt Rosa Amalia.

Enrique’s phone conversations with his mother: from Enrique, Lourdes and her cousin Maria Edelmira. Enrique’s questions about when his mother would come home and his statements about wanting to be with her: from Enrique, confirmed by Lourdes. Remarks from Lourdes’ mother urging her to return to Honduras: from Lourdes and her mother, Agueda Amalia. Lourdes’ concern that she might have to return without money to build a house for her family: from Lourdes, confirmed by her mother. Nazario, accompanied by Lourdes’ sister Ana Lucia, visited the white house with purple trim.

Lourdes’ efforts to become a legal resident and her pledge to return for Christmas: from Lourdes, Enrique and Belky. Promise by Lourdes that she would return for Christmas: from Enrique, confirmed by Lourdes. Enrique’s comments to Belky about needing to be with his mother: from Enrique, confirmed by his sister. Questions Enrique asked about how his mother reached the United States and about Mexican trains: from Enrique.

Enrique’s comments when he realized that Lourdes would not keep her promises to return: from Enrique, confirmed by his mother.

Lourdes’ questions about risking her children’s safety to have them at her side: from Lourdes. Her realization that she could not afford a smuggler: from Lourdes. The smugglers’ fees are from immigrant women and Robert Foss, legal director of the Central American Resource Center in Los Angeles. Enrique’s quotation that he wanted to be with Lourdes and her reply: from Enrique and Lourdes.

Enrique’s problems at school and with his paternal grandmother: from conversations with Enrique, Belky, their grandmother Maria and aunt Mirian. Comments Enrique made standing on his teacher’s desk: from Enrique and Belky, who was told of the incident at the time by Enrique. Statement by teacher about being thankful that Enrique was graduating: from Enrique’s aunt Mirian, who learned about the remark from Enrique and his paternal grandmother, Maria. Remark by Maria urging Enrique to stay away from bad boys and his reply: from Maria, confirmed by Enrique. Maria’s threat to send Enrique away and his response: from Maria. Her plea for him to bury her: from Maria.

Description of the Tegucigalpa dump and its scavengers: from Nazario’s observations and interviews with children at the dump.

Lourdes’ life in North Carolina and her assertion that it was friendlier than California: from Lourdes.

Enrique’s life with uncle Marco, Marco’s death and Enrique’s departure from his uncle’s home: from Enrique, his uncle Carlos Orlando Turcios Ramos and his grandmother Agueda Amalia. Quotation by uncle Marco asking Enrique to work with him forever: from Enrique; other family members confirmed that uncle Marco made such remarks. Amount Lourdes spent on her brothers’ funerals: from Lourdes.

Quotation by uncle Marco’s girlfriend telling Enrique to leave: from Enrique. Other family members said Enrique recounted these words to them shortly afterward. Enrique’s question at his maternal grandmother’s doorstep: from the grandmother, Enrique and his aunt Mirian.

Enrique’s life with his maternal grandmother and life in the hut: from Enrique; the grandmother, Agueda Amalia; aunt Mirian; uncle Carlos; and aunt Rosa Amalia. Descriptions of the grandmother’s home and the hut are from Nazario’s observations. Statement by Agueda Amalia that the family needed food: from Agueda Amalia. Enrique’s glue sniffing and his tears for uncle Marcos: from aunt Mirian, confirmed by Enrique.

Life in “El Infiernito”: from Nazario’s visit to the neighborhood accompanied by teacher Jenery Adialinda Castillo.

Enrique’s drug habits: from interviews with Enrique; his sister Belky; cousins Tania Ninoska Turcios and Karla Roxana Turcios; girlfriend Maria Isabel Caria Duron; her aunt Gloria Cuello Duron; as well as Enrique’s aunt Rosa Amalia, uncle Carlos, aunt Mirian and Enrique’s friend and fellow drug user, Jose del Carmen Bustamante. Nazario accompanied Tegucigalpa priest Eduardo Martin on his evening rounds to feed glue-sniffing homeless children.

El Gato’s description of train rides through Mexico: from Enrique. Quotations by girlfriend Maria Isabel when she thought Enrique smelled like paint fumes: from her, confirmed by Enrique. How Enrique tried to hide his drug habits: from Maria Isabel, Belky, aunt Mirian, aunt Rosa Amalia, uncle Carlos and aunt Ana Lucia, confirmed by Enrique. Ana Lucia said she called him “drogo.”

Enrique’s drug-induced hallucinations: recounting of the notion that he was being chased is from Maria Isabel and Enrique; that he saw gnomes is from Belky and Enrique; that he saw ants is from friend Jose and Enrique; that he saw Winnie the Pooh is from Jose and Enrique; that he couldn’t feel the ground, his legs wouldn’t respond, houses moved and the floor fell is from Belky and Enrique. That his hands trembled and he coughed black phlegm: from Belky, confirmed by Enrique. Both are symptoms of glue sniffing, according to Harvey Weiss, executive director of the National Inhalant Prevention Coalition, and Jorge Reanos, a caseworker at Agape Center, which treats glue-sniffing children in Honduras.

Enrique’s attempt to reach his mother in 1999: from Enrique and Jose del Carmen Bustamante, his companion on the journey. Dialogue between Enrique and a guard at Guatemala-Mexico border: from Jose, confirmed by Enrique.

Exchange with drug dealer and the jewelry theft: from Enrique, Belky, their cousin Tania, aunt Rosa Amalia and uncle Carlos. At Enrique’s interrogation, quotations by Rosa Amalia are from Rosa Amalia, uncle Carlos and other family members present. Enrique’s comments to the police that he did not want to commit the crime are from Belky, who heard the exchange after Enrique motioned her over to the police car. The words were confirmed by Enrique. The officer’s questions about whether the family wanted to have Enrique locked up come from uncle Carlos, Rosa Amalia, Belky and Tania.

Enrique’s deteriorating behavior: from Enrique, corroborated by Maria Isabel, Belky and other family members. Aunt Ana Lucia’s role as the breadwinner and her accusation that Enrique was an economic drain: from Ana Lucia and grandmother Agueda Amalia. Both said Enrique was hurting the family’s reputation.

Arguing with aunt Ana Lucia: from Enrique, Belky, aunt Ana Lucia, grandmother Agueda Amalia, aunt Rosa Amalia, girlfriend Maria Isabel and Lourdes’ cousin Maria Edelmira. The words spoken between Enrique and his aunt Ana Lucia are from the shared recollections of those present--Ana Lucia, Enrique and Agueda Amalia. In addition, Maria Isabel and Rosa Amalia heard large portions of the exchange.

Sentiment by Agueda Amalia that Enrique should leave: expressed to Nazario by the grandmother. She said she had expressed the same sentiment to Enrique before he left.

Enrique’s hallucination about his mother’s death: from girlfriend Maria Isabel. He described the hallucination to her as he was having it. Enrique’s question about why his mother left him: from Maria Isabel, confirmed by Enrique.

Enrique’s shame: from Maria Isabel and his friend Jose del Carmen Bustamante, corroborated by Enrique. Statement by Enrique to Jose expressing love for his mother: from Jose, confirmed by Enrique.

Sale of belongings: from Enrique, Belky and their grandmother Agueda Amalia.

Enrique’s exchange with his father: from Enrique and his paternal grandmother, Maria, whom he told about the exchange moments afterward. The dialogue also was confirmed by Enrique’s father, Luis.

Enrique’s farewell to his paternal grandmother: from Enrique, his grandmother Maria and his father. The words of Enrique’s exchange with her: from Maria and Enrique.

His farewell to his sister: from Enrique and Belky. The words of the exchange: from Belky, confirmed by Enrique.

Enrique’s hope that Lourdes would accept him: from Jose, confirmed by Enrique.

Enrique’s words that he would persevere for one year: from Enrique.

His departure: from Enrique, Belky, Maria Isabel and aunt Rosa Amalia.

Return to Chapter One

More to Read

1 million Mexican Americans were deported a century ago. A new L.A. audio tour explores this ‘hidden’ history

April 17, 2024

Opinion: The border crisis factor no one talks about: American guns

March 9, 2024

Column: Jose Huizar was our rancho’s American dream. Now, he’s headed to prison for 13 years

Jan. 26, 2024

Start your day right

Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.

You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.

More From the Los Angeles Times

World & Nation

10 people are shot amid fight at a Florida party venue; teen is arrested

April 28, 2024

Putin likely didn’t order death of Russian opposition leader Navalny, U.S. official says

Police officer hiring in U.S. increased in 2023 after years of decline, survey shows

Oklahoma governor declares state of emergency for 12 tornado-battered counties

• Description
• Don Francisco Presenta
• Update on the Family
• María Isabel
• Young Adult Version
• Spanish Version
• Spanish Language Reviews
• Praise for Enrique’s Journey
• Reviews of Enrique’s Journey
• Articles about Author
• Articles by Author
• TV Interviews
• Radio Interviews
• Speech Videos
• Upcoming Events
• Past Events
• Speech Topics
• High School
• Middle School
• Enrique’s Journey Common Reads
• Counseling Guides
• How to Help Immigrant Students
• Work By & For Students
• Recommended Movies & Documentaries
• Journalism Instruction
• Interview with Facing History and Ourselves
• Questions for Discussion
• Media Coverage: Children and the Journey North
• Art Inspired by the Book
• Theatrical Play
• Photos of People Who Help
• Photos of Injured Migrants
• Get Involved
• Refugees at our Door
• Kids in Need of Defense [KIND]
• Hope for Honduras
• Esperanza para Honduras

Enrique’s Journey recounts the unforgettable quest of a Honduran boy looking for his mother, eleven years after she is forced to leave her starving family to find work in the United States. Braving unimaginable peril, often clinging to the sides and tops of freight trains, Enrique travels through hostile worlds full of thugs, bandits, and corrupt cops. But he pushes forward, relying on his wit, courage, hope, and the kindness of strangers. As Isabel Allende writes: “This is a twenty-first-century Odyssey. If you are going to read only one nonfiction book this year, it has to be this one.” Now updated with a new Epilogue and Afterword, photos of Enrique and his family, an author interview and more, this is a classic of contemporary America.

National Bestseller

Named one of the best books of the year by the  washington post ,  san francisco chronicle ,  miami herald , and  san antonio express-news., named the best non-fiction book of 2014 by  the latino author ., among the most chosen books as a  freshman or common read:  nearly 100 universities, more than 20 cities and scores of high schools nationwide have adopted  enrique’s journey  as a their freshman or common read. middle schools are now using a version adapted for young readers as their common read., published in august 2013: a new version of  enrique’s journey   adapted for young readers  for the 7 th  grade on up and for reluctant readers in high school and geared to new common core standards in schools. the young adult version was published in spanish in july 2015. new york city has made the ya edition part of its classroom curriculum., published in february 2014: a  revised and updated   enrique’s journey , with a new epilogue and photos., published in eight languages., recent updates.

“What Part of Illegal Don’t You Understand?” My Family’s Refugee Story Shows We Can Have an Immigration Policy that is Both Sane and Humane

My Family’s Refugee…

IT’S MONDAY: TIME…

Recent Appearances

Sonia’s tedx: solving illegal immigration [for real ], a journey towards hope – sonia speaks at kids in need of defense (kind) virtual event, buy enrique’s journey.

Enrique’s Journey

Sonia nazario, ask litcharts ai: the answer to your questions.