Hello world,
This is Brittany Leyda, and I am a first year at the College of Wooster. It is Thursday, March 15th, and I am currently writing this from Tijuana, Mexico. Before this trip, I have never been to Mexico nor the west coast, so this has been a great opportunity for me.
Today I had my first cement pour and was able to visit a place where people who were recently deported from the United States could obtain help to get back on their feet. There, I talked to and ate with a few men who shared their stories with us: One lived in the United States for thirty years and has several children in their twenties. Two other people I spoke to were from El Salvador with family back in their country of birth. Talking to those who are directly affected by immigration issues and deportation is a powerful experience, and it worked to strengthen the ideas I already have on the subject. The men were all kind, talked about their children and families, and even constantly offered us all more tortillas even though we were already stuffed. I wish that everyone had the opportunity to sit with someone who lives on the other side of that border. If that were the case, more people would realize that humans are humans, regardless of which country they are born in.
On a lighter note, I was able to practice my Spanish! That is something huge for me, and I have been working on and taking classes on the language for over five years, and it is my goal to become fluent. When I was talking to the men from El Salvador especially, I found that I could easily understand what they were saying as well as respond in Spanish. This has been an amazing trip for so many reasons, and I feel that I am lucky to have the opportunity to visit Mexico, help build houses, and meet people. It has been a great week.
Goodbye everyone, and have a great week!
Signing off,
Brittany Leyda
Glad you all are having fun and learning a lot! - Brittany's parents
ReplyDelete