Undocumented Immigrants
Castro describes, “Forty-eight individuals, men and women from Mexico and Central America, stood near the front of the courtroom with headsets, listening to a translation of the proceedings. The judge called out their names one by one and asked them a series of questions about their background. They looked spent, resignation and anxiety etched on their faces. Some of them had been separated from their children. A short middle-aged woman with dark-brown skin and black hair made the sign of the cross, as if to steel herself against what was to come.”
The hearing transpires after the “demonstration at the Ursula processing and detention” in which Castro participates. Being brought to a judge surmises that the immigrants’ status of being undocumented in a violation of the law. They translation confirms that they do not comprehend English; nonetheless, language barrier does not discourage them from risking to chase the American dream. They are apprehensive due to the possibility of being deported or punished for illegally crossing the border. The woman's sign is a symbolic gesture that affirms her faith in Jesus' cross which could rescue her from her predicament of being an illegal.
September 2015
Castro writes, “In September 2015, Pope Francis visited the White House. As Joaquin and I sat in the audience, I could imagine Mamo sitting there with us, quiet and respectful with her black veil on, the way she liked to be in church…After he finished his remarks, the pope joined President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama in a small reception room nearby... As I approached the pope in the receiving line, the president, standing next to him introduced me."
This moment is remarkable and personally significant to Castro for it elicits his beloved grandmother’s memories. Being a church lover, Castro’s grandmother would have been excited by the reality of her grandsons meeting the pope. Castro and Joaquin’s encounter with the pope depicts the intersection between politics and religion (specifically Catholicism).
Castro’s Parents’ Relationship
Castro expounds, “But just as our parents’ activism was paying off, their relationship began to falter. Dad was gone much more frequently now, and when he was home, my brother and I would sit in our bedroom and listen to our parents argue. One night, Mom brought us into their bedroom and sat us on the bed. “Your father and I are separating,” she said simply. No tears. No anger.” Mom, Joaquin, and I were about to become Dad’s second “other” family.”
Castro's father's absence is the foremost signal of the deteriorating relationship. Besides, arguments with Castro's mother confirm that the couple is drifting and their love is waning. The arguments are difficult for Castro and Joaquin because they are juveniles who adore their parents. Their mother encourages them to repress the agony which would arise after the disintegration of their family. The term ‘other’ suggests that Castro concludes that their father does not adore them because they would not be his only family after the separation.
Joaquin and Castro’s Campus Days
Castro explains, “Joaquin and I trailed behind Mom as she carried an armload of books and speed walked through what felt like the entire 725-acre campus. The reward? We sat in the back of Mom’s classes doing homework, reading, drawing and quietly aggravating each other…Going with Mom to school was the most consistently boring aspect of our childhoods, but even then it wasn’t lost on Joaquin and me: Y’all will be in an environment like this sooner than you think.”
The brothers accompany their mother to campus although they are not enrolled there. They realize, before enrolling in school, the quintessence of education. Their mother values education because she is convinced that it would upsurge her opportunities and odds of success. Being children they would not discern the significance of them attending of campus; but it nurtures their mind-sets regarding edification. Their mother wants them to learn by observing her and accompanying her to campus.
