From Tepeaca, I continued my trek towards the state of Veracruz. As I rode south the vegetation began to change drastically. With every step the horses took, it was as if the grass got greener and greener.
After two days I found myself in the small town of Cuesta Blanca. Near the town’s main square I met Jose Maria Meza Suarez. In perfect English he yelled, “Where are you going cowboy,” as I was riding by.
I told Jose about my trip and we instantly became good friends! He led me to his family’s corral and hosted the horses and I for a night. It turns out that Jose and his family lived in South Carolina for several years.
“We went to the US when I was 8-years-old,” Jose told me.
Like many Mexicans, Jose had to walk the desert to sneak into the United States. He told me about how he still remembers the trek.
“I was only 8 but I still remember that night. My parents kept telling me we had to keep walking to get to a beautiful lake and I kept asking, ‘are we there yet,’” he said.
Unfortunately, Jose’s life got turned upside down last year. While at a bar on a Friday night he was arrested by immigration officers and put in jail for 3 months before finally being deported.
“It was a really hard time for me. I am still not used to life here, you know,” he told me as we sat in the town square.
Like Jose, there are many young Mexicans who share the same problem. They move to the United States at an early age with there parents and become Americans. They grow up like a normal American kid. But with no citizenship, many get deported later on in life back to their birthplace in Mexico. This causes a clash of cultures and a feeling of not belonging.
“I don’t want to say it was bad to come back to Mexico because I was born here, this is my home. But it feels like a part of me stayed in the US,” Jose said.
I know exactly what he means. I too share the same story as Jose. My parents migrated to Canada when I was 9-years-old and I grew up playing hockey and snowboarding. Then when I was 17 I was forced to return to Brazil and it was an extremely hard time in my life. You feel like a fish out of water in your own home. It’s a horrible feeling. I ended up returning to Canada for University.
Jose too dreams of returning to the US soon. He says he is happy here but is looking into visiting his friends north of the border.
“I’m going to school in Puebla right now but really want to see if I can get a visa to go to the United States legally,” he said.
Before leaving Costa Blanca Jose handed me a white rosary to take with me.
“This is the rosary I had while I was in jail and it really helped me stay positive. I want you to have it to keep you safe as you continue your journey home,” he told me as I slipped the rosary over my head.
