Above: Yesenia’s quinceañera with parents and siblings. Right: Magdalena at 30.
In Mexico, hard work was a fact of life for Magdalena, where feeding her children was a daily struggle. With no refrigeration and no access to fresh milk, their diet consisted primarily of beans and rice, and the few eggs they purchased daily from a nearby market. There was no hope for their circumstances to improve, and certainly no thought of “getting ahead.” Magdalena’s sole focus was on the survival of herself and her children. Looking ahead at a future in Mexico, Magdalena’s choice seemed obvious, as though she really didn’t have one — but it was not a choice made lightly. “My mother didn’t want to break the law,” stated Yesenia, “but when it comes down to a matter of survival, sometimes breaking the law seems like a necessity, especially when you have children to feed.” Attempted border crossings were both expensive and dangerous, with no guarantee of success. It was necessary to hire a family who made it their business to escort people across, and money had to be saved to secure their services. On a night in September, their guide decided the time was right to attempt a crossing. To Magdalena’s dis-
may, her children had to be separated. The two youngest, still toddlers unable to walk far, were put into a van with the children of another family. “When I watched them drive away that night,” Magdalena recalled, “I had no way of knowing if I’d ever see them again.” Magdalena, 10-year-old Yesenia and her 8-year-old brother, Luis, soon embarked on the longest walk of their lives. Under cover of darkness, they stumblingly followed their guide as he led them alongside the southern bank of the Rio Grande for what seemed like miles. “I have never been so frightened in my life,” Magdalena said. “I had no idea how terrifying it would be. I knew that if we didn’t make it that night, I would never have the courage to try it again.” After miles of walking, a possible crossing point was located, but as the guide waded out into the water, he realized it was too deep to navigate and returned to the shore. They continued walking until the guide decided a second try was in order. “I remember that night like it was yesterday, even though it’s been 23 years ago,” Yesenia attested. “Fear is
something you just don’t forget, and it was all around us.” “None of us knew how to swim,” Yesenia continued. “My mother was able to walk across the river, but my brother and I had to be carried, one at a time. Crossing the river was only the beginning, though. Afterward, we walked for more miles and hours, until I could barely put one foot in front of the other. When the guide finally gave the signal that it was OK to stop walking, I remember throwing myself down onto the Texas sand in complete exhaustion.” At the end of that long night, Magdalena, Yesenia and her brother were reunited with the two youngest members of the family. From there, they traveled to the Dallas area, where Magdalena joined her husband, Enrique Corrales. “We stayed in Dallas for a few weeks,” Magdalena explained, “but after living in a small town in Mexico, the city intimidated me. I couldn’t get used to it. We had friends who lived and worked in the Monett area, so we made our way north, and have been here ever since.”
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