Immigrants Hail Mexico’s Migrant Guide
Vida en el Valle, News Report, Luz Peña, Posted: Jan 18, 2005
Traducción al español
Many Mexican immigrants say that a 32-page comic book doesn't encourage more people to cross the border, but it saves the lives of people who do.
México's Department of Foreign Relations distributed more than a million copies of the 'Guía del Migrante Mexicano' (Guide for the Mexican Immigrant), which gives advice and suggestions for those who have decided to cross the border into the United States.
The guide can be obtained at Mexican consulates in the United States. Representatives of the Mexican Consulate in Fresno said they didn't have copies of the guide but would probably receive some in the following months.
Those who support restrictions on immigration have criticized the guide, arguing that it encourages illegal immigrants to come to the United States by giving advice on how to cross the border more safely.
The first page of the guide explains how to work in the United States legally, adding sympathetically: "However, we see a lot of cases of Mexican immigrants trying to cross the border without the necessary paperwork, through high risk areas that entail facing serious danger."
Carlos Gómez Jiménez, 18, who decided to cross the border a week ago to help his family in Acapulco, Mexico, said the guide is an important tool. He didn't use it, but said it will help many people in his situation.
"This booklet doesn't tell you how to get into the United States but how to protect yourself. This guide helps people so they don't die trying," said Gómez Jiménez. "When crossing the border you go hungry and live through many cold nights because it gets really cold on the border now."
The youngest of seven children, Gómez Jiménez said he wants a better life. He said his family is very poor and there weren't any well-paying jobs in Mexico.
"There are so many dangers when you cross (the border). You need to look out for snakes and spiders because if they bite you, you can die," said Gómez Jiménez while he was waiting for friends in downtown Fresno last week. "You are also at the mercy of the coyotes because sometimes they leave you alone in the middle of the desert or they fight over you as if you were some piece of meat, but human meat because they make money off of each person who wants to make it into the United States."
In 2003, an estimated 400 immigrants died trying to cross into the United States, up 10 percent from 2002. In the deserts of Arizona, 44 deaths by heat stroke were reported by Yuma immigration officials.
One of the guide's pages tells how drinking salt water can help prevent dehydration. It also explains the symptoms of dehydration such as "very little or no sweat" or "dry eyes and mouth."
Fidelina Ventura, 30, who is a legal resident and hopes to become a citizen one day, said she knows what it's like to be an immigrant. She is from the Mexican state of Michoacán, but prefers not to say how she arrived in the United States in 1994. Ventura says that booklet is the most informative guide for migrants, and is necessary because there are many people who decide to cross into the United States without thinking of the dangers awaiting them.
"I think it's great because it has a lot of information," said Ventura. "If people are planning on crossing the border, they’re going to do it without thinking twice about it. This is going to save a lot of lives."
Another page describes how migrants can protect themselves from coyotes who may try to take advantage of people by making them cross through dangerous places like rivers or deserts. It also advises that migrants stay close to the coyote, who is often the only one who knows the terrain.
Francisco del Cid, 48, says it's a lot more dangerous to cross now than in years past. He came to the United States from Departamento de Santa Rosa, Guatemala in 1983.
"This guide is necessary because crossing the border is very dangerous. It was easier to cross before but there are so many dangers, like not having food to eat, or drinking contaminated water," said del Cid. "Now you can die. If it's hot, you can die from heat stroke. If it's cold, you can die from the cold."
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