Sergio Inestrosa
Endicott College
The immigrants that
I have in mind are the majority of Latinos that came to this country
“undocumented”, but this ideas also can apply to immigrants from
Africa, Syria, or the Middle East trying to find a place in Europe,
or the US.
The reasons to
immigrate can be very different: economical needs, political
reasons, the search for freedom in its multiple forms, the pursuit of
happiness, and the desire for adventure. The truth is that
immigration is a big component of the global perspective that we are
facing now.
I will use the three
moments of a hero’s journey by Joseph Campbell to build the
reflection.
1. Stages of
separation
a) Departure or the
call to adventure.
The immigrants as
the “mythological” heroes are also exposed to an atmosphere of
irresistible fascination, “el otro lado”, meaning US, is a
“magical” place, the land of the opportunities, the place where
the dreams comes true, “gringolandia, a special place, a call for
success, but not without a price. This is a call to adventure where
the destiny has summoned the hero and transformed his spiritual
center of gravity from within the pole of his society to an unknown
place, almost a mythical place where both success and danger may be
encounter.
The hero can go in
his/her own will, or can be sent by another force: a great
economical need, the lack of opportunities in his/her own land,
running away from a father that wants to impose his will, escaping
from political persecution or fear, running away from military
service or as a simple desire for adventure.
b) Refusal of the
call
In many cases, an
immigrant can be defeated by circumstances: homesickness, lack of a
sponsor to get some money to start the trip, lack of energy to carry
on the challenge, fear of failure or death, a specific relative
situation, a girl friend or boyfriend, the work of immigration
officers, even bad luck can lead a person to refuse the call, etc.
c) Supernatural aide
For those who have
accepted the challenge to start the trip, one of the first encounters
is with a protective figure that provides them with amulets for good
luck, and success. Many Mexicans have gone to the basilica of
Guadalupe in Mexico city to visit the Virgin and ask for help and
protection, people from Guatemala may go to Esquipulas for the same
purpose; also in Tijuana there is a very famous “goddess” La
Santa Muerte, and many immigrants pay tribute to her before crossing
the border; some adopted her as a protective divine when they
established in the US. Most of the time it is a feminine divinity
but it also can be a masculine figure like Saint Jude, or Jesus
himself.
d) The crossing of
the first threshold
This is the moment
of thrust; reaching the shore of Italy, Spain, Greece or Turkey or
crossing of the border in US, facing La Migra, this is a dangerous
time, and territory; it is the entrance to a magnified power, and
territory.
But for the
immigrants, crossing the border is not the end of the problems; the
immigrants have to face new challenges, and difficulties: violence,
hunger, discrimination, nostalgia, a bitter reality, (US is no longer
what use to be), unfamiliarity with the language, and culture, new
rules, new set of values, even the weather can be a factor; and let’s
not forget those personal needs and desires, a companion, a lover, a
family member, a friend.
e) The belly of the
whale
Once the immigrant
crosses the border, reaches the shore, he or she will be swallowed
into the unknown. For the Latino immigrants, “el otro lado” is
the unknown, the new territory, if the immigrant survives, and the
majority does, he or she will be born to a new life, new
opportunities may be presented. Here starts for the immigrants, our
heroes yet a new stage.
2. Initiation
a) The road of
trials
Most of immigrants
start from the bottom, they use the social connections, a safety net
to get shelter and food, to get a job or two, to buy false documents.
At that time they are trying to survive, they are learning how to
move in this new environment, suddenly they are able to move into a
new place, get into a school for night classes, learn the basics f
the new language, get a GED, use the social network in the community
to succeed, get into a church and express their faith.
If everything goes
well, soon the immigrant would be able to sent money home to repay
the debts, to help a relative to start the journey or simply to help
the family to improve their conditions.
For male immigrants
(and probably for female too) companion, alcohol, gambling may be
distractions, temptations; the new culture and language, new set of
rules, very low education background, social and racial
discrimination may be obstacles to succeed. Defeat of those
obstacles can be the real measurement of the achievement.
b) Apotheosis
If the immigrant
find a job or two and starts sending money to his/her family this
should be seeing as an apotheosis, meaning that the journey had paid
off, all the effort, and suffering have been rewarded. The immigrant
can be seen as a hero, even for the cynical politicians. He or she is
now a good son, daughter, husband, father, mother, a brave person
that made a sacrifice, and finally is collecting the fruits of that
effort. Everybody would exalt the kindness, the great heart, the
courage ofthis ordinary hero and this “fervor” will be
contagious, others will try to imitate him/her, and will start their
journey. Success is contagious.
3. The return
If by any chance
that immigrant returns having been deported, he/she will seen as a
victim, a person that have suffered the injustice of the system; but
if that person returns as a legal immigrants people will recognize
his/her achievements; if returning by air people will receive him/her
at the airport, how sweeter return, so different from that day when
the hero departed.
From the first
moment we will see a change in his/her clothing, or maybe a testimony
to their success will be the purchased of a house, or improvements to
his/her property or the increase in his/her positions; if a car is
purchase or driven around people will notice the good luck working in
favor of the immigrant. In any case of those cases, the immigrant
would be seeing as a victorious person; everybody will recognize and
even celebrate his/her success.
So many times that
immigrant will compare his/her current situation with his/her home
land, and people will notice that the new land has taken hold of
him/her. The hero, the immigrant, looks like a Master of the two
worlds. The hero has gained the freedom to live, to pass from one
side to the other without risking his/her life.
Finally the
immigrant stands victorious as true hero.
Sergio Inestrosa is a full professor of Spanish at Endicott College in Beverly, Ma.
