9/5-9/8
Hola desde Tucson. Soy Madeleine Fierstein (Maddie). I am in my third-year at Oberlin College and am a politics major with a concentration in international relations. Enough about me, and on with this past weekend. I had a slightly different weekend then the rest of the group because I started out Friday night with a Quinceañera in Caborca, México. I am living with a truly fabulous family of 4 women in Tucson who are originally from Caborca. I have become a quick member of this family and therefore was invited to attend the Quinceañera of a cousin. I had never been to a Quince, but an accurate description involves hundreds of people (many family members), 100° temperatures, lots of dancing and music and staying up until well past 2 a.m.The next day I made a quick change of modes and met the rest of the BSP group in Altar, México. Altar is the resting spot/beginning spot of migrants who want to cross into the U.S. This is the place where migrants rest up before crossing the desert, find coyotes, buy water, backpacks and all other goods they believe necessary for their journey. When we arrived Saturday afternoon we went to CCAMYN (Centro Comunitario de Atención al Migran
te y Necesitado), which is an organization that feeds and houses migrants in Altar. The plaza in Altar is where many migrants and coyotes hang out, and this is where we spent our Sunday morning. Sunday morning we broke up into small groups and interviewed/chatted with migrants on the street. We did this for about 2 hours, and I can’t speak for everyone, but this was one of the most heart-wrenching and best learning experiences I have ever had. To hear the stories of migrants first hand and the reasons why they cross (out of desperation and for family) makes one really question the reason certain policie
s exist.Saturday afternoon we drove to the No More Deaths camp, which is a camp in the desert near Arivaca. On our way we stopped and spoke with a Mexican governmental organization Grupo Beta, which explains to migrants the risks of crossing the desert into the U.S. We also spent some time with the Mexican army who stopped us twice (sorry to any parents who are reading this) and checked our vans. “No More Deaths is an organization whose mission is to end death and suffering on the U.S./Mexi
co border through civil initiative: the conviction that people of conscience must work openly in community to uphold fundamental human rights.” The purpose of this camp is to offer medical aid, food and water to migrants as well as send out patrols to look for migrants in need of food, water and medical attention. We spent the night at the camp with some people sleeping outside and most in tents.Monday morning we woke up at the crack of dawn and got ready to go out on a patrol in the desert. We piled into the back of pickup trucks with gallons and gallons of water and headed off into the desert. After about a 45-min
ute drive we stopped and hiked for a couple of hours to drop off water on migrant trails. Along the way we visited the memorial to a 14-year-old girl from El Salvador who passed away when crossing the desert this February. Although a tough experience, I think that this was really powerful for the group to see the actual conditions that people cross the desert through. Along the migrant trails we found many signs of the use of these trails including clothing, water bottles, backpacks and more. The temperatures in the desert are really unbelievable.After our morning hike we headed home. Needless to say I had many different learning experiences this weekend. This weekend made me learn and question a lot, and I look forward to the many challenges ahead of us. ¡Les vaya bien!
