Embedded Files
Crossing the Border
In 1994, at 14 years old, Francisco immigrated through the borders of Texas. He expressed that when immigrating, "we wanted them to believe I was a student so I blend in and immigration will not look for me." There was a lot of fear around immigration in the 1990s and a severe push against the Mexican immigrants coming to the south.
Francisco had originally come to America illegally, squeezing in the space for a spare tire when passing the checkpoint. He recalls feeling trapped: "I remember going to the second checkpoint, telling the guy who was transporting us, 'I can not breathe in here! I have to push this thing over!" The man begged, “give me ten minutes! Ten minutes!” but Francisco could not wait...
older station wagons tend to have a space for a spare tire, as Francisco depicted his journey
"I said no, and so I pushed the top open. I remember looking at my face in the mirror; it was drenched in sweat."
Regardless, he made it past both checkpoints safely and undiscovered. Francisco ends this story with what I can only guess is his classic punchline: "The worst part? They asked if I wanted a soda, and I said yes. Then they gave me Dr. Pepper. It was horrible!" He still finds humor in such a scary and risky moment.
At that age, it was hard for Francisco to protect himself from the dangers of Immigration and Customs Enforcement alone, but thankfully he got through.
Traveling To Houston
Coming alone, Francisco made his way to Huston, TX, where he spent around six months. When he recalls his time in Houston, he conveys that there was no room for personal growth. Francisco explains, "I was not learning English, and I decided to move to Boston. Huston has a huge Spanish population. Huge. So I did not need to learn English, and I could get by with mostly Spanish." Although he appreciated his time in the Spanish neighborhood he spent six months in, he needed to go to Boston and continue his education. He also wanted the ability to grow more with his family and connect back to his roots.
Traveling to Boston
When Francisco was coming to Boston, he flew from Houston to South Carolina, then to New York, with his final destination at Logan Airport. "it was the cheapest flight, and we had no money, but I thought there was only one stop." Francisco told me about how after stopping in South Carolina, he wandered the New York airport before realizing he was not in Boston. He did not know much English, and he could only express, "me! Boston!". The man at the front desk had told him that he should have stayed on that plane but later set him up with a new flight leaving an hour later.
"That stranger did me a huge favor and was nice. When I got on my flight, I said thank you to him, and he replied, 've con Dios'" (go with God)
That kindness at the start of Francisco's immigration journey gave him hope for the adventures ahead. After finally landing in Boston, his brother and sister picked him up. They lived in Newton originally but, due to rising housing costs, moved to Waltham for the large majority of Francisco's childhood.
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