Eyder Peralta

There was this Venezuelan woman who I met, and she had slung her little girl just on her shoulder. And I asked her, like, you know, why do this, and why do this right now? And she sort of, like, looked at me, surprised, I think, at the question, and she said, You know, you guys think that the American dream is dead. But for us, the American dream is still very much alive.

And I think what the explanation for that, that I got over talking to dozens of migrants, is that the American dream is not this grand idea. It's a really simple idea. For her... It was that her two kids could get an education. I also met this mother and son from Venezuela as well, Brian and Yalitza, who was his mom. And his mom was in her 50s and he was 23, right?

And I think what the explanation for that, that I got over talking to dozens of migrants, is that the American dream is not this grand idea. It's a really simple idea. For her... It was that her two kids could get an education. I also met this mother and son from Venezuela as well, Brian and Yalitza, who was his mom. And his mom was in her 50s and he was 23, right?

And I think what the explanation for that, that I got over talking to dozens of migrants, is that the American dream is not this grand idea. It's a really simple idea. For her... It was that her two kids could get an education. I also met this mother and son from Venezuela as well, Brian and Yalitza, who was his mom. And his mom was in her 50s and he was 23, right?

And Yalitza's husband died and she says she told Brian, you know, this is our chance. I've got nothing to lose. We can do this and you can find a better life now. And so they left. And so she told me why I'm doing this is because I think that Brian, my son, could become an entrepreneur. He can have a better life. And then talking to her son, he told me something much simpler, right?

And Yalitza's husband died and she says she told Brian, you know, this is our chance. I've got nothing to lose. We can do this and you can find a better life now. And so they left. And so she told me why I'm doing this is because I think that Brian, my son, could become an entrepreneur. He can have a better life. And then talking to her son, he told me something much simpler, right?

And Yalitza's husband died and she says she told Brian, you know, this is our chance. I've got nothing to lose. We can do this and you can find a better life now. And so they left. And so she told me why I'm doing this is because I think that Brian, my son, could become an entrepreneur. He can have a better life. And then talking to her son, he told me something much simpler, right?

Which was that he had a little kid in Venezuela.

Which was that he had a little kid in Venezuela.

Which was that he had a little kid in Venezuela.

What this trip could mean, what this American dream could mean, is that one day his kid could have a birthday present.

What this trip could mean, what this American dream could mean, is that one day his kid could have a birthday present.

What this trip could mean, what this American dream could mean, is that one day his kid could have a birthday present.

Yeah. But, you know, I think another thing about these migrants, right, is they've been told that throughout. A lot of these migrants, they've been at this for years. You know, a lot of these Venezuelan migrants, you know, they first started in Colombia and then, you know, they crossed the jungle in Panama and then, you know, they went up to Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, right?

Yeah. But, you know, I think another thing about these migrants, right, is they've been told that throughout. A lot of these migrants, they've been at this for years. You know, a lot of these Venezuelan migrants, you know, they first started in Colombia and then, you know, they crossed the jungle in Panama and then, you know, they went up to Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, right?

Yeah. But, you know, I think another thing about these migrants, right, is they've been told that throughout. A lot of these migrants, they've been at this for years. You know, a lot of these Venezuelan migrants, you know, they first started in Colombia and then, you know, they crossed the jungle in Panama and then, you know, they went up to Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, right?

And so we were catching these migrants at the tail end of a journey. I think that's a lot of why they're saying, we don't care what the American president says, we've been going through hell. And whatever he says is nothing compared to what we've already been through.

And so we were catching these migrants at the tail end of a journey. I think that's a lot of why they're saying, we don't care what the American president says, we've been going through hell. And whatever he says is nothing compared to what we've already been through.

And so we were catching these migrants at the tail end of a journey. I think that's a lot of why they're saying, we don't care what the American president says, we've been going through hell. And whatever he says is nothing compared to what we've already been through.

You know, this story was born out of a conversation I had with my wife. You know, we live in Mexico City, and Mexico City is a stop along the way for migrants. So you see a lot of migrant families. And my wife had a question, right? She was saying, I don't know that I have the capacity emotionally to put my family through a trip like this.