ESSAY #1
In the story “The Far Away Brothers” by Lauren Markham writes about identical twin brothers who eventually had to escape to the United Stated from El Salvador several reasons. Facing a variety of problems such as, crime, murder rate, political corruption and a bad economy, Central Americans are very unhappy and unsatisfied with the direction of their countries. Those are their top concerns, especially in urban centers. Most people believe life is better in the United States. In 2019, people tend to migrate into the U.S. hoping they can get better opportunities and a better life. Faced with peer pressure and threats of violence related to the MS-13 gangs, family & financial hardships, and the prospect of opportunity, Ernesto and Raul were forced to flee El Salvador to the U.S., and an analysis of stories like theirs is important to develop empathy for unaccompanied minors from Central America.
Firstly, throughout Ernesto and Raul’s childhood they experienced multiple encounters with Mara Salvatrucha which is a criminal organization, known by its abbreviation MS-13. There is a widespread concern about rising crime and murder rate in Central America today. They clearly see this as one of the main issues facing their country. During their life in El Salvador, sometimes their father even kept them home from school for their own safety. After their home village was overrun by gangsters, crime was the most urgent and serious concerns they faced in their country. Even in schools, kids were told if they didn’t join, the gangs would kill them and their family. Ernesto’s life was threatened by MS-13 gang, that’s when Flores family
made the difficult decision that it was best if Ernesto go to North. Raul looked very identical to Ernesto, so he also had to follow what Ernesto was doing to escape from the threat. Ernesto and Raul were only 17 when they flee into the U.S. According to Lauren Markham, “The twins still have the lingering feeling of being chased, of needing to look over their shoulders. Every few nights now, Ernesto wakes up screaming and slick with sweat.” People always have a feeling of being stolen, kidnapped or killed in most countries of Central America. Emergence of drug gangs and criminal gangs have made a really bad impact on people lives. Markham Says, “In cities and in the country side, mutilated bodies showed up in the streets.” Choosing your route to work or school could be a matter of life or death in there. Therefore, its very obvious why people try to migrate into other countries like U.S. hoping a better life. After all, everyone deserves to live better.
Secondly, while politics in Central America may one day be good for the people, but the current situation of the country is not really good. Political corruption was one of the reasons why Ernesto and Raul moved into the United States. The government does not really care about the people who live there. Even the political leaders supp...
