>>  IN THE POLITICS SURROUNDING  MIGRATIONS INTO THE UNITED  STATES, THE JOURNEY  IS OFTEN   IN QUESTION.
BUT CHILDREN OF  MIGRANTS  TYPICALLY HAVE NO  SAY.
OUR NEXT GUEST SAYS THOSE   PEOPLE MATTER.
SHE DESCRIBES    THE MIGRANT JOURNEY  THROUGH   HER OWN EYES.
AS A CHILD    COMING TO HER NEW HOME.
SHE   JOINS US NOW.
THANK YOU FOR   BEING HERE.
DESCRIBE  THE STORY  THE BOOK TELLS.
>>  IT IS MY STORY OF CROSSING   THE BORDER FROM MEXICO  TO  GET  TO CHICAGO.
>>  HALLOWEEN NIGHT , ON   HALLOWEEN NIGHT,  YOU WERE   DRESSED AS A PRINCESS.
WHY DID  YOUR MOTHER DRESS YOU  AS A   PRINCESS?
>>  I AM VERY FAIR SKINNED.
MY   SISTER AS WELL.
WE WERE  ADVISED , WE HAD NEVER   CELEBRATED HALLOWEEN IN MEXICO   , WE CELEBRATE THE DAY OF THE   DEAD.
SHE WAS TOLD , IF WE GET   PULLED OVER, YOU ARE THE NANNY    AND TAKING THEM TO A HALLOWEEN  PARTY.
IT HAPPENED,  WE WERE   PULLED OVER  BUT WE HAD OUR  HALLOWEEN COSTUMES AND NO ONE   SAID A WORD.
>>  THAT IS A VERY INTERESTING   FAMILY DYNAMIC.
YOU AND YOUR  SISTER  ARE VERY FAIR  COMPLECTED.
BLUE EYES AND    BLOND HAIR.
YOUR MOTHER   PRETENDED SHE WAS A NANNY.
>>  MY MOTHER IS NOT AS FAIR  SKINNED.
I THINK THAT IT GOES   TO SHOW,  ON THE SPECTRUM  OF  UNDOCUMENTED,  WE DO NOT LOOK   THE SAME.
THERE IS SO MUCH  RANGE.
>>  WHY DID YOU WRITE THE BOOK?
>>  FIRST , I WROTE THE BOOK   BECAUSE I WAS LOOKING  TO GET  SOMETHING  TO MY MOTHER ,  HER  STORY,  THOSE STORIES  ABOUT   THIS WAS WRITTEN NOT BY US  BUT  I HAD THE IDEA TO TELL OUR   STORY.
WHEN SHE TOLD ME THE   REALITY OF CROSSING THE BORDER,  HER VERSION  WAS ENTIRELY  DIFFERENT.
I REMEMBERED THIS   MAGICAL JOURNEY , GETTING    DRESSED UP LIKE A PRINCESS TO   ARRIVE IN CHICAGO.
LANDING IN   AN AIRPLANE.
SEEING MY FATHER    FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A YEAR  OR TWO AT THAT POINT.
IT WAS   MAGICAL TO ME , SHE WAS   CROSSING THE BORDER WITH THREE  CHILDREN , BEING LED  BY  18-YEAR-OLD.
HOPING FOR THE  BEST.
A FIVE HOUR JOURNEY,  LANDING  IN THE BACKYARD ,  HOPING  FOR THE MERCY OF OUR   COMMUNITY.
OVER  TIME , WE MET   UP WITH MY FATHER AGAIN.
>>  YOU SAY  THE STORY  IS   ABOUT CHILDREN , WHY IS IT   IMPORTANT FOR CHILDREN TO KNOW   YOUR STORY?
>>  SO MANY NARRATIVES ARE OUT  THERE.
ONE,  CHILDREN  NEED TO  BE  TOLD ABOUT THE STORY SO   THEY CAN  SEE THEMSELVES IN A   POSITIVE LIGHT.
THAT IS NOT   THE END OF IT.
NOT HAVING   CITIZENSHIP DOES NOT MEAN FULL  STOP.
YOU CAN PUSH FORWARD.
WHETHER YOU THINK YOU CAN OR   YOU CANNOT  --  >>  THIS  BEGINS WITH YOUR   JOURNEY IN MEXICO, HERE YOU ARE   WITH YOUR MOTHER.
I TAKE IT    YOU ARE HOLDING HER FATHER'S  HAND ?
>> THAT IS RIGHT.
>>  THE ILLUSTRATOR  IS  UNDOCUMENTED.
>>  SHE IS FROM MEXICO CITY.
SHE LIVES IN  PUEBLO,  SHE HAS   TRAVELED TO CHICAGO BUT NOW IS  BACK IN MEXICO.
WHEN I WAS   LOOKING FOR AN ILLUSTRATOR,   IMPORTANT IT WAS A WOMAN  AND   WHO KNEW THE STORY, SHE   ABSOLUTELY DID.
>>  THIS IS AIMED FOR CHILDREN   , LOOKING AT THE PICTURE,  WHAT  YOU WANT PEOPLE TO TAKE AWAY  FROM THIS?
>> UNDERSTAND THE INNOCENCE  OF  CHILDREN FOLLOWING THE FAMILY.
ASIDE  FROM THE PART  --    WHETHER IT IS A GOOD CHOICE  OR  A BAD CHOICE, YOU ARE FOLLOWING  YOUR HEART, FOLLOWING HER   PARENTS, YOU DON'T KNOW BETTER   , IT IS IMPORTANT TO HUMANIZE  THESE  CHILDREN AND FAMILIES.
>> MARGARITA , THANK YOU SO  MUCH  FOR SHARING YOUR STORY.
>> THANK YOU.
>>  THE BOOK IS CALLED