Un Gran Error

(work in progress)

Leo, 40, came to the U.S in 2022 from Quetzaltenango, Guatemala, with a goal to work and save money to send home. He was promised a grandiose life in America, and making the decision to make the journey to Houston, Texas, and face daily challenges just to stay, as he says, “fue un gran error”, was a big mistake. Leo traveled through Mexico, Juarez, El Paso, New Mexico, and Oklahoma with a coyote before arriving in Houston. He retells his journey of walking for hours in the desert, freezing at night. Upon arriving in Houston, he immediately starts working, only to face economic challenges and the struggle to make ends meet. Leo shares with me the deep loneliness and depression he feels, as he no longer feels safe to do simple things in life like walking outside, going to the grocery store, and most of all, the risk of driving. He stays inside his small room that he rents every day after work, repeatedly. Leo is married and has two young sons who still live in Guatemala. His original dream of one day bringing them to the U.S. has faded, as he believes he had a better life back home.