On July 26th, I have had the oppurtunity to visit the memorial of Josseline. It is in the mountains, 7 miles from the border with Mexico. It is on one of the many trails migrants walk on, one of many on which countless people have spilled blood, sweat and tears.
Her story is sadly one of thousands, and stands as a stark reminder that things have to change.
Josseline Jamileth Hernández Quinteros was a 15 year old girl from Honduras who was one of the many thousands crossing the border into the United States. A teenager just entering high school, she took her ten year old brother and traveled with him to get to their mother who was living in Los Angeles.
They survived the harrowing dangers in Mexico, where migrants are victims of exraordinary violence and cruelty from law enforcement and gangs; and began crossing the desert with a group of people in January 2008. They got to the mountains, but there, Josseline fell sick. The 7 miles of walking took their toll on her body, and she was dehydrated. She began vomiting and was unable to keep up with the group.
The group needed to move on, the coyote decided to leave her. Her younger brother wanted to stay with her, but she urged him on.
Exposed to the weather and shivering from the cold, Josseline was left alone with some water and food. On her first night, the temperature dropped below zero. It is unknown how many days and nights she lasted. One can only hope her death came quickly.
Josseline's body was found several weeks later by Dan Millis, a No More Deaths volunteer who was hiking through the area. Her mother and brother could not come to her funeral, because there was no guarantee they would not be arrested and deported. Griefstricken relatives and others who heard of what happened followed the priest into the mountains, where the memorial service was held at the site of her death.
The death of anyone is tragic, but particularly when the victim is a child. Josseline had absolutely no say regarding economic, political or immigration policies that forced her and her family into such a journey. Yet she has joined the thousands of innocents who have lost their lives in the desert.
I could not help thinking of the migrants who were in our camp- especially two of the boys who were 15 and 16 years of age. Not any different from the students I worked with as a substitute teacher at Garden City or Miles Mac or St Boniface Archdiocesan high schools. Like my former grade 8s who I taught at FAMS.
No one deserves to die like this.
I believe Josseline is with God and will never experience pain or suffering or poverty or dying again. His Kingdom come, His will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.
We need to be engaged in working for His Kingdom down here.
*Josseline's story is told also in a book written by Margaret Regan, The Death of Josseline. It is about the plight of migrants crossing through Arizona. I would highly recommend getting hold of a copy and reading it.
Josseline's mother wrote this poem for her daughter, and it can be seen by the memorial. Translation from "The Death of Josseline" by Margaret Regan.
"When you feel that the road has turned hard and difficult / Don't give yourself up as lost / Continue forward and seek God's help."
"We'll carry you always in our hearts"
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