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Nicholas Motamed

3/26/2020

English 1S

Professor Herman

Teaching how to be Generous to Migrants

Author Sonia Nazario in her book, Enrique’s Journey: The Story of a Boy’s Dangerous

Odyssey to Reunite with his Mother, describes a boy she met named Enrique who tells her

about his journey to the United States of America all the way from Honduras. His journey was

filled with poignant stories, including when he and other Migrants came upon a place called

“Shelter of Jesus the Good Shepherd”, led by Olga Sanchez Martinez, a humanitarian (90).

Olga let them stay at the shelter for as long as they need and treats them from any injuries they

received on their adventure. She was willing to help because Olga has overcome similar

challenges like being temporarily blind and mute, causing her to want to give back to others.

Many individuals like Olga go out of their way to show generosity. People demonstrate

generosity because they are taught compassion , have empathy, possess a sense of justice and

experience kindness from others. They also teach others to have gratitude for others as well.

People must be taught compassion in order to be willing to make any effort to fit into the

shoes of Enrique and the migrants, for instance these mothers and their children among a crowd

of women and children of variety of ages decided to “run quickly” next to the train that Enrique

and other migrants were riding, “and aim” food such as crackers doing their best to be careful

“not to miss” (104). These good hearted people are throwing food to the migrants so they do not

starve while they are riding on top of a freight train to get to the U.S faster’ (103). Thus mothers

and their sons and daughters choose to put themselves in Enrique and the other migrant’s shoes
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because these mother’s have been taught compassion. Compassion that helped them to view all

of the migrant children as their own children and compelling them to be willing to run next to the

train throwing food hoping it will get caught by Enrique and the other migrants moreover; while

also training their children to be compassionate for others, too.

Those who are taught empathy can inspire a city to be generous considering that in

Oaxaca most of the citizens are kind to the migrants for “there is a widespread generosity of

spirit” (103). Furthermore they are connected to “the Zapotec and Mixtec indigenous cultures”

that are two native groups that “ exhibits a wide range of diversity within their own ethnic

populations” according to John P.Schmal in the MIXTECS AND ZAPOTECS: Two Enduring

Cultures of Oaxaca” that has trained the majority of citizens in Oaxaca to empathise with the

migrants because they believe in being generous to others similarly to how they would want to

be treated (Nazario 103; Schmal). Thus the more people teach empathy then the more numbers

who grow to be generous.

Many instruct a sense of justice that helps people understand what is right and what is

wrong such as a lot in Oaxaca and Veracruz that agree with this man who says “It's wrong for

our government to send people back to Central America [,claims a man who apparently lives on

the tracks in Veracruz.] (pg.103, Ch.4 Enrique’s Journey) This man is voicing what many that

do not believe Mexico should be deporting people to South American that want to go to the U.S

because he and others in Veracruz were taught that there is no justice that it is wrong to stop

someone from wanting to move to another country. So they are willing to help Enrique and the

migrants even though they are traveling illegally, since they think it is justice to support them on
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their journey instead of stopping them. This teaching of justice has compelled the majority in the

cities of Oaxaca and Veracruz to give back by spreading their generosity.

Those who can empathize with one another can teach others how to be generous.

Enrique decides “to share his cheese, soda and rolls with other boys”(123) someone else gives

Enrique money to buy food that he splits with the other migrant boys. Enrique was treated with

tenderness so he learned to show compassion to the boys too by splitting food because he was

trained to be kind to others simply by someone showing generosity to him; as human beings we

should remember the kindness we've shared so we can give the same to others.

A great feeling of gratitude comes upon migrants as a result of people choosing to sympathize

with them, such as this man named Jose was shown generously making his ”voice crackle with

emotions”(Pg. 104). A man in Veracruz went up and gave him food which as a result Jose

shows that he was very grateful for this man’s generosity. One who needs food to survive and

some who cares about him to help on his journey to the U.S.

In order to spread more generosity we have to teach more people how to so, even those

who were cruel to the migrants can turn their lives around and have compassion if those who are

generose train them to understand how to be kind to others how everyone wants to be treated.
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Works Cited

Nazario, Sonia. Enrique’s Journey: The Story of a Boy’s Dangerous Odyssey to Reunite with his

Mother. Publisher, Date.

Schmal, John P. “The Mixtecs and Zapotecs: Two Enduring Cultures of Oaxaca.”

History of Mexico. Published/Updated Date,

http://www.houstonculture.org/mexico/oaxaca_cultures.html. Accessed Date.