Taking in a vast desert known for death and abundance—a place she’s walked, leaving water, food, and blankets—Lisa had a far better idea of what was coming than most.
It's astonishing to read about what is happening in the USA now. Incredible. Thank you, Holly, for shedding light on the scale of these horrors, and bringing some of the real, human stories to life. Hoping for a swift end to this regime.
Yes, I have lived in countries other than my own many times, but always by choice. I can't imagine the desperation and terror so many must be experiencing now.
Thank you for reading and commenting, Harriet. Isn't it wild to think about that massive difference--relocating for want versus migrating out of necessity, for safety and security, and the difference between how people are met depending on which has brought them somewhere new?
Thank you Holley for taking on this subject. I was at the border, starting the PCT in California and was poignantly aware of those crossing illegally, roaming the desert to find work or shelter while I, a legal immigrant, could walk the trail without fear. That was 10 years ago. Now? I’m not sure anymore. Can they revoke my citizenship? I’m white and old, but still….
I know. It's very much a who-knows-what's-coming-next situation, right?! And as someone who's enjoyed a lot of time in the Sonoran Desert, I can find it a difficult dichotomy to contemplate--what that desert is for so many seeking safety and security.
Reading now but wanted to share this. I listened to it over a year ago and still think about all that he said. So much of this history isn’t known to us. I’ve got his book on my tbr. Should probably get on it now.
Holly - thank you for this essay. Your descriptions are vivid, often beautiful, even when writing about such ugliness. It’s both heartbreaking and enraging that these intentional cruelties are being heaped on people who come only with hope and love in their hearts. The lack of humanity “on our behalf” is sick. Words fail me. It’s all so wrong. Bearing witness and trying to help is everything right now.
Oh, thank you for this share, Julie! Looking forward to listening, and sounds like another book to add to my TBR. A woman (who you can find here on Substack), Sarah Towle, wrote a book I read as part of my research for this series called Crossing the Line that also shares a history many of us aren't familiar with.
I haven't finished this yet but already I am struck by the contrast between the chaos "No one knows what the fuck is going on" and the utterly silent stillness of that top pic.
I know, right?! The dichotomies of that desert are something to contemplate--the beauty and the starkness, the chaos and the stillness, the welcome and the terrible mistreatment, the crossing south and the crossing north.
Thank goddess that kindness and conscience still exist in folks like Lisa, and you, Holly. What a fucking nightmare this is. I'm afraid to ask what's next. Damn these disgusting men. They live to violate others. Thank you for doing this work, and enduring the pain of witnessing the slaughter. Because it's all slaughter. Of souls, of dreams, of the hope for safety and welcome. xo
Thank you for the care and love you put into researching and reporting this piece, Holly. And for not flinching, not looking away, and asking us to not flinch and to care as well. I am ashamed and angry and just heart-broken for my country. Words fail me. Just this: thank you for being you and sharing what you are witnessing. Sending a hug your way.
Thank you, Susan. I am grateful to you for reading and commenting and not flinching. I must tell you that the next installment of this series is difficult too. And these stories need to be told. And they are real people living them and still finding ways to hold their loved ones close and take care of each other.
I so appreciate you being here. And I'll take the hug gladly. Thank you
I'm just so sad. The fear mongering that tells people this is an invasion to be stopped at all costs has been brutally effective. As Rick Steves wrote in _Travel as a Political Act_, "Fear is for people who don't get out much." Travel opens us up to the beauty of the people outside our borders. 💔
I LOVE that quote. Thank you for sharing it, Sherry.
I know. It absolutely breaks my heart to think about the effectiveness of that campaign. It seems a failure of imagination. Like you know people, right? But the silos are real, and the campaign is "smart" in its own way and so damn relentless and uninterested in truth.
Excellent piece Holly. Thank you for bringing these stories forward. If only we could feature all of them, every last one. It’s in the stories that we witness and learn truth, touch the unfathomable, and hold the humans living through it.
This is so true. The power of story is no small thing. And I wish those who may feel uncertain about what they're being told about the "invasion" would find their way to stories of the real people seeking shelter and safety and welcome.
Sadness overcomes me each time I hear these stories. What has happened to the spirit America was built upon?! Inconceivable times we are living through... J
I know. The heartbreak is real. I hope, too, the beauty of those who continue to welcome, continue to advocate and press for change and devote themselves to helping comes through.
I so very much appreciate you. Connections in times like these are vital. 💕
Intentional cruelty. I watched the video of a man in L.A. yelling at ICE agents. He was saying things like, "Are you proud of what you're doing?" My heart aches with the need to help people understand that migrants are not the reason they've lost jobs, that healthcare is unaffordable, that groceries are too expensive, that our streets are, admittedly, unsafe in many places. I understand that everyone is hurting. I don't understand how easily we are duped into accepting the propaganda we are fed by those in charge.
Who but someone who had no other choice would risk such a crossing?
Thank you, Holly, for the months of work that went into this piece, for the wholeheartedness of it, for the eloquence of it, for connecting us to Lisa and to her causes, to the fellow human beings she gives herself to time and again.
I know what you mean. What I wouldn't give to help people have a better understanding of migration and who is "us" and how we could band together and demand changes that would raise us all--instead of this ridiculous paradigm where we're taking from those who have less to give to the incredibly wealthy in increasingly unreal ways.
May we continue to witness and share. And may hearts and minds be opened.
Thank you for bearing witness, Holly. I recently read Everyone Who is Gone Is Here by Jonathan Blitzer. It shed so much light on the US involvement in Central American in the 80s and 90s and the connection to where we are now. Many of the events I only had vague awareness of, at best. I recommend it. I live in a rural very MAGAcentric corner of the world and we had about 700 people at our most recent protest! It helps one to be inspered and keep fighting.
I have never emmigrated, but have given it reasonably serious thoughts. Language is not a skill of mine (though I am taking Spanish 3 this fall!), but my hubby is fluent in Spanish and we know that some day we may consider a lower cost of living Spanish speaking country. Even with this background, the idea of spending my days surrounded by a language that will never be natural to me is very intimidating. I can not even image what it is like for people who come here without resources or much English, desperate for work and safety. I have so much respect for the strength of those who immigrate under trying conditions. No Mas Muertes is one of our favorite nonprofits to support.
On a lighter note, we made tamales for the first time this past winter with a visiting friend and it was delightful and delicious! I also have a great tamale and pozole story embedded in the larger story of my Baja trip a few years ago (https://freeyourinnermaude.com/no-free-miles-on-the-baja-divide/). Love to you!
Thank you for sharing that book, Heather. I just added it to my TBR list. One of the upcoming installments of this series touches on that history a little and tries to quickly draw a through line. I'm not sure how well it does. It was hard to decide what to fit in. But that involvement absolutely plays a massive role in where we are today.
Yes, No Mas Muertes is a fabulous organization.
I, too, have seriously considered migrating elsewhere. For so many reasons. And I can't imagine doing so because I'm fleeing for my life and running toward safety. I feel the same on the deep respect I have for those who do.
Mmmmmm. Tamales. Thank you for also sharing the lighter note, dear friend, and for reading and commenting. Looking forward to the Baja tamale story!
Cruelty is the point. 💔 Your footnotes are an excellent education.
Thank you, Isabel.
It's astonishing to read about what is happening in the USA now. Incredible. Thank you, Holly, for shedding light on the scale of these horrors, and bringing some of the real, human stories to life. Hoping for a swift end to this regime.
Yes, I have lived in countries other than my own many times, but always by choice. I can't imagine the desperation and terror so many must be experiencing now.
Thank you for reading and commenting, Harriet. Isn't it wild to think about that massive difference--relocating for want versus migrating out of necessity, for safety and security, and the difference between how people are met depending on which has brought them somewhere new?
From your mouth ... Hoping for an end soon, too.
Thank you Holley for taking on this subject. I was at the border, starting the PCT in California and was poignantly aware of those crossing illegally, roaming the desert to find work or shelter while I, a legal immigrant, could walk the trail without fear. That was 10 years ago. Now? I’m not sure anymore. Can they revoke my citizenship? I’m white and old, but still….
I know. It's very much a who-knows-what's-coming-next situation, right?! And as someone who's enjoyed a lot of time in the Sonoran Desert, I can find it a difficult dichotomy to contemplate--what that desert is for so many seeking safety and security.
Thank you, Dami, for reading and commenting.
Reading now but wanted to share this. I listened to it over a year ago and still think about all that he said. So much of this history isn’t known to us. I’ve got his book on my tbr. Should probably get on it now.
https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/otm/segments/media-misses-sourthern-border-on-the-media
Holly - thank you for this essay. Your descriptions are vivid, often beautiful, even when writing about such ugliness. It’s both heartbreaking and enraging that these intentional cruelties are being heaped on people who come only with hope and love in their hearts. The lack of humanity “on our behalf” is sick. Words fail me. It’s all so wrong. Bearing witness and trying to help is everything right now.
Oh, thank you for this share, Julie! Looking forward to listening, and sounds like another book to add to my TBR. A woman (who you can find here on Substack), Sarah Towle, wrote a book I read as part of my research for this series called Crossing the Line that also shares a history many of us aren't familiar with.
I haven't finished this yet but already I am struck by the contrast between the chaos "No one knows what the fuck is going on" and the utterly silent stillness of that top pic.
I know, right?! The dichotomies of that desert are something to contemplate--the beauty and the starkness, the chaos and the stillness, the welcome and the terrible mistreatment, the crossing south and the crossing north.
Thanks, Deirdre, for pointing this out.
Thank goddess that kindness and conscience still exist in folks like Lisa, and you, Holly. What a fucking nightmare this is. I'm afraid to ask what's next. Damn these disgusting men. They live to violate others. Thank you for doing this work, and enduring the pain of witnessing the slaughter. Because it's all slaughter. Of souls, of dreams, of the hope for safety and welcome. xo
It really is, Nan. Thank you for reading.
May we bond together, in witnessing, in speaking out, in protecting.
I appreciate you.
XO!
Thank you for the care and love you put into researching and reporting this piece, Holly. And for not flinching, not looking away, and asking us to not flinch and to care as well. I am ashamed and angry and just heart-broken for my country. Words fail me. Just this: thank you for being you and sharing what you are witnessing. Sending a hug your way.
Thank you, Susan. I am grateful to you for reading and commenting and not flinching. I must tell you that the next installment of this series is difficult too. And these stories need to be told. And they are real people living them and still finding ways to hold their loved ones close and take care of each other.
I so appreciate you being here. And I'll take the hug gladly. Thank you
I'm just so sad. The fear mongering that tells people this is an invasion to be stopped at all costs has been brutally effective. As Rick Steves wrote in _Travel as a Political Act_, "Fear is for people who don't get out much." Travel opens us up to the beauty of the people outside our borders. 💔
I LOVE that quote. Thank you for sharing it, Sherry.
I know. It absolutely breaks my heart to think about the effectiveness of that campaign. It seems a failure of imagination. Like you know people, right? But the silos are real, and the campaign is "smart" in its own way and so damn relentless and uninterested in truth.
Thank you, my friend, for reading and commenting.
Excellent piece Holly. Thank you for bringing these stories forward. If only we could feature all of them, every last one. It’s in the stories that we witness and learn truth, touch the unfathomable, and hold the humans living through it.
This is so true. The power of story is no small thing. And I wish those who may feel uncertain about what they're being told about the "invasion" would find their way to stories of the real people seeking shelter and safety and welcome.
I appreciate you reading and sharing, my friend.
What an important story. This is vital writing - that which exposes the world how it is.
Thank you, Evelyn! I really appreciate you. 💕
Sadness overcomes me each time I hear these stories. What has happened to the spirit America was built upon?! Inconceivable times we are living through... J
I know. The heartbreak is real. I hope, too, the beauty of those who continue to welcome, continue to advocate and press for change and devote themselves to helping comes through.
I so very much appreciate you. Connections in times like these are vital. 💕
Powerful. Thank you, and thanks to “Lisa”, for being clear voices in this dark period.
Thank you, Troy. I am extremely grateful for Lisa and her colleagues and fellow humanitarian aids for all they do.
And I'm grateful to you for reading and commenting.
Intentional cruelty. I watched the video of a man in L.A. yelling at ICE agents. He was saying things like, "Are you proud of what you're doing?" My heart aches with the need to help people understand that migrants are not the reason they've lost jobs, that healthcare is unaffordable, that groceries are too expensive, that our streets are, admittedly, unsafe in many places. I understand that everyone is hurting. I don't understand how easily we are duped into accepting the propaganda we are fed by those in charge.
Who but someone who had no other choice would risk such a crossing?
Thank you, Holly, for the months of work that went into this piece, for the wholeheartedness of it, for the eloquence of it, for connecting us to Lisa and to her causes, to the fellow human beings she gives herself to time and again.
Thank you, Elizabeth! I soooo appreciate you.
I know what you mean. What I wouldn't give to help people have a better understanding of migration and who is "us" and how we could band together and demand changes that would raise us all--instead of this ridiculous paradigm where we're taking from those who have less to give to the incredibly wealthy in increasingly unreal ways.
May we continue to witness and share. And may hearts and minds be opened.
Thank you for bearing witness, Holly. I recently read Everyone Who is Gone Is Here by Jonathan Blitzer. It shed so much light on the US involvement in Central American in the 80s and 90s and the connection to where we are now. Many of the events I only had vague awareness of, at best. I recommend it. I live in a rural very MAGAcentric corner of the world and we had about 700 people at our most recent protest! It helps one to be inspered and keep fighting.
I have never emmigrated, but have given it reasonably serious thoughts. Language is not a skill of mine (though I am taking Spanish 3 this fall!), but my hubby is fluent in Spanish and we know that some day we may consider a lower cost of living Spanish speaking country. Even with this background, the idea of spending my days surrounded by a language that will never be natural to me is very intimidating. I can not even image what it is like for people who come here without resources or much English, desperate for work and safety. I have so much respect for the strength of those who immigrate under trying conditions. No Mas Muertes is one of our favorite nonprofits to support.
On a lighter note, we made tamales for the first time this past winter with a visiting friend and it was delightful and delicious! I also have a great tamale and pozole story embedded in the larger story of my Baja trip a few years ago (https://freeyourinnermaude.com/no-free-miles-on-the-baja-divide/). Love to you!
Thank you for sharing that book, Heather. I just added it to my TBR list. One of the upcoming installments of this series touches on that history a little and tries to quickly draw a through line. I'm not sure how well it does. It was hard to decide what to fit in. But that involvement absolutely plays a massive role in where we are today.
Yes, No Mas Muertes is a fabulous organization.
I, too, have seriously considered migrating elsewhere. For so many reasons. And I can't imagine doing so because I'm fleeing for my life and running toward safety. I feel the same on the deep respect I have for those who do.
Mmmmmm. Tamales. Thank you for also sharing the lighter note, dear friend, and for reading and commenting. Looking forward to the Baja tamale story!
Nervous, courageous,
we pray, hug, say our goodbyes.
Leave our nests, hives, lives.
...
In slow caravans
we walk, sisters and brothers.
Sad, scared, hurt, hopeful.
...
Hot, dehydrated
by harsh heat, warm salty tears.
Grieving our losses.
...
Torn, split, heartbroken,
we huddle, hold each other.
We keep on walking.
...
Heads up, front-facing,
we charge again, committed.
Hearts set on trying.
...
Achy, sore, fatigued,
without any guarantees.
Betting against odds.
Thank you, thank you for this gorgeous response. I've read it three times now and will come back to it.
Amazing, heart wrenching and heartwarming account, Holly. We need a multitude of people like Lisa.
Thank you, Matt.