Daliya
How did the grandmother get the girls to remember the number the ten-digit telephone Number?
She had decided to embroider it on their dresses and repeat, over and over, a single instruction: they should never take this dress off, not even to sleep, and as soon as they reached America, as soon as they met the first American policeman, they were to show the inside of the dress’s collar to him. He would then dial the number and let them speak to their mother.
What is TIIA?
Teenage Immigrant Integration Association.
It was created by Luiselli's class called Advanced Conversation and their goal was to empower the migrants.
In Chapter 3, what specific dangers or hardships does Luiselli describe that children face while traveling through Mexico on their way to the U.S.
Children face threats from human traffickers, risk of kidnapping, violence from gangs, and harsh conditions like hunger and exhaustion.
What song was Luiselli playing when Trump got elected into office in 2016?
Kendrick Lamar’s song “Alright” playing on repeat on my headphones
Where does Luiselli finally get to see Manu after trying to contact him for a while?
A TIIA organized soccer match at one of the better fields on campus.
What are the two main gangs targeting Manu?
MS-13 and Barrio 18
During the hearings described in Chapter 4, what role does Luiselli say she fulfills besides translating?
She acts as a witness to the children’s stories.
What number was the question "How old were you when you started going to school?" and who did they ask this question to?
Twenty-four
Manu
What is the Immigrant Prayer?
“Partir es morir un poco / Llegar nunca es llegar”
“To leave is to die a little / To arrive is never to arrive.”
Why does Luiselli's niece want to major in law instead of social work now?
Because lawyers are desperately needed. According to a comprehensive report issued in October 2015 by the Migration Policy Institute, the majority of children who find a lawyer do appear in court and are granted some form of relief. All the others are deported, either in absentia or in person. What is needed in particular, and urgently, are lawyers who are willing to work pro bono.
In Chapter 4, Luiselli mentions a certain legal document or form that children must complete during their hearings; what is it called, and why is it significant?
It’s called the “Declaration,” it’s significant because it is the child’s official written testimony that the judge uses to decide their case.
How can a translator retell a child's story that may leave out emotion?
1. Describing the physical emotion while telling the story.
2. Rephrasing a question
3. Tactically using 1st and 3rd person
4. Recording every minor detail.
How much money does Alina and her husband spend bringing Manu and her two daughters over to America?
Total = 17,500
-Manu explains that boys cost $4,000 and girls $3,000.
-Alina had to pay $7,500 to get her out of the detention facility
What kind of answer does Luiselli need to hear from the girls she is interviewing, even though she doesn't want to hear it and why?
That they had been doing hard labor, labor that put their safety and integrity in danger; that they were being exploited, abused, punished, maybe threatened with death by gangs. If their answers didn’t align with what the law considers reason enough for the right to protection, the only possible ending to their story was going to be a deportation order.
Why did Valeria Luiselli feel like her job as a translator felt like a form of erasure or control?
1. Must translate literal as possible, losing nuance
2. Forced to simplify complex, traumatic stories into brief legal language
3. Limited time to express testimonies throughly
4. The legal system demands clear and direct statements, not complicated realities
5. The power imbalance between vulnerable children and indifferent authoritative courts intimidate children.
6. The interpreter and court filter and shape the children’s stories, causing their complex experiences to be simplified and their humanity diminished.
What is a U-visa?
A path to lawful permanent residency for victims of crimes and their families IF they cooperated with police in reporting crime.