USA - country of limitless opportunities!!!

Yesterday was the International Day of Migrants, and I read something on the online issue of Quetzalteco, a newspaper from Xela.

According to this 158 000 Guatemaltecos are currently living in the United States (not included illigal immigrants). The most coming from the villages Salcajá, Concepción Chiquirichapa, San Juan Ostuncalco and San Carlos Sija. You can listen there to many stories like that from Juan Francisco De León. He crossed the border in 1980 with a suitcase full of dreams and hopes to find the American Dream.

After 8 years of work in the States and saving enough money, he decided to go back to his hometown where his family was waiting for him.

In the article they go on with a citation, which I heard sometimes in a similar way:
I have 5 siblings in the United States, we use the money they send us to build two houses and to study. (María Guzmán)
This woman is from the village Llanos de Pinal, where the majority is feminin, because the husbands are working in the States.

In the nacional comparison Quetzaltenango receives the 5th biggest amount of money from the states. Families with members in the States get apprx. 224 dollars a month.

reasons why the people migrate:
- unemployment
- health care
- bad-paid work
- studies

I also have a friend who migrated 2 weeks ago to the states. He is going to marry there next year and we will see if he will come back to Guatemala, his homecountry, in his life!