The following found poems, translated from Spanish by the author, are based on her time spent working with Central American migrants and asylum seekers in Mexico in 2017.
The No-Place: Notes on OXXO from Juan Villoro y Gabriel Orozco: Mexico City, 2017 (while Central Americans seek work outside)
a special reference point
for contextualizing Mexican
reality. It is an enclave
for coming together to do
whatever at any hour,
including illegal acts
because there are better
possibilities for anonymous
encounters. I was taken
to an OXXO where future
assassins were recruited
from a white van.
Some people call it
The No-Place. A place
without identity because it is
the same as all the others.
Add me on Facebook: Migrant Memes
“I always could alone. I can alone and I always will alone.”
“You’ve been poor if you’ve ever done this.”
“Start saving, it’s almost my Birthdayyyyyyyyyyy!”
“I want to live in this moment with all my friends, but without a single one missing.”
“If after this life I was born again, the only thing I would ask God is that my mother would be my mother again.”
“All my tears have a why and all of these tears come at a great price. I know I will rise up from this take note.”
“I wish that I had an eraser to erase all of my past and erase all of my pain.”
“It’s the law, sexy people have an “R” in their last name.”
“Lord protect me from my friends, leave me in charge of my enemies.”
“Greatness is not for the one who never fails, but the one who never gives up.”
“We walk in Victory!”
“Today is Friday. I’m gonna get trashed!”
“The Famous Beast”
“It is easier to smile than to explain why you are sad.”
“Today I arose with God and he told me: smile the best is yet to come.”
Desaparecidos en La Frontera (Disappeared on the Border): Facebook, August 13-17, 2017
68,098 people like this page
Shared 26 times
-Shared in Sonora
-HELP! HELP! He is searching for a family member he hasn’t seen in 18 years.
Shared 281 times
– Good afternoon we ask that you share this post we haven’t heard from him in 2 years.
-#DESAPARECIDOSENLAFRONTERA
– The body of a woman was found in a state of decomposition in the All American canal in Imperial, California, July 8th, 2017. Her height 59 inches and weight 180 pounds. She was wearing two gold rings and a ring with a turtle design. She had tattoos, the name “RUBEN” on her left hand and Chinese letters on the right side of her neck. If anyone recognizes this description, contact me.
Shared 75 times
#MISSINGARIZONA
-Strong image but necessary 🙁 Help us find her family
Shared 3,581 times
-Shared in Jalisco
-Shared in Chihuahua God bless you
-Shared in Oklahoma :’(
-PLEASE HELP PUBLISH THIS TO SEE IF WE CAN FIND THE RELATIVES OF THIS GUY!!!!
Shared 449 times
-I live in Calexico if you can post photos or a description of his tattoos there are a lot of deported people in Mexicali.
– Guatemalan missing in Falfurrias, Texas
–#DEATH_THEAMERICAN_DREAM
To Univision New York: Facebook
Shout out to those in the studio and send
a message to Trump
THAT CENTRAL AMERICANS CAN DO IT!
It doesn’t matter if you build
a wall we can always do it!
Photo Credit: Anthony Albright via Creative Commons
