“Our story of migration is like that of many working-class Latin American immigrants: motivated by the search for better opportunities and, ultimately, for survival in countries where U.S. intervention and global asymmetrical power dynamics dating back to colonization have left limited options for people. Direct U.S. involvement in Panamá, where I lived from ages 3-11, can be traced back to the nineteenth century when what is now Panamá was a province of Colombia.“

“Service abroad” programs have been the subject of major controversy. From the exploitative photographing of black and brown children to issues of sustainability, it is clear that these trips do not produce the benefits that are often marketed by the sponsoring organizations. In fact, instances of outright harm caused by these programs are unfortunately common. Still, thousands of people continue to sign up for service trips every year with the hope that their presence abroad can somehow play a role in “improving” the world.

This is a guide for you, the well-intentioned person whose interest in relieving poverty (or perhaps in boosting your resume) has led you to book a service trip to Latin America.

“In recent years, my birth city has experienced growing rates of unemployment, poverty, and crime, becoming one of the most dangerous cities in the world with a murder per capita of 59 per 1,000 people as of 2016. This is especially true after the 2009 U.S. backed coup to remove democratically-elected Manuel Zelaya from the presidential office. Corrupt post-coup governments have been closely linked with police and drug cartels, which have only exacerbated the inequity, violence, and poverty in Honduras, leading many people, including unaccompanied youth, to embark on dangerous journeys to the North. I often wonder what my life would have been like had we stayed in Tegucigalpa, yet the social and political context of Honduras at the time drove my mother’s hard decision to leave and subsequently shaped the experiences of my family.”

“Nuestras conciencias serán sacudidas por el hecho de estar sólo contemplando la autodestrucción basada en la depredación capitalista, racista y patriarcal.”

“Our consciences will be shaken by the fact that we are only contemplating self-destruction based on capitalist, racist and patriarchal depredation.”

En ese sentido, estas líneas pretenden llamar la atención sobre una política de represión que el Estado mexicano ha instaurado desde hace por lo menos 50 años y que quienes las lean, conozcan algunos detalles de las vidas de las personas a quienes desde el poder se les quiso borrar desapareciéndoles, pero que pese al tiempo, la incertidumbre, la impunidad, la simulación y la crueldad permanentes, continúan presentes desde la memoria y el afecto, con la esperanza de que más temprano que tarde sean regresados al hogar que los añora todos los días, todo el tiempo.