Chapter One - WETBACKS!

6/13/1978


The 30 Year war. The Conquistadors vs. The Sandinista's, Central America. Mr. Sanchez fled the communist government in Nicaragua to the United States of America to be liberated from Ortega Vega communism. Mr. Sanchez crossed the border to find work in America and start a newer and freer life in America “Land of the free”.

Mrs. Sanchez just had a new born baby, and when that baby turned four years old Mr Sanchez saved up enough money to bring his family to America. Mrs. Sanchez was a school teacher and was threatened death by the Sandinista Government if she continued teaching. Mrs. Sanchez, the Coyote, and Saul (Mr. & Mrs. Sanchez little boy) walked through the hot desert of Mexico 6 days and 7 nights in the middle of April 15, 1983. The boy, only five years old, at the time suffered from heat stroke and had to swallow his own urine to stay alive. Many were the dangers along their travels. Finally they met the Rio Grande. Nearby was a shack where they chose to rest for the day because the child was too weak to carry on.

The following days Saul was able to regain his strength and one day while he enjoyed skipping rocks along the river bend, a dog crept up behind Saul and attacked him. Mrs. Sanchez, being the overprotective mother that she was, struck the dog on the head with a rock putting the dog to rest. Saul never did like dogs ever since. When dusk set in the three of them set out to cross the Rio Grande River. Saul did not know how to swim and almost drowned this night, but luckily for him the Coyote was a strong swimmer. He was successfully able to fight against the strong current of the river; and get across with Saul on his back. The Coyote was trained to survive and guide, and that's what he certainly did for the Sanchez family. He knew all the right paths to take throughout the back woods of New Mexico and over the fence into Texas.

What Americans did was label these immigrants as wetbacks. At the time Ronald Reagan, president of the United States of America, was granting Asylum to immigrants that were fleeing their countries due to communism and the 30-year war in Central America. The only way for these immigrants to get into America was to get their backs wet and cross the Rio Grande River and dare not turn back or they may lose their lives to the border patrol. Hence the label that ignorant Americans use towards immigrants as “Wetbacks!”.