ENRIQUE’S
JOURNEY
THE STORY OF A BOY’S DANGEROUS ODYSSEY TO
REUNITE WITH HIS MOTHER
LESSON 1
Sonia Nazario
On the Same Page
Classroom Curriculum
2013-2014
Janet Rachel Johns, Ed.D
On the Same Page 2013
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize
Sonia Nazario






Sonia Nazario has had a distinguished career as an
award-winning journalist and writer
Nazario was born on September 8, 1960,in Madison,
Wisconsin, to Argentinean immigrants & raised in both
Kansas and in Buenos Aires
Earned her B.A. in History from Williams College in
1982, and her M.A. in Latin American Studies from the
University of California, Berkeley in 1988
She began working for the Los Angeles Times in 1993
and has won numerous awards
She won the Pulitzer Prize for feature writing for her
series “Enrique’s Journey,” first published in The Los
Angeles Times in 2002. In 2012
She is one of “40 Women Who Changed Media Business
in the Past Forty Years” by Columbia Journalism
On the Same Page Curriculum 2013, Janet Rachel Johns, Ed.D. Abriendo Caminos, Migrant Education, Region 11, PVUSD
Review.
Reveal one piece of the image at a time.
 Make a prediction of what you believe the
image is based on the evidence presented.
 You may change your prediction with each new
piece of evidence.

On the Same Page Curriculum 2013, Janet Rachel Johns, Ed.D. Abriendo Caminos, Migrant Education, Region 11, PVUSD
On the Same Page Curriculum 2013, Janet Rachel Johns, Ed.D. Abriendo Caminos, Migrant Education, Region 11, PVUSD
On the Same Page Curriculum 2013, Janet Rachel Johns, Ed.D. Abriendo Caminos, Migrant Education, Region 11, PVUSD
On the Same Page Curriculum 2013, Janet Rachel Johns, Ed.D. Abriendo Caminos, Migrant Education, Region 11, PVUSD
On the Same Page Curriculum 2013, Janet Rachel Johns, Ed.D. Abriendo Caminos, Migrant Education, Region 11, PVUSD
On the Same Page Curriculum 2013, Janet Rachel Johns, Ed.D. Abriendo Caminos, Migrant Education, Region 11, PVUSD
On the Same Page Curriculum 2013, Janet Rachel Johns, Ed.D. Abriendo Caminos, Migrant Education, Region 11, PVUSD
 Write
your first response to this photograph.
What are your predictions? Support your
predictions with evidence. Write down a few
thoughts.
On the Same Page Curriculum 2013, Janet Rachel Johns,
Ed.D. Abriendo Caminos, Migrant Education, Region 11,
PVUSD
The boy does not understand.
His mother is not talking to him. She will not even
look at him. Enrique has no hint of what she is
going to do.
Lourdes knows. She understands, as only a
mother can, the terror she is about to inflict, the
ache Enrique will feel, and finally the emptiness.
What will become of him? Already he will not let
anyone else feed or bathe him. He loves her
deeply, as only a son can. (p. 3)
On the Same Page Curriculum 2013, Janet Rachel Johns,
Ed.D. Abriendo Caminos, Migrant Education, Region 11,
PVUSD
 Look
at the image projected.
 Write five questions about the image that
you believe will be answered once you read
the text.
On the Same Page Curriculum 2013, Janet Rachel Johns,
Ed.D. Abriendo Caminos, Migrant Education, Region 11,
PVUSD
On the Same Page Curriculum 2013, Janet Rachel Johns, Ed.D. Abriendo Caminos, Migrant Education, Region 11, PVUSD
Bewilderment is a noun that means…
a)
b)
c)
carelessness
incomprehension
death that is imposed because of the person’s
devotion of a religious belief or cause
Enrique’s bewilderment turns to confusion and
then to adolescent anger. (p. 9)
On the Same Page Curriculum 2013, Janet Rachel Johns, Ed.D. Abriendo Caminos, Migrant Education, Region 11, PVUSD
Treacherous is an adjective that means…
a)
b)
c)
adventurous
exciting and eventful
perilous
Children leaving Central America to find their
mothers in the United States now face a
tougher; more treacherous journey than ever
before. (p. 241)
On the Same Page Curriculum 2013, Janet Rachel Johns, Ed.D. Abriendo Caminos, Migrant Education, Region 11, PVUSD
Agree/Disagree
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
The United States is one place that offers hope.
Parents should never leave their children
behind.
The journey is hard for Mexicans but harder
still for Central Americans who make the
dangerous trek up the length of Mexico.
With the presence of a strong police force;
people are more protected.
The average age of a child attempting to cross
the border alone is fifteen.
On the Same Page Curriculum 2013, Janet Rachel Johns, Ed.D. Abriendo Caminos, Migrant Education, Region 11, PVUSD
How would you describe and compare and contrast your experience
with Enrique’s experience? Complete the first column of the matrix.
My Own Experience
Enrique’s Experience
Childhood
Confusion
Rebellion
Education
Decision
Good-Bye
On the Same Page Curriculum 2013, Janet Rachel Johns, Ed.D. Abriendo Caminos, Migrant Education, Region 11, PVUSD
This map represents the journey Enrique takes
from his starting point in Tegucigalpa, Honduras
to Nuevo Laredo, Mexico.
 Think-Pair-Share:

What does this map tell you?
 How will Enrique make this journey?
 What will he encounter? How do you know?

On the Same Page Curriculum 2013, Janet Rachel Johns, Ed.D. Abriendo Caminos, Migrant Education, Region 11, PVUSD
Chapter 1: The Boy Left Behind, p. 3-44
1. What do you learn about Lourdes and her
current situation? What difficult decision does
she have to make? (p. 3-5)
2. Who will be affected by her decision? How do
you know?
3. How will her decision decide Enrique’s fate? (p.
5)
4. Describe the situation for many Central
Americans as well as Mexicans? (p. 7)
5. Why does the author associate finding their
mothers in El Norte like the “quest for the Holy
Grail”? (p. 7)
On the Same Page Curriculum 2013, Janet Rachel Johns, Ed.D. Abriendo Caminos, Migrant Education, Region 11, PVUSD
CONFUSION
6. How is his mother’s absence causing Enrique so
much confusion? What changes occur in his life?
(p. 7-12)
7. How is Belky’s life impacted with her mother’s
disappearance? (p. 7-12)
8. How does Lourdes’s life change? What
difficulties does she have to confront? (p. 1319)
9. Dialogue read mid-page 19 to mid-page 20.
What seed has been planted? What is Enrique
feeling?
10. What does Lourdes fear? Explain how these
fears are rooted in truth. (p. 20-23)
On the Same Page Curriculum 2013, Janet Rachel Johns, Ed.D. Abriendo Caminos, Migrant Education, Region 11, PVUSD
REBELLION
11. How does Enrique’s life change as he grows up?
(p. 24-27)
12. What happens to make Enrique’s life drastically
change once again? How will this impact his life?
Explain. (p. 28-30)
ADDICTION
13. Describe where Enrique has lived since his mother
left. How have these changes impacted this young
man? (p. 31)
14. How do Enrique and María Isabel live parallel
lives? (p. 31-35)
15. What do you learn about El Infiernito, Little Hell,
and how it affects Enrique’s life and choices he
makes?
(p. 35-37)
On the Same Page Curriculum 2013, Janet Rachel Johns, Ed.D. Abriendo Caminos, Migrant Education, Region 11, PVUSD
AN EDUCATION
16. Describe Enrique’s educational experience upon
turning sixteen. (p. 37-38)
A DECISION
17. How is Enrique’s drug addiction affecting his
and his family’s lives? What hope does he have?
(p. 38-41)
GOOD-BYE
18. What are the pros and the cons for Enrique’s
decision to leave? Do you think he’ll make it?
Explain your answer. (p. 41-44)
On the Same Page Curriculum 2013, Janet Rachel Johns, Ed.D. Abriendo Caminos, Migrant Education, Region 11, PVUSD
Following Enrique’s story and interpreting his voice
Trace important incidents in Enrique’s life in Chapter 1.
Include the people, places, feelings, fears, hopes and dreams
that have crossed their paths or thoughts.
Early
Childhood
Age 14
Age 15
Age 16
Age 17
 Enrique’s
mom leaves
him at age
5. He is
devastated
 He is sent
to live with
his father…
On the Same Page Curriculum 2013, Janet Rachel Johns, Ed.D. Abriendo Caminos, Migrant Education, Region 11, PVUSD
1.
2.
Describe the relationship between Sonia
and Carmen. Support your opinions with
evidence. (p. ix-xii)
How does Carmen’s life parallel that of
Enrique’s mother, Lourdes? (p. ix-xii)
Create a Venn Diagram to describe the life
and choices each mother has made.
On the Same Page Curriculum 2013, Janet Rachel Johns, Ed.D. Abriendo Caminos, Migrant Education, Region 11, PVUSD
3.
Carmen’s son, Minor, missed his mother
intensely and made the perilous journey to
find her in the United States. Write a
personal response to his statement:
“I’d trade it all for my mother. I never had
someone to spoil me. To say: Do this, don’t do
that, have you eaten? You can never get the love
of a mother from someone else.” (p. xii)
On the Same Page Curriculum 2013, Janet Rachel Johns, Ed.D. Abriendo Caminos, Migrant Education, Region 11, PVUSD


Each group will become experts on a section
of the text and share findings with the class
at large.
Decide on a creative way to report your
findings. (i.e. reader’s theater, poster,
song/rap)
On the Same Page Curriculum 2013, Janet Rachel Johns, Ed.D. Abriendo Caminos, Migrant Education, Region 11, PVUSD




A COMMOM CHOICE (p. xii-xiv) Weigh the choice that many
mothers must make to provide for their children. What
would you do in their shoes? Explain.
FEAR AND FLEAS (p. xiv-xviii) What were the drawbacks of
Nazario’s decision to go on the journey? How did she
prepare for the journey?
FOLLOWING A DANGEROUS PATH (p. xx-xxii) Describe the
journey that Nazario followed in Enrique’s footsteps. What
situations did she confront? What did others share?
TRAIN TOP LESSONS (p. xxiii-xxvi) What hardships did
Nazario’s family face as immigrants? What are the
hardships that many parents who migrate face in their
home country? Why are the children so determined to
make the journey despite the dangers? What is Nazario’s
warning to mothers? Support your opinion with evidence
from the text.
On the Same Page Curriculum 2013, Janet Rachel Johns, Ed.D. Abriendo Caminos, Migrant Education, Region 11, PVUSD
Synonyms or words with similar meanings
 Find the synonym of each underlined
word in the sentence, using the context
to help you find the meaning.
 Write a sentence using the new word.
On the Same Page Curriculum 2013, Janet Rachel Johns, Ed.D. Abriendo Caminos, Migrant Education, Region 11, PVUSD
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
They have a (1) bleak future. He and Belky are not
likely to finish grade school. (p. 4)
They must make an illegal and dangerous (2) trek
up the length of Mexico. (p. 5)
Enrique’s (3) bewilderment turns to confusion and
then to adolescent anger. (p. 9)
As Carmen (4) unravels the story, she begins to sob.
(p. x)
She (5) lulled them to sleep with advice on how to
(6) quell their hunger pangs. (p. x)
Minor tells me about his (7) perilous hitchhiking
journey. (p. x)
There is an (8) insatiable need in the United States
for cheap service and domestic workers. (p. xiii)
On the Same Page Curriculum 2013, Janet Rachel Johns, Ed.D. Abriendo Caminos, Migrant Education, Region 11, PVUSD
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
In order to give a vivid, (9) nuanced account, I knew I
would have to travel with child migrants through
Mexico on top of freight trains. (p. xiv)
My husband had spent months (10) fretting about my
safety. (p. xv)
On the trains, I was filthy, unable to go to the
bathroom for long stretches, (11) excruciatingly hot
or cold, (12) pelted for hours by rain or hail. (p. xxii)
A Teguciagalpa elementary school principal told me
that many of his students were so malnourished that
they didn’t have the (13) stamina to stand up for long
at school rallies or to sing the national anthem. (p.
xxiv)
With each step north, I became (14) awed by the (15)
gritty determination these children possess in their
struggle to get here. (p. xxiv)
On the Same Page Curriculum 2013, Janet Rachel Johns, Ed.D. Abriendo Caminos, Migrant Education, Region 11, PVUSD
Choose one quote below and write in it your
literature log.
 Summarize the main points of the text, rewriting
it in your own words.
 How does this quote apply to you and your life?
 What can we learn from this person’s words?
 How can others benefit from this knowledge?

On the Same Page Curriculum 2013, Janet Rachel Johns, Ed.D. Abriendo Caminos, Migrant Education, Region 11, PVUSD
I’d trade it all for my mother: I never had
someone to spoil me. to say: Do this, don’t do
that, have you eatern? You can never get the
love of a mother from someone else.Minor,
Carmen’s son (p. xii)
 I avoid danger, if possible. If I need to do
dangerous things to really understand something,
I try to build in as many safety nets as possible.
Sonia Nazario (p. xvii)
 As I followed Enrique’s footsteps, I learned the
depths of desperation women face in countries
such as Honduras. Sonia Nazario (p. xxiii)

On the Same Page Curriculum 2013, Janet Rachel Johns, Ed.D. Abriendo Caminos, Migrant Education, Region 11, PVUSD
I began to believe that no number of border guards
will deter children like Enrique, who are willing to
endure so much to reach the United States. It is a
powerful stream, one that can only be addressed
at its source. Sonia Nazario (p. xxv)
 In their absence, these mothers become larger
than life … Finding them becomes the quest for the
Holy Grail. Sonia Nazario (p. 7)
 I need her. I miss her. I want to be with my mother.
I see so many children with mothers. I want that.
Enrique (p. 19)
 “Do I want to have them with me so badly,” she
asks herself of her children, “that I am willing to
risk their losing their lives?” Lourdes (p. 23)

On the Same Page Curriculum 2013, Janet Rachel Johns, Ed.D. Abriendo Caminos, Migrant Education, Region 11, PVUSD





You will have an opportunity to write two
“Whenever I say…” poems:
The first one will be from Enrique’s point of view
about his home, Teguicigalpa.
Review the chapter and the images that he
expresses in her words about what he is feeling,
seeing, hearing, smelling at this moment in time;
Your second poem will be written about a special
place in your life.
Help the reader visualize both Tegucigalpa and
your special place.
On the Same Page Curriculum 2013, Janet Rachel Johns, Ed.D. Abriendo Caminos, Migrant Education, Region 11, PVUSD
whenever
I say
________________________________
I feel
________________________________
I see
________________________________
I hear
________________________________
I smell
________________________________
whenever
I now say
________________________________
I want to
________________________________
________________________________
________________________________
On the Same Page Curriculum 2013,
Janet Rachel Johns, Ed.D. Abriendo Caminos,
Migrant Education, Region 11, PVUSD

In order to understand the social, political and
economic background of Enrique’s Story, it is
important to learn firsthand from primary and
secondary sources of the immigration issue and
to read from various points of view.

“For some journalists, research means sitting at
a computer and surfing Google…For Sonia
Nazario…it means leaving home for months at a
time to sit on top of a moving freight train
running the length of Mexico,” risking her life…
San Francisco Chronicle
On the Same Page Curriculum 2013, Janet Rachel Johns, Ed.D. Abriendo Caminos, Migrant Education, Region 11, PVUSD
Compare and contrast
two articles:


Why a Train Carrying
Hundreds of Migrants
Derailed in Mexico
At least 5 dead, over
30 injured as train
carrying illegal
migrants derails in
Mexico
Fill in the matrix with
your interpretation of
the article.
Why a Train At least 5
Carrying
dead, over
Hundreds… 30 injured …
Summarize
the writer’s
point of
view.
Who was
responsible?
What actions
have been
taken?
What
unresolved
questions
still remain?
On the Same Page Curriculum 2013, Janet Rachel Johns, Ed.D. Abriendo Caminos, Migrant Education, Region 11, PVUSD







You will work with a partner to reconstruct a text.
Listen to the text that the teacher reads aloud
without writing.
As the teacher reads the text for the second time,
write down your notes to “reconstruct” the text.
Meet with your partner. Read your notes to your
partner, as your partner adds notes to his/her paper.
Your partner will read his/her notes to assist you to
add what may be missing.
Turn the page over and work together to reconstruct
the text.
Share out with the entire class.
On the Same Page Curriculum 2013, Janet Rachel Johns, Ed.D. Abriendo Caminos, Migrant Education, Region 11, PVUSD

An estimated 1.7 million children live illegally in
the United States, most from Mexico and Central
America. Like Enrique, almost all have spent
time away from a parent before following him or
her to the United States. On in four children in
the nation’s schools is an immigrant or the child
of an immigrant – a group whose numbers,
between 1990 and 2000, grew seven times faster
than that of children with both parents born in
the United States. Children leaving Central
America to find their mothers in the United
States now face a tougher, more treacherous
journey than ever before.
On the Same Page Curriculum 2013, Janet Rachel Johns,
Afterword:
Women, Children, and the Immigration Debate (p. 241)
Ed.D. Abriendo Caminos, Migrant Education, Region 11,
PVUSD
Agree/Disagree
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
The United States is one place that offers hope.
Parents should never leave their children
behind.
The journey is hard for Mexicans but harder
still for Central Americans who make the
dangerous trek up the length of Mexico.
With the presence of a strong police force;
people are more protected.
The average age of a child attempting to cross
the border alone is fifteen.
On the Same Page Curriculum 2013, Janet Rachel Johns, Ed.D. Abriendo Caminos, Migrant Education, Region 11, PVUSD