Paria, Mon Frere

Paria, Mon Frere

I met Saul and his stepfather Mathieu in Tijuana at the big street market where they sell their used, recycled sports shoes. Eloquent and friendly, Mathieu reminds me of the young men, storytellers and street debaters, with whom I grew up in Haiti. He tells me that his journey began in the Dominican Republic where he went first after leaving Haiti. From there, he went to Brazil, then took "The Route" to Peru, then Colombia along the Panamerican Highway. It was on "The Route" that he met Mathieu and his daughter, the woman with whom he lives today. Saul and Mathieu tell me that the "Darién Gap", this vast marshland area between Colombia and Panama was the most difficult stage for them and all the rest of the group. They experienced hunger and cold. They saw people die, carried away by the water currents. But they and many others escaped. They have arrived in Tijuana since December 2016. Close to the American dream, The Road stops abruptly. Donald Trump spoke. It's been two years since they waited. But in reality, they "do not wait". They are not in limbo. Theirs is a story of courage and hope.

Paria, Mon Frere
  • Paria Mon Frere

    I met Saul and his stepfather Mathieu in Tijuana at the big street market where they sell their used, recycled sports shoes. Eloquent and friendly, Mathieu reminds me of the young men, storytellers and street debaters, with whom I grew up in Haiti. He tells me that his journey began in the Domini...