Several times a day, long freight trains known as La Bestia pass through the small Mexican town of La Patrona, heading north to the United States. Perched atop these trains are hundreds of men, women and children from Central America and Mexico, who hitch a ride to the border hoping to start a new life in the United States. Along the way, they risk kidnapping, injury, rape, extortion and murder.
It’s not an uncommon sight – particularly as the number of Central Americans fleeing violence in their home countries has led to a full-fledged refugee crisis.
And La Patrona would be no more remarkable than any of the other small towns that the trains rumble through every day, if it weren’t for a group of women whose compassionate act of kindness turned into a movement that has garnered international attention. Las Patronas, as they’ve come to be known, are a group of women who have dedicated themselves to giving out food and water to hundreds of migrants riding the train every day.
An initiative begun by Norma Romero twenty years ago, they are now a group of 15 who prepare large portions of rice, beans, bread, and water to toss to the US-bound migrants. For those riding the train, passing through La Patrona is one of the few bright spots in what is an otherwise arduous and life-threatening journey.
In 2013, Norma Romero was given the Human Rights Award by Mexico’s National Commission of Human Rights for her work with Las Patronas.
In 2013, Norma Romero was given the Human Rights Award by Mexico’s National Commission of Human Rights for her work with Las Patronas.
The group has also been the subject of a documentary called Llévate mis amores. Below, get an intimate glimpse at their important work, in this photo essay from our contributor Hans-Maximo Musielik. – Andrea Gompf
18 comments:
From Mexico through Central America there is a series of failed states that cannot provide their people with either physical or economic security. Yet North of Mexico are the United States and Canada which seem to these benighted people to be the promised land.
I keep asking the question why are countries so close together, so different in the opportunity they offer to their citizens? Could it be that Latin American countries have Spanish Conquistador cultural DNA and the US and Canada have English and French DNA? The light skinned gringos have established working countries.
I also wonder why the liberals want increase the percentage of from failed countries here is the US? What will be the long term effect of that? It think it will eventually lead the US and Canada down the road to being two more failed states.
Before you folks start to call me a racist, I will cop to that label. However you folks who insist that there are no differences between cultures deny reality and are totally full of shit. I see no reason why the US and Canada should commit slow cultural suicide by allowing failed Latin American states to dump the people they can't or won't care for on us.
Over the past years and even today The United States has spent billions upon billions of tax payers money to support these shit hole countries. There has been zero control over this process and the majority of the money has been squandered in the name of corruption . Looks like the GREAT PRESIDENT TRUMP is going to bring that process to an end.
Well, Doofus, if you did get your Dream of All Dreams and every Brown-skinned person left the U.S. it would be you and every other poor White fucker playing the role of garbage collector, crop picker, maid, roofer, landscaper and dishwasher from coast-to-coast. Not every fucking White person is as industrious as you wish to believe. Be careful of what you wish for..
You're that racist teeny bopper, quite clearly. Again. Great.
The reason why there seems to be so much strife between the Americas south of us is because the US has subsidized these destabilizations.
And youre so right. Native culture, which is prevalent in these aforementioned areas thrives outside of capitalism. The cultures could not be more different. One worships nature while the other tries to make it a commodity for the sake of business.
The only problem here is forced acculturation and assimilation into the ways of the white man, which have caused natives nothing but grief.
This has nothing to do with Spanish DNA. You're a damn fool-- appropriating the idea that Spanish Europeans are mongrels too? I'm not surprised. Hey at least we got rhythm amd algebra from it.
Go walk into the street and get hit by a bus Nopal en Cara.
I guess my point is, perspective is everything.
4:48 and 5:53 triggered pussies! Did you hear troops on the way to the valley border ? Great news! We are in charge now. Not a damn thing you can do about it. Tired of winning. Watching the libtards and Demorats implode has been so enjoyable. 7 more years of this entertainment on the way.
5:53, so....Venezuela is not a failed state? They are the great commies that you are dreaming about...take a look at Cuba while you're at it.
"Native culture thrives outside of capitalism"
Ain't nobody talking about communism. More like colonialism.
The initial response was for the white nationalist prick who intimated that genetic predispositions for greatness relied on certain European lineages and their correlation to business fortitude. Clearly, communism isn't about business acumen, rather standardization and control of all economic resources. Its working for China. But hey, they aren't white! ��
It's a pity you disregard native culture insomuch that you'd peg it as communism to begin with. Economic systems of collective power are not what indigenous people think about. But I'm wasting my time telling you. You're clearly too smart for my liberal agenda. ��
Cultural DNA
The Spanish came to the new world to steal all they could and return to Spain stinking rich. They left behind a culture based on period Spanish feudalism.
The British came to the new world to be craftsmen, to farm and to build societies.
Run these two strings out, with all their implications and you will see why the difference between Latin and Anglo cultures.
It is laughable for someone to suggest all the problems in Latin America are due to US mucking around there.
Idiots in the end everybody here is pissing against the wind.
7 years? It's more like less than 7 months - MUELLER!!!!
I think you forget that the u.s. went and destabilized all those countries in the name of greed. Where do you think the term banana republic comes from?
It doesn't just happen in the West either. Look at Iran. The United States actions turned Iran into a fundamentalist Islamic state.
Wtf is cultural DNA? BOY STFU! Eres mas pendejo que cree. Man. Really? Like, you want to say that heritage and tradition of non Latin speaking countries is better than Latin countries after citing fucking France, a Latin based county.
Go away. Please. Ffs you aren't worth my time on the toilet.
Let me see if I got this right. The countries south of the Rio Grande are economic and security basket cases, because the U.S. "destabilized" them?
The French language is one of the "romance languages" having some roots in the Latin language, but the French are no more "Hispanic/Latin" than the British or Germans.
You call the other guy a pendejo, when you are the poster boy for ignorance. You have some real brass cojones, to bad they don't help your brain.
You've done nothing to contribute to the conversation except be skeptical of the information that doesn't suit your alternative facts. An obligatory "smdh" to u. And my pussy is golden. Thanks.
I don’t need to contribute to the conversation. We are in charge. Back to the kitchen, make me a sandwich and shut the fuck up while you are at it looser.
Learn to spell, "loser".
A pessimist an optimist a golden pussy and a matriarch. Great collection but still it doesn't make it - "one swallow does not make a summer".
Lol... why do you let white trash bother you, if they want their DNA to be white, take a boat ride and get the fuck out!
You my white pendejo will be at the bottom of the production line in Europe; somewhat like a shell fish, eating shit and having your brain filled with the same shit you eat!
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