osLed on lrl CcL 28 2011

ueb|a mans m|grat|on ta|e a common one |n

h|||y
8? !uLlL SPAW
hlladelphla ually news
shaw[[phlllynewscom 2138342392
Cn A 8LCLn1 mornlng Lllas Medlna lefL hls LwosLory brlck rowhouse ln SouLh hlladelphla
walked along Lhe LrashsLrewn sldewalks Lo a nearby SL1A sLop and boarded a bus Lo CenLer
ClLy 1here he Look a A1CC Lraln Lo an upscale suburb ln Camden CounLy where he works aL a
wellknown lLallan resLauranL
Medlna Lhe resLauranLs cook ofLen works 10 or 12 hours a day and he was Lhe flrsL Lo arrlve
Pe lmmedlaLely began preparlng Lhe klLchen for LhaL days servlce Pe cleaned a pasLa dralner
peeled poLaLoes sllced hoL peppers and chopped onlons Pe swepL away Lhe unwanLed sLems
and sklns lnLo Lhe garbage can As he worked Lhe muslc of SLand by Me klcked happlly ln Lhe
alr
Medlna 31 ls 3 feeL 3 wlLh an easy smlle and shorLcropped halr Pe ls also a faLher a husband
and a smallbuslness owner Slnce arrlvlng ln hlladelphla 13 years ago from a small Lown ln
Mexlco Medlna has rlsen from dlshwasher Lo cook ln several upscale resLauranLs
Pls sLory ls a classlc lmmlgranL Lale lLs also an lncreaslngly common one ln hlladelphla Cver
Lhe pasL decade Mexlcan lmmlgraLlon boLh legal and noL has been one of Lhe mosL
slgnlflcanL facLors ln Lhe clLys populaLlon growLh an lncrease LhaL ls mosL consplcuously felL
around Lhe lLallan MarkeL area ln SouLh hllly And among Mexlcans whove lmmlgraLed Lo
SouLh hllly slnce 2000 Lhe ma[orlLy hall from Lhe same reglon as Medlna uebla
We came here because over Lhere we are so poor we are farmers Medlna explalned one
day as he saL ln hls llvlng room wlLh hls Lhen9monLhold son Mlguel coolng on Lhe couch
We donL make enough money Lo supporL Lhe famlly We came here Lo work Lo send a llLLle
money Lo supporL Lhe famlly
WhaLever Lhe reasons Lhough Lhe lnflux of lmmlgranLs lnLo Lhe unlLed SLaLes remalns a
conLroverslal and dlvlslve Loplc one LhaL ls sure Lo be revlslLed durlng Lhe 2012 elecLlon 8uL
losL amld Lhe pollLlcs of Lhe lssue ls a much more baslc sLory one LhaL ls changlng hlladelphla
and affecLlng Lhe llves of Lhousands of lLs resldenLs whaL lL Lakes for lmmlgranLs Lo acLually
make lL here and whaL lL Lakes Lo sLay
lLs a [ourney LhaL ofLen lnvolves perllous and hearLwrenchlng cholces LhaL naLlveborn clLlzens
may flnd hard Lo faLhom lLs also a [ourney LhaL for many of hlladelphlas mosL recenL
lmmlgranLs sLarLs ln a slngle place

Jork|ng the f|e|ds
1he sLaLe of uebla slLs beLween Mexlco ClLy and veracruz ln easLcenLral Mexlco 8oughly Lhe
slze of Maryland lLs one of Lhe mosL mounLalnous and lndusLrlallzed sLaLes ln Mexlco 8ecause
lLs lndusLry ls concenLraLed ln a handful of clLles ueblas rural ouLposLs Lend Lo be very poor
Medlna grew up ln one of Lhose ouLposLs Pls Lown of San Lucas ALzala had no hosplLal and a
slngle church lrom Lhe Lown cenLer one can see Lwo of Lhe hlghesL peaks ln Mexlco
opocaLepeLl and lzLacclhuaLl lLs a beauLlful Lown says Medlna LveryLhlng ls naLural
Llke many ln Lhe reglon Medlnas famlly had llLLle money when he was growlng up Pls flrsL
years were spenL sleeplng on Lhe dlrL floor ln Lhelr oneroom adobe house When he was 6 hls
moLher boughL a maL for hlm and hls broLhers a conslderable expense for Lhe famlly Chllly
nlghLs were spenL on Lhe maL curled up wlLh hls broLhers Lwo broLhers Lhree someLlmes he
says
Medlnas faLher llke mosL of Lhe men ln Lown made a llvlng as a farmer growlng corn sLrlng
beans plums and apples Lach week hls faLher would Lravel an hour by bus Lo Lhe clLy of
uebla Lhe caplLal of Lhe sLaLe Lo sell Lhe produce
School was a 13mlnuLe walk from home Lhough Medlna aLLended only unLll he was 10 1wo
monLhs shy of flnlshlng flfLh grade hls parenLs Lold hlm Lhey could no longer afford Lo send
hlm 1he school supplles and unlform cosL Loo much lnsLead Medlna began worklng wlLh hls
faLher ln Lhe flelds
Several years laLer Medlna was sLlll worklng wlLh hls faLher when he recelved a call from hls
older broLher 8ulmaro 1hree years earller 8ulmaro had crossed Lhe border from 1l[uana lnLo
Callfornla and evenLually made hls way Lo hlladelphla where a frlend llved A year laLer
Medlnas oldesL broLher Ale[andro also made Lhe crosslng evenLually [olnlng 8ulmaro ln hllly
When 8ulmaro called lL was Aprll 1996 and he was reachlng ouL Lo see lf Medlna also wanLed
Lo make Lhe crosslng AL Lhe Llme Lhere was no phone ln Lhe vlllage so Medlna and hls parenLs
rode by donkey carL Lo a nearby Lown Lo walL for 8ulmaros call aL a local buslness
When Lhey flnally connecLed 8ulmaro Lold hls broLher he could besL help Lhe famlly by comlng
Lo hlladelphla Cver Lhe nexL week Medlna mulled lL over 1he money he would make ln
hlladelphla could go Loward buylng hls parenLs a blgger house one wlLh separaLe rooms
llnally wlLh hls parenLs approval Medlna declded Lo go Pe sLuffed a palr of [eans a couple of
palrs of socks and Lhree shlrLs ln a backpack Pe carrled 300 Mexlcan pesos (abouL $70 Lhen)
When he lefL he remembers hls parenLs made Lhe slgn of a cross Pe was 16 years old


eav|ng home
Medlna and a frlend began Lhe [ourney norLh on Aprll 20 1996 Crosslng Lhe border would of
course be Lhe mosL dlfflculL and dangerous parL of Lhe [ourney 8uL lL was only parL lLs more
Lhan 1800 mlles from uebla Lo 1l[uana (roughly Lhe dlsLance beLween hllly and Casper
Wyo) and lL Look four buses and one plane rlde Lo make lL Lo Lhe noLorlous border Lown
When Lhe Lwo frlends flnally made lL Lhere Lhey knew Lhey had Lo flnd a coyoLe a smuggler
who could geL Lhem across Lhe border safely
We were walklng around Lhe sLreeL and saw a guy and asked Pow do Lhlngs work?
Medlna recalled
1he smuggler Lold Lhem lL would cosL each of Lhem $1300 Lo be pald afLer Lhe crosslng a
Lyplcal crosslng fee aL Lhe Llme says Medlna 8ulmaro would wlre Lhe money once Medlna was
safely lnslde Lhe unlLed SLaLes
AfLer spendlng a nlghL aL a hoLel Medlna and hls frlend venLured lnLo Lown Lhe nexL mornlng Lo
buy supplles cans of peaches pears Luna refrled beans packeLs of flour LorLlllas boLLled
waLer
1helr Lrlp Lo Lhe border sLarLed laLer LhaL day Medlna and hls frlend were parL of a group of
abouL 30 people who Lraveled wlLh Lwo smugglers Lhe group flrsL drove 23 mlnuLes ouLslde Lhe
clLy Cnce ouL of Lhe vans Lhey spenL Lhe nexL 10 hours walklng Lhrough Lhe shrubfllled deserL
someLlmes along a small road Medlna carrled a gallon of waLer ln each hand hls blue backpack
sagglng wlLh Lhe welghL of Lhe food cans 1he sun was blazlng and Lhe group Look [usL Lwo 20
mlnuLe breaks over Lhe course of Lhe 10 hours 1hey flnally sLopped ln an area noL far from Lhe
border where Lhey hld behlnd a sLand of Lhln Lrees and walLed
8efore 9/11 Lhe border was someLhlng of a paLchwork wlLh varylng degrees of enforcemenL
and securlLy 1he coyoLes knew when and where Lo cross Lhe 10fooL chalnllnk fence LhaL
separaLed Lhe counLrles
AL Lhe Llme Medlna had llLLle sense of how dangerous Lhe crosslng was 8aLher Lhan scared l
was exclLed he says l was asklng Pow much longer? Pow much longer?
AbouL 6 pm one of Lhe coyoLes ran back Lo Lhe group and yelled for everyone Lo run Cne by
one each member of Lhe group cllmbed over Lhe fence
As nlghL fell Lhe group used Lhe llghL of Lhe moon Lo conLlnue on Lhrough Lhe deserL lor Lhe
nexL 72 hours Lhey would walk aL nlghL and sleep durlng Lhe day
When Lhe group flnally arrlved aL Lhelr desLlnaLlon a large canyon somewhere norLh of Lhe
border ln Callfornla Lwo mlnlvans plcked Lhem up 1hey plled on Lop of each oLher ln sLacks
one person lylng on Lop of Lhe oLher ln Lhe back of Lhe van Medlna ended up on Lhe boLLom of
one flveman plle
1he mlnlvans were covered wlLh LlnLed wlndows and blankeLs were puL on Lop of Lhe
undocumenLed lmmlgranLs wlLh cardboard on Lhe slde Lo furLher hlde Lhem 1he vans drove
for flve hours endlng up aL a house somewhere ln cenLral Callfornla where Lhe group members
were flnally able Lo shower and eaL
AL Lhe house Lhe smugglers demanded Lhelr paymenLs and 8ulmaro wlred Lhe money for
Medlnas crosslng WlLh a porLlon of Lhe money Lhe coyoLes boughL plane LlckeLs from LA Lo
new ?ork and drove Lhe Lravelers Lhe nexL day Lo LAx
1he group was warned Lo be cauLlous aL Lhe alrporL Lold Lo palr up so Lhey dldnL look as lf Lhey
were parL a large group Medlna plcked an elderly man Lo be hls uncle
lor Medlna Lhe [ourney sLlll wasnL over AL LaCuardla he boarded a van wlLh some oLher
members of Lhe group and rode Lo a bus sLaLlon ln ManhaLLan lrom Lhere Medlna and hls
frlend boarded a eLer an bus Lo hllly When he flnally arrlved Medlna Look Lhe 8road SLreeL
Llne Lo SouLh hllly where he made hls way Lo 8ulmaros house
l was crylng he says l was happy l gave hlm a hug l sald 1hank you for everyLhlng
1he [ourney had Laken 20 days and covered more Lhan 3000 mlles 1he nexL day Medlna
began worklng as a dlshwasher aL an lLallan resLauranL on assyunk Avenue
1wo worlds
AL Lhe resLauranL Medlna worked slx days a week maklng abouL $10 a day Pe dldnL
undersLand a word of Lngllsh so he consLanLly asked Lhe walLers Pow do you say ? as he
plcked up a fork a spoon a bread baskeL
Cn hls flrsL day Lhe resLauranL owner asked hls name Lllas he sald buL Lhe owner dldnL
undersLand hlm so Lhey compromlsed lrom now on l wlll call you eLe Lhe owner sald
AfLer abouL a year Lhe owner and a cook showed hlm how Lo prep dlshes maklng salads
desserLs and pasLa 1he cook Lold Medlna When you make lL for yourself make lL for
everybody else uL a loL of love ln Lhe dlsh
When Lhe cook declded Lo leave Lhe resLauranL Medlna asked Lhe owner Lo glve hlm a chance
Clve me one week Lwo weeks he sald 1he owner dld and Medlna goL Lhe [ob
ln SepLember 2000 Medlnas faLher dled afLer falllng lll and Medlna reLurned Lo Mexlco Whlle
aL home he meL a young woman from hls nelghborhood norma Morales A monLh laLer Lhey
wed ln Lhelr Lowns ClLy Pall
8uL hlladelphla and hls [ob here pulled aL hlm Pe could make more money here Lhan he could
ln Mexlco so ln early 2001 Medlna reLurned Lo Lhe clLy leavlng norma who was pregnanL aL
Lhe Llme Medlna conLlnued Lo work ln Lhe assyunk Avenue resLauranL and wlred money back
Lo norma ln San Lucas ln november he flnally reLurned Lo San Lucas Lo see hls wlfe and baby
who had been born ln !uly
Pe and norma soon made a dlfflculL declslon 1hey would make Lhe [ourney across Lhe border
LogeLher wlLhouL Lhelr son whom Lhey would leave behlnd ln Lhe care of normas moLher
ln lebruary 2002 Medlna and hls wlfe crossed from Agua rleLa a border Lown ln norLheasLern
Mexlco Lhrough Lhe Arlzona deserL ln Lhe afLermaLh of 9/11 border securlLy had become
much LlghLer and lL Look Lhem Lhree Lrles before Lhey were able Lo cross successfully LaLer
LhaL year Lhey pald $3000 for a frlend Lo brlng Lhelr son from Mexlco Lo hlladelphla

||m|ted ||fe
ln Lhe pasL decade Medlna has proved hlmself Lo be a valuable employee and a LalenLed cook
AfLer worklng aL Lhe resLauranL on assyunk Avenue he moved Lo Lhe vlcLor Cafe ln SouLh
hllly where he evenLually rose Lo become head chef
ln 2006 when SylvesLer SLallone came Lo Lown for kocky 8olboo he fllmed varlous scenes aL
Lhe resLauranL and Medlna goL a blL parL ln Lhe movle Pes one of Lhe Mexlcan guys ln Lhe
downsLalrs klLchen durlng one scene
Medlna also goL Lo cook for Sly Pe only eaLs meaL sLeak veal chop Medlna says of SLallone
Pes a nlce guy
Medlna now works aL Lhe lLallan resLauranL ln SouLh !ersey and he and hls wlfe now have Lhree
klds Carlos Lllas 10 Allcla 3 and baby Mlguel Pls wlfes parenLs and broLher have also come
Lo hlladelphla and llve wlLh Lhem ln Lhelr renLed house near 9Lh SLreeL and Moyamenslng
Avenue
Slnce he flrsL arrlved 13 years ago Medlna has seen more and more Mexlcans move Lo hllly
When he flrsL goL here he says Lhere were only a dozen or so Mexlcans ln SouLh hllly ln facL
Lhere were so few LhaL he had Lo buy LorLlllas from a man who drove a Lruck around Lhe
nelghborhood selllng real Mexlcan producLs
8y 2003 Lhough Lhere was a sLeady sLream of lmmlgranLs movlng Lo Lhe nelghborhood
mosLly from uebla and Medlna and hls famlly declded Lo open a sLore even whlle he
conLlnued worklng hls resLauranL [ob
1he sLore doesnL make much money and Medlna has been wanLlng Lo sell lL for a whlle now
lLs been robbed Lhree Llmes and lasL year a man came ln wlLh a knlfe LhreaLened Medlnas
wlfe and sLole $800
Cver Lhe years Medlna has become famlllar wlLh some of Lhe unsavory aspecLs of llvlng ln
hlladelphla Seven years ago he was walklng near 10Lh SLreeL and Snyder Avenue when slx
whlLe men approached one asked for a dollar 1hey punched hlm and one man Lrled Lo shock
hlm wlLh a sLun gun When Medlna fell Lo Lhe ground Lhe men conLlnued Lo klck hlm lL was
Medlnas payday and Lhe men sLole Lhe $600 he had [usL been pald
LasL year aL Lhe Checkers fasLfood [olnL aL 20Lh SLreeL and Cregon Avenue a black man
punched Medlna as he was walLlng ln llne Lo order knocklng ouL four LeeLh Pes been called
weLback more Llmes Lhan he can counL SomeLlmes l Lhlnk l wanL Lo go back Lo Mexlco he
says CLher Llmes l donL care 1hls counLry also has good people Some people say ?ou sLay
here lf l go home l donL have noLhlng Lo glve Lo my klds
Pe Lells hls Amerlcan frlends LhaL he wlshes Lhey could someLlmes experlence whaL lLs llke Lo
be an lmmlgranL here [usL Lo see how Lough everyLhlng ls
Medlnas llfe ls bound by Lhe facL LhaL he ls an lllegal lmmlgranL Pe has no credlL card or
drlvers llcense WlLh a wlfe and Lhree klds lLs harder Lo save money Lhan he LhoughL hes
ofLen shorL on cash maklng hlm laLe on renL or unable Lo pay hls cellphone blll
8uL hes earned Lhe respecL of hls employer Pes honesL LrusLworLhy has famlly values sald
Lhe owner of Lhe resLauranL where Medlna now works and who prevlously employed Medlnas
Lwo older broLhers lve never meL an lndlvldual or famlly llke Lhelrs ln my enLlre llfe 1haLs
how appreclaLlve l am Lo Lhem l conslder Lhem my own famlly
Medlnas own famlly has conLlnued Lo mlgraLe Lo hllly Several years ago hls Lwo younger
broLhers also crossed Lhe border and now llve ln hlladelphla 1helr slsLer now 18 ls ln her
senlor year ln hlgh school ln San Lucas She llves wlLh Lhelr uncle and Lhelr alllng grandmoLher
Lach week Lhe broLhers wlre money home Lo help wlLh her care
Medlna doesnL Lhlnk he can go back Lo uebla agaln Lo see hls grandmoLher 8order crosslngs
have become Loo rlsky and Lhere ls Loo much vlolence because of Lhe Mexlcan drug carLels
uesplLe bulldlng a llfe here Medlna never fulfllled hls lnlLlal dream when he flrsL consldered
comlng Lo Lhe unlLed SLaLes Pls parenLs dled before he could buy Lhem a blgger house
8uL he sLlll has dreams Pe would llke Lo sLay and he sLlll hopes he can flnd some paLhway Lo
clLlzenshlp for hlmself hls wlfe and older son Pls Lwo younger chlldren born here are already
uS clLlzens as are hls older broLhers who were sponsored by an employer l wanL Lo open up
a small resLauranL he says wlLh a smlle and a shrug l wanL Lo buy a house 1haLs my blg
dream