The Testimonio of Eva: A Mexican Refugee in El Paso

Abstract

As a result of the drug wars in Mexico and the associated widespread violence and lawlessness, hundreds of undocumented refugees have crossed the border into the United States to escape physical violence, death threats, extortion, kidnapping and other dangers in Mexico. The authors have been conducting in-depth interviews of Mexican refugees. Of those, Eva stands out as the most eloquent and poignant expression of injustice, suffering, fear, and invisibility. Her witness to the struggle of refugees from violence is told as a testimonio—a style of oral history that has deep roots in Latin America and which is characterized by a plea for justice.

Acknowledgments

This research project was approved by the University of Texas at El Paso Institutional Review Board, ID # 241471-1. The full text of Eva's testimonio can be found in Spanish at the following link: http://socialwork.utep.edu/papers_and_presentations.php.