I was born in the state of Michoac‡n,in a very small town called San Marcos Matugeo,but everyone just knows it as Matugeo.I have an older brother,four older sisters and a younger brother.Both my parents are still alive and live together.That makes nine with all of us together,my two parents and their seven children.I also now have 11 nieces and nephews.

I came to the United States at the age of 12.I came with my older brother,his wife,their son (who was a one-year-old at the time),an older sister and my younger brother.A young,newly married girl from a neighboring town also accompanied us.

Since I was already 12 years old,I remember a lot from "the crossing." We started our trip one very early morning from our town to Zacapu,the city where we picked up our first bus that would take us on a long,long ride of several days to the city of Nogales.To this day I don't know what state this city is located in.All I remember from back in those days was hearing that we were crossing in Nogales because it was easier and faster.

Back then I didn't quite understand what they meant when they said that it would be easier,but now I realize how extremely easy it was to cross from one country to another because the planning was done between my parents,my older brother and the coyotes.

We spent one afternoon and one night in Nogales.My whole family shared one bedroom in a hotel right in front of the US border,actually,very close to the legal crossing line.That's where the people with "legal" papers crossed in their cars.Then the next day we waited until the phone rang and the coyotes came to pick us up.It was this older lady and maybe her son,a kid about 15 or so.

It was bright daylight when we crossed.I think my brother discussed the plans with the lady on the phone,but all I know is that we got separated. My older brother went with the lady and another guy.The rest of us,including the girl from our neighboring town,went with the boy.We crossed through a little river.It was dry that day,although it had rained the day before.There was a wall,about five feet high,but instead of going over it,we all went through a huge hole on the side of it,down a little hill through the river,up the hill again and through a hole on the side of a chain link fence,and we were now on the other side of the border in the United States.I'm not sure what marked the line between countries-the first wall,the river,or the second barbed wire fence,but to me it didn't matter;all I knew was that I was in another country, closer to my parents.

While we were crossing,the boy told us that once we got to the other side we would go into the nearest restaurant and order some drinks and stuff and act like we were just eating.He told us not to run to the restaurant,but to walk,to go in and follow him to a table and sit and act normal so we wouldn't attract attention.The restaurant was kind of like a McDonald's.I don't remember what we ordered.I think what I remember the most and what impressed me the most about the crossing was the fear we all felt,but mostly the fear I saw in the face of the girl that was accompanying us. Her husband was the one that went with my brother and the coyotelady and the girl came,basically alone,with us.I felt secure just because I was with my family and there were adults taking care of me.I could tell that my sister-inlaw and my sister were afraid too,but at least we were all together.The poor girl,she was all alone.I could see the fear in her face and the way her body started to tremble while we were sitting at the table.Her feet trembled and she couldn't keep her hands still.She looked preoccupied and looked all around as if to make sure no one had followed us.

We waited there for quite awhile,over half an hour,I'd say.I think at one point the boy started to worry because the rest of the crew wasn't coming and the people at the restaurant noticed we hadn't moved or ordered anything else.Finally,my brother arrived with the lady and the girl's husband. We all got up and followed them out.We crossed a small road and then the main street to a parking lot where we all got into the back of a van and sat on the floor.There was a man at the wheel already waiting for us and as soon as we all got in he started to drive and he never stopped until about four hours later when we arrived at the lady's house.It's funny now that I think about it because we crossed illegally not too far from the legal crossing line.I could see the cars passing through the legal line from where we crossed and when we crossed the main road,we passed right in front of the legal crossing line again,with all the security there,but no one noticed us because we were never stopped.That was the first and only time I crossed illegally into this country.I was never chased after or arrested like many people I've heard about.Like I said,it was physically very easy for us during the crossing, although back then I knew other people were not always as lucky as we were.