Cascara de Aguacate
Written by Amy Solis
I met my dad for the first time when I was 6 years old
120 miles from the border, and a million miles from my home
A million miles from las escondidas with my cousins, a game I became really good at because I was so small
A million miles from the freshly cut avocados I shared with my abuelito lindo while we giggled in the kitchen scooping memories out of the avocado skins
A million miles from my grandmothers carefully curated dining table, where I kept my eyes open during prayer
A million miles from home. A million miles from my abuelas clammy hugs
And a million miles from rainforest rain drops that kissed my small shoulder as I tried to catch them in my mouth
A million miles from home and a trillion miles from my innocence
120 miles from the border my father askes “sabes quien soy yo?” to which I replied, nervous, but somehow sure “Usted… Usted es mi papá”
My name is Amy Solis and I wrote this back in February. I was born in Ecuador and migrated with my mother and brother when my brother and I were both 6. We are only 10 months apart, so we are the same age for about 2 months every year. My father came to the U.S. when I was about 1. We were denied a visa several times so my mother decided to immigrate so that we can be reunited with my father. My mother, brother, and I were stranded in Tijuana for 2 months during our migration because the person my father paid to help us cross took us to the edge of the desert and told us to walk alone. My mom refused to do that for our safety. We stayed in stranger's houses, and encounter violence. We made it to San Diego by splitting up in 3 different cars. As most people we experienced lots of trauma, but are grateful we made it alive. DACA has opened a lot of doors for me and my family, and with uncertainty in the Supreme Court, I have been reflecting on my experience and working through some trauma in therapy lately. I am now 33. I find strength in learning and reading about other DACA people's frustrations. I feel less alone. Although my short bit is not about DACA, it is about my experience with migration, displacement, isolation, and uncertainty.
