Beginnings
Rice and beans frying on the small rusted oven, the family parrot talking with such vivid language on his perch. The small home consisting of simple construction, with a tin roof and one window, became the usual life for Yamileth Frey and her siblings in Nicaragua, a small country located in Central America. Yet, this life would be turned upside down by the invasion of the Sandanistas in Nicaragua, forcing the family to flee in the dead of night, where they faced many trials and revealed a secret to Yami, changing her life forever.
Born 1969 in the Central American country of Nicaragua, Yamileth Frey, or Yamileth Lezama then, joined her family of six sisters and one brother. Their mother and father, Esperanza (Hope) and Jose, gave their children all they could. Esperanza a homemaker with strong Catholic beliefs, her red covered bible always near, and Jose a hardworking builder, fiercely dedicated to his family. Money, not an easy commodity to find in the poorer nation, forced the family to save every penny and work for their living.
A strong sense of family dependency developed from their situation as everyone had to work together and coalesce to make life work. But their parents always tried to instill their ideas of staying humble and thanking God everyday for what they had. Yami, the second youngest of her sisters, from youngest to oldest, Flora, Jacqui, Lila, Rafaela and Rosie attended Catholic school whereas Juan, when he reached the proper age, went into the Air Force for the Armed Forces of Nicaragua. Antonieta, the oldest sister, moved to El Salvador when she was old enough.
On the weekends the family traveled to Tia (Aunt) Juanita's farm to relax and spend time with the family. In addition to the immediate family, there were many cousins, aunts and uncles who they always greeted them with open arms. The neighborhood also seemed like a larger, second family, with doors always open, helping each other whenever the need would arise.
But life was not always easy, as Nicaragua stayed impoverished, causing numerous struggles for Yami's family. Life continued on this way until Yami turned ten years old, when the outside world of politics and war invaded Nicaragua, forcing the family to escape their only refuge into the unknown.
Those We Left Behind
July 19, 1979, the Communistic Sandanista National Liberation Front (FSLN) stormed the capital of Managua, forcing President Anastasio Somoza to flee, establishing a new order in Nicaragua. The FSLN used guerilla warfare to overthrow the government, leaving thousands of Nicaraguans dead and thousands more in exile. Although initially claiming to fight for the people, many Nicaraguans, just like Yami's family, knew of the Communistic ideals to come.
Juan, Yami's only brother, fought against the FSLN, telling his parents and siblings they needed to flee the country within the next few nights.
With the capital under Sandanista control, the family gathered what little they had and ventured for a place offering a better life: America. With a long journey ahead, the family banded together and left in the early dawn of morning, as there would be less patrol roaming about. But not everyone decided to leave. Rosie, about twenty-four years old at this point, stayed behind as she was newly married. Esperanza had a difficult time leaving someone behind, but she had to choose safety and a better life for the others. Leaving your home for a place with unknown consequences would be incredibly difficult as many neighbors in the community found. With the Lezama seemingly dissppearing over night, neighbors and friends wondered where they went. But Esperanza and Jose left to find the American Dream, and a better life for their children.
Secrets of the Past
At 5:00 in the morning the Lezama family took a small, cramped bus ride to Zacatecoluca, El Salvador, arriving at their destination a whole twelve hours later. Here they would find Antonieta and continue their journey. They stayed for one year, gathering enough money to make their way to Guatemala. But Zacatecoluca was not finished with the ten year old Yamileth as Zacatecoluca revealed a truth unlike any other:
Esperanza and Jose, her loving parents, revealed that they were actually her grandparents, and Antonieta was her birth mother. Every member of Yami's family had now shifted in position. Her parents, now grandparents. Sister now mother. Other siblings, now aunts and uncles.
Yami has no recollection of how she reacted or felt, saying "The time when I found out who my real mother was still remains a lost memory to me. I just can't remember." Yet, the question still remained as to who her birth father was. Who was he? Where was he? Might he even still be alive? Yami never received the answer this question as the family still shrouded the truth in mystery. Ten years old in a strange country, with a life changing secret before her, Yami pressed on with her family, more resolute than ever.
The next stop: Guatemala City, Guatemala
Pigs on a Bus, Tortas on the Grill
After the secret of Zacatecoluca, the family gathered their belongings once more and relocated to Guatemala. Spending sixth months in Guatemala, the family waited for the day to move along their journey once more. Eventually, that time came. Just across the Guatemalan border lied Tapachula, Mexico. The family squeezed into a taxi cab to get to Tapachula, one step closer to the American Dream, the family asked how to get to the border. The taxi man informed them they needed to take a long bus ride to Reynosa, Mexico, a city directly in front of Macali, Texas, but in between the two cities flowed the Rio Grande.
The family, now consisting of Yami, her siblings, her grandparents, birthmother, Godfather, and Rafaela's baby son, Tony, boarded one last bus ride. But this ride lasted a whole twenty-four hours, carrying multiple families and people grasping for a better life. Yet, this bus ride proved to be the most interesting as some people carried live pigs and livestock onto the bus with them. One or two riders even began to cook tortas, a sandwich type meal that can be filled with any type of meat.
Of course, having livestock and cooking on the bus is the common practice for bus rides as long as these. The people trying to escape their home country gathered all of their belongings and went, never looking back. Finally, after a full day and night of travel, the family found themselves in Reynosa, where their final hurdle awaited them.
Pray to God, and Hold My hand
Esperanza and Jose hired a coyote to cross the final challenge that lay in front of the family: The Rio Grande. A coyote is the person who guides people across the river into the United States, getting them there safely, while also helping them get to safety on the other side. Without a coyote, chances of getting caught by the border patrol significantly increase or even worse, getting hurt or killed in the process. The family paid $450 per person, a total of $5400. To hire a coyote today in 2015 costs about $1000 or more per person.
The coyote came to retrieve the family for the night had come to finally reach the American Dream. The darkness of the night mixed with the chill of the river, as the family stood waiting to cross the river. The coyote led the way as the family followed closely behind. The water, flowing strongly enough to apply force but not strong enough to be directly swept away, reached about chest height while also sending a slight chill through the body.
The coyote led the family on a slightly raised sand area, although there were weak spots where someone could fall in. Esperanza, holding baby Tony in one hand, the red bible in the other, slipped and fell into the river. In the darkness, the other family members saw her go under the water. The coyote ran back, helping Esperanza regain her footing, and making sure she was okay. The entire family crossed the river safely after that, heading into a wooded area to regain composure, as the Coyote still led the way. Although they crossed the river and set foot on American soil the danger had not subsided.
A Caucasian man on a horse charged up to the family. With fear in their hearts, the man simply advised them "Don't head to the left. Immigration services are that way. Head to the right for safety at the park." The family heeded his advice, making their way to the park. The coyote flagged down a companion of his in an older, rusted Impala. The 13-person Lezama family piled into the car, along with other random escapees, making the car a tight fit. The car, on its way to McAllen, Texas, suddenly became enveloped in red and blue lights. A police officer had found them. The family, after so much time, money and energy, coming so far, their hearts beating in panic. The police officer walked up and asked who they were and where they were coming from. After escorting them to the police station and because of Reagan's political asylum for Nicaraguan escapees, the police officer wanted to let the Lezama family free, but imprison the Coyote. But the Lezama family, who always helped where they could, told the officer "No, he helped us. You cannot throw him in jail." The Coyote was let go and the Lezama family finally felt at ease for once as they were escorted to Miami, Florida.
After staying at a nice hotel, a type of life the family had never seen before, they were treated to whatever food they could ask for. Of course, the only words the family could say in English were "French fries", "eggs" and "water." But this made Yami and her siblings equally as happy as having a five star meal. That day, Esperanza took her red bible out, kissed the ground and thanked God for all he had done, for after all of this time, they were finally safe for the time being.
Home
Despite being safe in Miami for a short while, the reign of Griselda Blanco took precedence. Griselda Blanco, known for the drugs causing gang war and violence in Miami, caused the Lezama family to flee once more. From a broken political system to a gang-war ravaged city, the family simply wanted to find peace . Finally, they made their way to Milwaukee, WI, where they live to this day. Yami and her siblings went to high school, pursued careers and flourished with families and children of their own, dreams they would have never been able to reach if they had not left Nicaragua that day.
Yamileth Frey, the strongest woman I know, escaped a Central American country, and made her way to a whole new world where she formed a family of her own. Yami still remains close to her family, celebrating at birthdays, weddings and regular get togethers. To have a mom like her is inspiring not only to me, but to everyone she meets and touches in her life. I am proud to call myself part of the family that broke the rules and found a better life for themselves, and the son of the strongest woman I know.
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