"On a hot sunny day walking through the Sonoran Desert, we were surrounded by the wilderness. The thought of not knowing what would happen next terrified me. I can still remember the hiss of snakes as we were walking through the Sonoran Desert. For miles all we were able to see was sand and cactus. After being in the Sonoran Desert for a day in a half, I started losing hope. We had ran out water after a few hours and we were limited on the snacks. My friend Maria started to feel sick. Maria started getting symptoms of dehydration. Not being able to help a close friend as I wish I could, was very frustrating. Unfortunately, Maria did not survive the dehydration. As we continued our journey through the hot dry desert, the temperature seemed to increase by the hour. After walking for about 6 miles, we would rest for a few minutes. It was about 13 of us walking through the Sonoran Desert: young adults, parents and a few children. Most of the people in the group were men and only a few women. Majority of the women in the group were young adults; the men in the group were much older. I would guess the men were in their late thirties. The only image on my mind was making it alive across the border to Arizona. The day seemed to go on forever, like it would never end. It was like a nightmare that never ended. Out of 13 of us in the group in including Maria, three of them died. The rest of us that survived could not do much to help ourselves. Helpless, all we can do was pray and hope for the best. The thought of being able to provide a better future for my children gave me the strength to keep going with my destination. All I can think about was my children " (Garza). The only way to prevent the thousands of immigrants coming to America illegally, would be to legalize mexican illegal immigrants. .
This was an interview from Rosalina Garza who personally experienced crossing the border through the Sonoran Desert in the seventies.
