WHY I WROTE SACRIFICE ON THE BORDER

My novel, Sacrifice on the Border is the result of thirty years of interviewing hundreds of U.S. Latino immigrants who came here seeking a better life for themselves and their children.  The interviews were used for film projects and videos for various clients

The stories I heard were heartrending, and moved me deeply. I came to understand how important it is for people to cross the border, how much sacrifice goes into their endeavors, and how this decision helps fulfill their hopes and dreams.

When I sat down to write Sacrifice at the Border in its Spanish version I had all these stories tucked into my brain. I didn't use any of them exactly the way they were told to me. I extracted bits and pieces out of thousands of stories, and added my own Latina immigrant experience to the mix. The characters don't resemble anyone I know. As they emerged, their unique personalities came as a surprise. Some I liked, and some (the evil ones), I didn't. They all spoke to me in the first person, so that´s how they appear in the novel.

Though fictional, the characters do reflect people in my life. The character Yoali is inspired by one of my closest friends. Her real story is quite different, but Yoali does have her strength, beauty and spirit.

Quesería, Yoali's home-town, exists in real life. I have been there, and have good friends there as well. But the fictional town of Queseria is quite different from the real one. One of the reasons I chose that name is because I love the way the word sounds, and what it turns into if you separate the "Qué" from the "Sería". In Spanish that becomes: “what would be”, or perhaps “what would happen”. And that's what a novel is all about.

"Sacrifice at the Border" was written in Spanish, though now there is an English version of the book. The reason for this is both professional and personal. 

I began my professional career as a full time Spanish language writer.  My first job out of journalism school was at a prestigious Chilean magazine similar in its style to U.S. "Time" magazine, It was called "Revista Hoy." I wrote weekly Spanish-language news pieces, and eventually, feature stories, and later became their correspondent in Washington, DC, where I covered breaking news and in-depth political stories.

When I came to the U.S., I turned to writing in English. I became very good at it. My English-language screenplays and scripts have been published, and are airing as films and videos broadcast in the U.S., and internationally.

When it came time to write "Sacrifice on the Border" I had to choose between writing in English or Spanish.  

I finally chose to write in Spanish. I felt I needed to define the characters as Spanish speakers, with Hispanic words, sayings and even swear words. After the final draft, I worked with a Mexican literary editor to refine the novel’s language so that it closely reflects the characters’ backgrounds.  I also had some great advice from a friend who grew up on the US-Mexican border and that suggested specific words used in that area of the world.  Once the novel published in Spanish I translated it to English, a delicate task as the language had to keep to the original flavor.

The novel has been an emotional experience. It had to come from a deep part of me that was emotional. The Latina part. Even so, it’s my hope that the story of a lost child and a mother’s desperate search for her son is one that reaches into the hearts of readers of many different languages and cultures.