1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:03,200 Speaker 1: Dear listener, what you're about to hear is a real 2 00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:07,720 Speaker 1: New York story, an immigration story. It's one that celebrates 3 00:00:07,760 --> 00:00:11,640 Speaker 1: the beautiful, everyday life of the many immigrant communities at 4 00:00:11,640 --> 00:00:16,280 Speaker 1: Flushing Meadows, Corona Park, forget Central Park, this is the 5 00:00:16,320 --> 00:00:19,239 Speaker 1: New York park you got to know about today. I 6 00:00:19,360 --> 00:00:21,920 Speaker 1: lat you know, USA. We're bringing you an episode from 7 00:00:22,000 --> 00:00:25,319 Speaker 1: Code Switch, one of our favorite NPR shows. It was 8 00:00:25,360 --> 00:00:29,560 Speaker 1: reported last year when things were quite different, before this election, 9 00:00:29,840 --> 00:00:33,480 Speaker 1: before the fear and immigrant communities spiked. So for now, 10 00:00:33,720 --> 00:00:35,840 Speaker 1: we love this piece and we think you'll love it too, 11 00:00:36,200 --> 00:00:37,360 Speaker 1: so we want to share it with you. 12 00:00:37,840 --> 00:00:38,040 Speaker 2: Here. 13 00:00:38,040 --> 00:00:39,880 Speaker 1: It is a day in the park. 14 00:00:41,440 --> 00:00:45,440 Speaker 3: Heads up, there's going to be some salty language. Hey everyone, 15 00:00:45,560 --> 00:00:49,200 Speaker 3: you're listening to Code Switch. I'm be a parker now. 16 00:00:50,040 --> 00:00:52,120 Speaker 3: I'm guessing that a lot of the time when you 17 00:00:52,159 --> 00:00:58,360 Speaker 3: turn on an immigration story, you're bracing yourself for some trauma, despair, 18 00:00:59,160 --> 00:01:03,480 Speaker 3: partisan bigger golly. But being an immigrant is about so 19 00:01:03,560 --> 00:01:07,679 Speaker 3: much more than trauma. It can be about playing sports, 20 00:01:08,240 --> 00:01:12,240 Speaker 3: finding family, eating ice cream, and all of that is 21 00:01:12,280 --> 00:01:14,920 Speaker 3: coming to you in this tale. You're about to hear 22 00:01:16,120 --> 00:01:20,000 Speaker 3: this very New York tale. It's brought to us by 23 00:01:20,040 --> 00:01:28,160 Speaker 3: Code Switch producer Xavier Lopez and NPR's immigration reporter Jasmine Gars. Hey, Javier, Jasmine. 24 00:01:27,880 --> 00:01:28,919 Speaker 4: Hey, Hello. 25 00:01:29,319 --> 00:01:31,840 Speaker 5: So we're very excited to take our listeners to one 26 00:01:31,880 --> 00:01:35,520 Speaker 5: of my favorite places on Earth, Flushing Metals Park. It's 27 00:01:35,560 --> 00:01:38,080 Speaker 5: my park. It's a couple of blocks away from where 28 00:01:38,080 --> 00:01:40,640 Speaker 5: I grew up in Queen's You're a part of my park. 29 00:01:40,680 --> 00:01:42,040 Speaker 5: It's my park, I claim. 30 00:01:42,120 --> 00:01:42,520 Speaker 2: I claim. 31 00:01:45,600 --> 00:01:49,640 Speaker 4: I also live in Queens And you know, I feel 32 00:01:49,640 --> 00:01:53,920 Speaker 4: like Central Park in Manhattan gets so much attention and 33 00:01:53,960 --> 00:01:58,720 Speaker 4: so much love. In my opinion, this park is way cooler. 34 00:01:59,000 --> 00:02:01,000 Speaker 3: As a Brooklyn girl, I'll agree to disagree. 35 00:02:01,040 --> 00:02:02,840 Speaker 5: But okay, all right, all right, we're not gonna have 36 00:02:02,880 --> 00:02:06,760 Speaker 5: any Borough fighting today. Okay, back to this park. This 37 00:02:07,040 --> 00:02:10,080 Speaker 5: is a place where immigrants from all over the world 38 00:02:10,680 --> 00:02:13,600 Speaker 5: come to get some fresh air and to relax and 39 00:02:13,639 --> 00:02:18,119 Speaker 5: to really just have fun, you know, So today put 40 00:02:18,160 --> 00:02:28,360 Speaker 5: on your sunscreen, all right. Anyway, we're gonna go to 41 00:02:28,480 --> 00:02:28,959 Speaker 5: the park. 42 00:02:31,760 --> 00:02:35,239 Speaker 3: All right, This is where I leave you, Hobby, Jasmine 43 00:02:35,400 --> 00:02:35,960 Speaker 3: go forth. 44 00:02:42,320 --> 00:02:46,840 Speaker 4: I love that smell, you know, that morning city park smell. 45 00:02:47,240 --> 00:02:50,080 Speaker 4: It's like the smell of dewy earth and fresh cut 46 00:02:50,160 --> 00:02:53,520 Speaker 4: grass and evaporating beer from the night before. 47 00:02:54,760 --> 00:02:56,920 Speaker 5: Yeah, it's quite a smell and you can really you 48 00:02:56,960 --> 00:02:59,240 Speaker 5: can really take it all in in this park right here, 49 00:02:59,800 --> 00:03:02,200 Speaker 5: This like huge park. By the way, there is like 50 00:03:02,400 --> 00:03:05,120 Speaker 5: a lot going on here. The Mets stadium on one side, 51 00:03:05,240 --> 00:03:07,840 Speaker 5: it's got a tennis stadium on the other. It's got 52 00:03:07,840 --> 00:03:11,400 Speaker 5: this giant lake, It's got this the Unisphere, this like 53 00:03:11,400 --> 00:03:14,880 Speaker 5: one hundred and forty foot like metal globe structure that 54 00:03:14,960 --> 00:03:16,360 Speaker 5: is in the middle of the park. It's like pretty 55 00:03:16,360 --> 00:03:19,320 Speaker 5: synonymous with Queens, and I love her. I just I 56 00:03:19,400 --> 00:03:24,560 Speaker 5: have really fond feelings for this struct. I love the structure. 57 00:03:24,720 --> 00:03:28,959 Speaker 5: But we don't talk about that anyway. As we walk 58 00:03:29,080 --> 00:03:31,480 Speaker 5: through the park, we see this group leaving and they 59 00:03:31,480 --> 00:03:37,520 Speaker 5: look so tired and just sweaty, but they look so happy. 60 00:03:41,200 --> 00:03:44,320 Speaker 5: They're decked in metals and holding a trophy the size 61 00:03:44,360 --> 00:03:50,480 Speaker 5: of a baby, the Spoils of Victory. 62 00:03:51,040 --> 00:03:54,200 Speaker 4: They've been in the park since six a m. 63 00:03:54,520 --> 00:03:57,360 Speaker 5: On a Sunday, and as we're talking to them, they 64 00:03:57,400 --> 00:04:00,920 Speaker 5: tell us a story of intrigue, betrayal, and revenge. 65 00:04:01,520 --> 00:04:06,280 Speaker 4: You know football. Ja he's the one holding the cup. 66 00:04:06,480 --> 00:04:09,200 Speaker 4: Javeat is very sinewy. You can tell he plays a 67 00:04:09,200 --> 00:04:13,960 Speaker 4: lot out here, and their team just won the championship. 68 00:04:14,480 --> 00:04:22,080 Speaker 2: London, London, London, this is. 69 00:04:22,040 --> 00:04:26,920 Speaker 5: You, he says. He named the team London after the 70 00:04:26,960 --> 00:04:29,880 Speaker 5: restaurant where he works at, a seafood spot here in Queens. 71 00:04:30,160 --> 00:04:32,520 Speaker 5: A lot of the team is from the London kitchen staff. 72 00:04:33,000 --> 00:04:36,200 Speaker 4: And okay, so like, right from the get go, London 73 00:04:36,480 --> 00:04:40,320 Speaker 4: is awful. The soccer team, I mean, like the restaurant 74 00:04:40,320 --> 00:04:44,200 Speaker 4: actually looks really good. But the team, on a good 75 00:04:44,279 --> 00:04:46,040 Speaker 4: day they lose zero seven. 76 00:04:46,640 --> 00:04:49,960 Speaker 5: London got so bad people started dropping out. And a 77 00:04:49,960 --> 00:04:52,640 Speaker 5: few weeks before the final, this one dude, a key player, 78 00:04:53,120 --> 00:04:59,720 Speaker 5: tell us how your listen, man, I'm not gonna be 79 00:04:59,760 --> 00:05:05,520 Speaker 5: able to make it on Sundays anymore, tells him. 80 00:05:05,760 --> 00:05:10,080 Speaker 4: Okay, it's okay, like he gets it. Life that's busy, 81 00:05:10,320 --> 00:05:12,960 Speaker 4: there's there's not always time for football. 82 00:05:13,680 --> 00:05:16,200 Speaker 5: But today they get here for the final and guess 83 00:05:16,279 --> 00:05:19,320 Speaker 5: who they see playing for the opposite. 84 00:05:21,880 --> 00:05:29,599 Speaker 4: And thoas the guy who told him he couldn't make 85 00:05:29,680 --> 00:05:31,880 Speaker 4: it anymore on Sundays. 86 00:05:32,200 --> 00:05:35,600 Speaker 5: Not just that he poached a bunch of London's players. 87 00:05:36,200 --> 00:05:41,919 Speaker 4: Javier is upset. He's so angry. He plays harder than ever. 88 00:05:43,480 --> 00:05:45,960 Speaker 5: They go to penalties and it's Javier's turned to kick 89 00:05:46,120 --> 00:05:46,839 Speaker 5: and get this. 90 00:05:47,080 --> 00:05:50,920 Speaker 4: The Trader, the guy who abandoned London. He goes up 91 00:05:50,960 --> 00:05:54,480 Speaker 4: to the goalie and he says, let me take this one. 92 00:05:55,600 --> 00:06:01,839 Speaker 4: Come on, hit me with your best shot. 93 00:06:00,120 --> 00:06:01,240 Speaker 2: And larious power place. 94 00:06:07,640 --> 00:06:10,240 Speaker 5: He looks the Trader right in the eye like for 95 00:06:10,320 --> 00:06:12,960 Speaker 5: a long, hard couple of seconds. They sell each other 96 00:06:13,040 --> 00:06:16,200 Speaker 5: down and he says, I'm gonna kick this box so hard. 97 00:06:16,279 --> 00:06:24,400 Speaker 5: Right he missed. My man says he had a squirrel. 98 00:06:25,200 --> 00:06:28,599 Speaker 5: Sorry s p c A. 99 00:06:29,760 --> 00:06:33,279 Speaker 4: But the football gods were favoring London. 100 00:06:33,720 --> 00:06:36,239 Speaker 5: Another London player stepped up to make the last penalty 101 00:06:36,279 --> 00:06:45,600 Speaker 5: kick and boom, London won the championship. 102 00:06:46,600 --> 00:06:51,320 Speaker 4: So I asked why he stood by London so faithfully. 103 00:06:51,560 --> 00:06:54,320 Speaker 4: This is supposed to be just some weeknd fun. And 104 00:06:54,480 --> 00:06:59,279 Speaker 4: why didn't he jump ship like some of the other players. 105 00:07:00,080 --> 00:07:09,560 Speaker 6: You say that persona A ye, I'll go. 106 00:07:11,440 --> 00:07:14,680 Speaker 5: He says, that's just not who he is. I'm not 107 00:07:14,720 --> 00:07:17,600 Speaker 5: that kind of person. If I start something, I see 108 00:07:17,600 --> 00:07:20,520 Speaker 5: it through to the end. My dad taught me that. 109 00:07:20,960 --> 00:07:24,520 Speaker 4: How your's dad is back in Mexico and wahaka, how 110 00:07:24,560 --> 00:07:28,200 Speaker 4: you're left twenty years ago? 111 00:07:29,960 --> 00:07:34,040 Speaker 5: Comment where he's from, he says, everyone knows each other 112 00:07:34,640 --> 00:07:37,320 Speaker 5: and for Christmas, the whole town gets together and eats. 113 00:07:38,440 --> 00:07:41,200 Speaker 5: He says today he remembered his first Christmas in. 114 00:07:41,200 --> 00:07:54,600 Speaker 6: The US as navidadris la manana. 115 00:07:55,080 --> 00:07:59,320 Speaker 4: He's fan. Washing dishes until three a m. New Year's 116 00:07:59,760 --> 00:08:02,600 Speaker 4: same thing, washing dishes until three. 117 00:08:02,440 --> 00:08:09,160 Speaker 6: Am, and premier movements. 118 00:08:09,400 --> 00:08:12,920 Speaker 5: That first year, he was really depressed. He left his 119 00:08:13,040 --> 00:08:15,600 Speaker 5: family behind. He would send them money to pay for 120 00:08:15,640 --> 00:08:18,000 Speaker 5: hospital bills, send his brothers to school. 121 00:08:18,880 --> 00:08:21,760 Speaker 4: And the reason, he says he remembered that today is 122 00:08:21,760 --> 00:08:25,400 Speaker 4: because back then there is no time for soccer. In fact, 123 00:08:25,560 --> 00:08:28,400 Speaker 4: he didn't play soccer for years. He just focused on work, 124 00:08:28,800 --> 00:08:32,760 Speaker 4: sending money home. He got back into soccer pretty recently, 125 00:08:33,280 --> 00:08:35,680 Speaker 4: started a little team. You might have heard of them. 126 00:08:36,000 --> 00:08:40,240 Speaker 4: They're called London. And even as we're talking, people keep 127 00:08:40,320 --> 00:08:44,559 Speaker 4: interrupting to take selfies with them and their giant trophies. 128 00:08:45,440 --> 00:08:48,440 Speaker 5: And the thing he says he's learned those years not 129 00:08:48,520 --> 00:08:50,000 Speaker 5: playing soccer is. 130 00:08:53,600 --> 00:08:58,560 Speaker 4: I sayyid, A sayid keep on going, keep on going. 131 00:08:58,960 --> 00:09:05,240 Speaker 5: No no, no man, like we say in Mexico, he says, 132 00:09:05,760 --> 00:09:15,920 Speaker 5: I don't back away from anything. Okay, So we're walking 133 00:09:15,920 --> 00:09:18,640 Speaker 5: towards the unisphere. The love of my life, the giant Queen. 134 00:09:19,600 --> 00:09:24,360 Speaker 4: I love that anyway. So we're walking there, there's so 135 00:09:24,440 --> 00:09:29,000 Speaker 4: many food stands. It's selling different kinds of satin, sabo, 136 00:09:29,160 --> 00:09:33,080 Speaker 4: shallo and Okay. So, first of all, Queens has the 137 00:09:33,120 --> 00:09:35,840 Speaker 4: best food in all of New York. And this park 138 00:09:36,040 --> 00:09:40,040 Speaker 4: is excellent in terms of food. I'd say better than 139 00:09:40,080 --> 00:09:41,160 Speaker 4: any park in New York. 140 00:09:41,679 --> 00:09:45,240 Speaker 5: Yeah, I think that's that's probably an accurate assessment. I 141 00:09:45,240 --> 00:09:47,360 Speaker 5: feel like that's just Queens generally. There's just like a 142 00:09:47,360 --> 00:09:49,440 Speaker 5: lot of great food here, and I feel like partially 143 00:09:49,480 --> 00:09:52,040 Speaker 5: it's because there's like a lot of immigrants here. Like 144 00:09:52,120 --> 00:09:54,560 Speaker 5: nearly half of the people in Queens are immigrants for 145 00:09:54,600 --> 00:09:57,040 Speaker 5: more than one hundred and twenty countries, and you can 146 00:09:57,080 --> 00:09:59,200 Speaker 5: see some of that represented here at the park. I 147 00:09:59,240 --> 00:10:01,440 Speaker 5: see a lot of Latin knows and Asian folks who 148 00:10:01,520 --> 00:10:04,560 Speaker 5: make the park their community, and people of old ages, 149 00:10:04,880 --> 00:10:07,280 Speaker 5: older folks that come here to feed the animals, and 150 00:10:07,320 --> 00:10:09,560 Speaker 5: the young people that come here to just like hang out. 151 00:10:10,000 --> 00:10:14,720 Speaker 5: They're throughout the park having barbecues with families or picnics 152 00:10:14,720 --> 00:10:16,280 Speaker 5: with their friends. 153 00:10:17,200 --> 00:10:21,680 Speaker 4: And also there's a huge Ecuadorian community here and it's growing. 154 00:10:21,800 --> 00:10:24,240 Speaker 5: Yeah, there's like a lot of Ecuadorian immigrants here, Like 155 00:10:24,640 --> 00:10:27,000 Speaker 5: me you know, I came here back in two thousand 156 00:10:27,000 --> 00:10:29,760 Speaker 5: and two, and back then there was already a small 157 00:10:29,800 --> 00:10:32,640 Speaker 5: Equadorian population here. But in the last couple of years, 158 00:10:32,679 --> 00:10:35,520 Speaker 5: New York casine one of the biggest Ecuadorian populations in 159 00:10:35,559 --> 00:10:42,760 Speaker 5: the US, and it's mostly here in Queens. Right now, 160 00:10:42,800 --> 00:10:45,360 Speaker 5: we're at the Ecuadorian Festival. This is the festival that 161 00:10:45,400 --> 00:10:48,240 Speaker 5: happens every year or so in August around Ecuadorian and 162 00:10:48,280 --> 00:10:49,040 Speaker 5: the Pendence Day. 163 00:10:49,360 --> 00:10:54,120 Speaker 4: And there's two guys selling ice cream here Sola. Their cousins. 164 00:10:57,040 --> 00:11:00,679 Speaker 4: Luis's short, he's very handsome. He has a big faced, 165 00:11:00,720 --> 00:11:04,240 Speaker 4: dimples and some stubble. He's young, but I noticed there's 166 00:11:04,360 --> 00:11:05,640 Speaker 4: some grays in there too. 167 00:11:06,440 --> 00:11:09,319 Speaker 5: Louise's cousin is tall. He wears glasses and his hair 168 00:11:09,360 --> 00:11:11,040 Speaker 5: spike in a way that makes you feel like he's 169 00:11:11,080 --> 00:11:14,680 Speaker 5: taller too. 170 00:11:14,920 --> 00:11:15,720 Speaker 2: Went on and there. 171 00:11:16,120 --> 00:11:20,680 Speaker 5: Ah, Louise is shy, but his cousin is such a 172 00:11:20,760 --> 00:11:25,600 Speaker 5: high man, and they have this dynamic. Think Richie and 173 00:11:25,760 --> 00:11:29,720 Speaker 5: Carmi in the Bear Vibes, but it's about selling alloos 174 00:11:29,760 --> 00:11:36,520 Speaker 5: at the Ecuadorian Festival. He exactly cousin Primo and his 175 00:11:36,640 --> 00:11:39,840 Speaker 5: premom keeps pushing Louise to talk to us while pointing 176 00:11:39,840 --> 00:11:41,640 Speaker 5: in alallo at him the entire time. 177 00:11:47,000 --> 00:11:51,080 Speaker 4: You know, so Primo says, you should do it, man, 178 00:11:51,240 --> 00:11:54,800 Speaker 4: do the interview. Don't be so shy, and Louise starts 179 00:11:54,840 --> 00:11:55,800 Speaker 4: telling us his. 180 00:11:55,800 --> 00:11:58,880 Speaker 5: Story about how the situation in Ecuador it's kind of 181 00:11:58,880 --> 00:11:59,480 Speaker 5: pretty violent. 182 00:11:59,679 --> 00:12:03,680 Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean, cartel violence has driven a lot of 183 00:12:03,720 --> 00:12:09,199 Speaker 4: the recent immigration out of Ecuador, and it's impacted almost 184 00:12:09,200 --> 00:12:10,600 Speaker 4: every Ecuadorian I've. 185 00:12:10,480 --> 00:12:13,120 Speaker 5: Met here in New York, my family included. 186 00:12:14,520 --> 00:12:17,000 Speaker 4: So NUIs told us he did what so many people 187 00:12:17,120 --> 00:12:19,760 Speaker 4: do in order to come to the US. He hired 188 00:12:19,800 --> 00:12:22,400 Speaker 4: Ako Yode, which is sort of like a guide that 189 00:12:22,559 --> 00:12:26,120 Speaker 4: brings you up through Central America and Mexico to the 190 00:12:26,240 --> 00:12:30,800 Speaker 4: US border. And he paid this guy about twenty thousand 191 00:12:31,120 --> 00:12:40,080 Speaker 4: dollars ana, which is not an uncommon fee to get 192 00:12:40,120 --> 00:12:43,199 Speaker 4: you all the way from South America to the US. 193 00:12:43,920 --> 00:12:46,520 Speaker 5: Coming to the US is expensive, he says, But he 194 00:12:46,600 --> 00:12:50,120 Speaker 5: got here. He crossed the US Mexico border and turned 195 00:12:50,160 --> 00:12:52,600 Speaker 5: himself in, said he needed asylum. 196 00:12:52,960 --> 00:12:59,679 Speaker 4: He comes to New York and pendo, he has this 197 00:13:00,360 --> 00:13:03,560 Speaker 4: thousand dollars debt to the coyote who brought him here. 198 00:13:04,720 --> 00:13:08,320 Speaker 5: So many migrants find themselves in that situation owing a 199 00:13:08,360 --> 00:13:12,160 Speaker 5: lot of money basically to a cartel, and those are 200 00:13:12,440 --> 00:13:14,520 Speaker 5: not people you want to owe money to. 201 00:13:14,920 --> 00:13:18,680 Speaker 4: And keep this in mind. When migrants like Louis arrive, 202 00:13:19,240 --> 00:13:22,120 Speaker 4: they don't have permission to work here legally. 203 00:13:22,800 --> 00:13:25,720 Speaker 5: So Louise he gets a job in construction, but he 204 00:13:25,760 --> 00:13:29,120 Speaker 5: also decides to do street vending gigs. The clock is 205 00:13:29,280 --> 00:13:33,920 Speaker 5: taking every penny and every second count, but. 206 00:13:33,880 --> 00:13:44,319 Speaker 4: He says, there's this one additional pernel. He's really shy, 207 00:13:44,559 --> 00:13:46,479 Speaker 4: so he starts reading this book. 208 00:13:49,920 --> 00:13:56,239 Speaker 5: Atomic Habits by James Clear, a motivational speaker from Ohio. 209 00:13:57,400 --> 00:14:00,640 Speaker 5: Build better habits, eat healthier, and take more risks. Be 210 00:14:00,760 --> 00:14:03,560 Speaker 5: more open, be more of a businessman, grow as a 211 00:14:03,559 --> 00:14:05,479 Speaker 5: person with a challenge yourself. 212 00:14:05,800 --> 00:14:11,080 Speaker 4: It's very Americana meets Ecuadoriana. So when he heard about 213 00:14:11,080 --> 00:14:15,199 Speaker 4: this ecuadorn festival happening at the park today, he thought, 214 00:14:15,920 --> 00:14:20,360 Speaker 4: be a business man, challenge yourself, go sell some ice cream. 215 00:14:20,640 --> 00:14:23,520 Speaker 5: Still, he says, when you got here, he kind of 216 00:14:23,560 --> 00:14:26,600 Speaker 5: froze up, like you gotta stand here and it's hundreds 217 00:14:26,600 --> 00:14:34,040 Speaker 5: of people, really loud music blaring, other vendors yelling over you. 218 00:14:40,640 --> 00:14:43,440 Speaker 5: And then he thought about his aunt when he was 219 00:14:43,480 --> 00:14:46,600 Speaker 5: a kid back in Ecuador, Louise used to sell flowers 220 00:14:46,600 --> 00:14:47,520 Speaker 5: on the street with her. 221 00:14:50,280 --> 00:15:00,680 Speaker 7: A Maria romolavelees, roses, yellow roses, two lips, all kinds 222 00:15:00,680 --> 00:15:05,600 Speaker 7: of tulips, and she would tell him, listen, you can't 223 00:15:05,680 --> 00:15:07,520 Speaker 7: afford to be shy. 224 00:15:08,000 --> 00:15:09,520 Speaker 5: So he says, he repeated this. 225 00:15:09,520 --> 00:15:16,480 Speaker 7: Month, think okay, okay, then ok. 226 00:15:17,720 --> 00:15:21,000 Speaker 5: I gotta keep going. I gotta fight, I gotta go 227 00:15:21,080 --> 00:15:23,960 Speaker 5: back home for my dad one day. I gotta keep going. 228 00:15:24,320 --> 00:15:27,760 Speaker 4: And he took a deep breath and he yelled. 229 00:15:27,440 --> 00:15:33,560 Speaker 2: It, Hello, Hello, hello, allados, Hello those brothers. 230 00:15:33,760 --> 00:15:48,360 Speaker 8: Wellas I'll say, all this ice cream talk is making 231 00:15:48,440 --> 00:15:49,040 Speaker 8: me hungry. 232 00:15:49,560 --> 00:15:50,600 Speaker 5: You want to go get some food. 233 00:15:51,120 --> 00:16:00,440 Speaker 4: Let's go sit down and eat something. Mmm, I'm sure, Like, yeah. 234 00:16:04,560 --> 00:16:07,080 Speaker 5: It's so nice. How today I'm just I'm really glad 235 00:16:07,120 --> 00:16:08,560 Speaker 5: we got to do this today. 236 00:16:09,400 --> 00:16:12,320 Speaker 4: Yeah, it's kind of the perfect day to do this. 237 00:16:12,760 --> 00:16:16,760 Speaker 4: I'm really glad we got out here. I'm just so 238 00:16:16,920 --> 00:16:19,080 Speaker 4: glad that we get to spend a day at the park. 239 00:16:20,840 --> 00:16:26,440 Speaker 4: And I really like So. I'm an immigration reporter and 240 00:16:26,520 --> 00:16:29,920 Speaker 4: I work a lot between I spend time at the 241 00:16:30,120 --> 00:16:32,880 Speaker 4: US Mexico border and then I come back to New York. 242 00:16:33,000 --> 00:16:38,400 Speaker 4: And this last trip to the Mexico border was really hard. 243 00:16:39,160 --> 00:16:41,040 Speaker 4: Is it okay if I talk about something kind of heavy. 244 00:16:42,800 --> 00:16:46,000 Speaker 4: I met a mom who had just crossed and she 245 00:16:46,200 --> 00:16:52,200 Speaker 4: had a toddler. They were actually from Ecorridor, and he 246 00:16:56,520 --> 00:17:01,360 Speaker 4: he was passed out. They had been walking all night 247 00:17:01,520 --> 00:17:05,679 Speaker 4: and he was passed out and something had stung him 248 00:17:05,720 --> 00:17:11,080 Speaker 4: in the eye and he just looked like like like 249 00:17:11,200 --> 00:17:18,200 Speaker 4: someone had beaten the shit out of him, and you know, 250 00:17:18,280 --> 00:17:22,359 Speaker 4: it's it's just She was like, please help me, and 251 00:17:22,480 --> 00:17:27,040 Speaker 4: I flagged down. Eventually, a Border patrol car came by 252 00:17:27,760 --> 00:17:29,800 Speaker 4: and I flagged it down and I was like, hey, 253 00:17:30,119 --> 00:17:33,960 Speaker 4: there's there's a miner. There's I think he's probably like 254 00:17:34,080 --> 00:17:38,760 Speaker 4: five years old. He's passed out, and the guy just 255 00:17:38,880 --> 00:17:44,160 Speaker 4: drove off, and eventually, like an hour later, they came back. 256 00:17:44,359 --> 00:17:48,600 Speaker 4: But we were we were trying to like get this 257 00:17:48,800 --> 00:17:53,359 Speaker 4: kid to like stay awake. This kid looked like like 258 00:17:53,600 --> 00:17:59,560 Speaker 4: Rocky or something. It was bad. And in the next 259 00:17:59,600 --> 00:18:02,800 Speaker 4: couple of days, I like I couldn't cry, and I 260 00:18:02,920 --> 00:18:06,440 Speaker 4: was like, why the fuck can't I cry? And I 261 00:18:06,520 --> 00:18:10,600 Speaker 4: got back to New York and I get back to Queens, 262 00:18:11,400 --> 00:18:15,400 Speaker 4: I take a day off, I go I grab a coffee, 263 00:18:15,520 --> 00:18:17,360 Speaker 4: you know, from those little cars. I'm like, I'm gonna 264 00:18:17,400 --> 00:18:21,399 Speaker 4: go to the park with a coffee this this person, 265 00:18:21,800 --> 00:18:25,880 Speaker 4: the coffee stand person says do you want cream or sugar? 266 00:18:27,800 --> 00:18:32,520 Speaker 4: And I just started sobbing, and I realized a couple 267 00:18:32,600 --> 00:18:39,480 Speaker 4: of things. I realized what an important space a park 268 00:18:39,640 --> 00:18:44,080 Speaker 4: is for me, like a safe space. And I also realized, 269 00:18:44,240 --> 00:18:47,960 Speaker 4: like that mom and that kid, I don't know, like 270 00:18:48,040 --> 00:18:50,680 Speaker 4: I'll never I don't know where they are. I don't 271 00:18:50,720 --> 00:18:53,040 Speaker 4: know they were heading to the Carolinas, I think, But 272 00:18:53,119 --> 00:18:58,399 Speaker 4: you never know, and one day they will get to 273 00:18:58,480 --> 00:19:03,680 Speaker 4: have a picnic a park like this one, you know, 274 00:19:04,160 --> 00:19:07,320 Speaker 4: like they will have a life. I just met them 275 00:19:07,640 --> 00:19:10,440 Speaker 4: on the worst day of their life, and they will 276 00:19:10,520 --> 00:19:14,320 Speaker 4: get to be somewhere like this. It just really made 277 00:19:14,359 --> 00:19:18,480 Speaker 4: me think about I don't want my reporting to just 278 00:19:18,680 --> 00:19:24,760 Speaker 4: be the worst day of immigrants' lives. I also wanted 279 00:19:24,880 --> 00:19:30,879 Speaker 4: to be a normal day or a beautiful day. I'm sorry, 280 00:19:30,960 --> 00:19:35,080 Speaker 4: did I ruin our day at the park. I didn't 281 00:19:35,119 --> 00:19:39,119 Speaker 4: mean to ruin our day at the park. That's why 282 00:19:39,160 --> 00:19:42,000 Speaker 4: I wanted to do this so bad. And to hang 283 00:19:42,080 --> 00:19:42,440 Speaker 4: out with you. 284 00:19:42,760 --> 00:19:44,080 Speaker 5: Yeah, you're cool, Jazmine. 285 00:19:48,200 --> 00:19:49,360 Speaker 4: Do you want to walk a little more? 286 00:19:50,560 --> 00:19:51,560 Speaker 5: Yeah, let's let's go. 287 00:19:51,760 --> 00:20:01,400 Speaker 4: Come on when we come back. This is a very 288 00:20:02,520 --> 00:20:05,360 Speaker 4: attractive park, if you know what I mean. 289 00:20:06,280 --> 00:20:07,919 Speaker 5: Yeah, there's there's a lot of hotty o here. 290 00:20:08,240 --> 00:20:09,560 Speaker 4: It's like Hatti's Park. 291 00:20:10,040 --> 00:20:21,440 Speaker 5: That's coming up. Stay with us, Xavier, Jasmine, code switch? 292 00:20:21,720 --> 00:20:25,080 Speaker 5: Do you want to do one in Spanish? Yeah? I 293 00:20:25,240 --> 00:20:29,560 Speaker 5: mean code switch. It's afternoon now and we just got 294 00:20:29,600 --> 00:20:32,880 Speaker 5: back from this huge Colombian lunch. Jasmine had a nice 295 00:20:33,200 --> 00:20:36,320 Speaker 5: piping hot sun Quolcho. This like fish stew on a 296 00:20:36,400 --> 00:20:38,760 Speaker 5: beautiful summer day, which is odd. 297 00:20:39,240 --> 00:20:43,640 Speaker 4: I regret nothing, okay, And we're now trying. 298 00:20:43,480 --> 00:20:45,040 Speaker 5: To walk this off a little. So we had in 299 00:20:45,119 --> 00:20:46,399 Speaker 5: the direction of the cricket. 300 00:20:46,160 --> 00:20:50,280 Speaker 4: Fields, okay, And can I just say this is a 301 00:20:50,800 --> 00:20:54,399 Speaker 4: very attractive park. And I'm not just talking about the 302 00:20:54,440 --> 00:20:55,080 Speaker 4: fol leadag. 303 00:20:55,720 --> 00:20:58,159 Speaker 5: Yeah, this is this is a very attractive section of 304 00:20:58,200 --> 00:20:58,560 Speaker 5: the park. 305 00:20:59,840 --> 00:21:03,359 Speaker 4: It's like, right now we are looking at some sort 306 00:21:03,400 --> 00:21:09,320 Speaker 4: of mirage of hotness. It's like a group of some 307 00:21:09,480 --> 00:21:13,560 Speaker 4: of the most attractive men I've ever seen in person. 308 00:21:13,840 --> 00:21:16,720 Speaker 4: It's and just lounging on the grass. It's like a 309 00:21:16,840 --> 00:21:17,840 Speaker 4: Calvin Klein. 310 00:21:17,760 --> 00:21:21,359 Speaker 5: Ap And not only that, they're like incredibly well dressed. 311 00:21:25,400 --> 00:21:28,080 Speaker 5: Their shirts are like red with little bits of blue 312 00:21:28,119 --> 00:21:30,879 Speaker 5: and black stripes throughout. It's got this big lion on 313 00:21:30,960 --> 00:21:34,720 Speaker 5: the shoulder with the words Lion Champion spread across the apomen. 314 00:21:35,359 --> 00:21:38,760 Speaker 4: That's the name of the team, the Lion Champions, not 315 00:21:38,920 --> 00:21:39,639 Speaker 4: the hot Boys. 316 00:21:47,040 --> 00:21:48,520 Speaker 2: What's your name is gonna? 317 00:21:52,160 --> 00:21:52,600 Speaker 5: You know that? 318 00:21:52,880 --> 00:21:53,040 Speaker 2: Right? 319 00:21:53,920 --> 00:21:57,040 Speaker 5: Karen and Argent, both from Punjab, do this a lot? 320 00:21:57,400 --> 00:21:58,080 Speaker 5: Interrupt each other. 321 00:21:58,160 --> 00:22:05,879 Speaker 4: Yes, okay, So they're barbecue and chicken and insisting that 322 00:22:06,000 --> 00:22:06,480 Speaker 4: we have some. 323 00:22:08,160 --> 00:22:09,640 Speaker 2: Yeah, I'm ready by eat first. 324 00:22:10,480 --> 00:22:12,160 Speaker 4: You know, we just had a huge lunch. 325 00:22:13,200 --> 00:22:15,520 Speaker 5: But literally I can't say no. I just I wasn't 326 00:22:15,560 --> 00:22:21,840 Speaker 5: raised that way you're from. As we were talking and 327 00:22:21,960 --> 00:22:24,520 Speaker 5: eating chicken, we find out a little bit more about 328 00:22:24,560 --> 00:22:27,800 Speaker 5: the team, and it turns out everyone on this team 329 00:22:28,040 --> 00:22:29,200 Speaker 5: knows each other from back home. 330 00:22:30,040 --> 00:22:33,400 Speaker 2: I feel like a home because all the village are here, 331 00:22:33,600 --> 00:22:36,120 Speaker 2: all that my area is a here. All the friend 332 00:22:36,240 --> 00:22:46,639 Speaker 2: is a hare. So you can call me Ruby, it's 333 00:22:46,680 --> 00:22:48,439 Speaker 2: my nickname Ruby. 334 00:22:48,520 --> 00:22:52,399 Speaker 4: And these guys are six and there's a long history 335 00:22:52,440 --> 00:22:56,240 Speaker 4: of persecution against six in India and the world. 336 00:22:56,960 --> 00:23:01,080 Speaker 2: We are Asylumn secrets here, right, So you can't go back. 337 00:23:01,840 --> 00:23:02,960 Speaker 5: We've got can't go back. 338 00:23:04,800 --> 00:23:05,680 Speaker 4: Miss India. 339 00:23:06,920 --> 00:23:11,200 Speaker 2: Honestly, I don't miss India. Yeah, I just missed my family. 340 00:23:13,240 --> 00:23:13,520 Speaker 8: That's it. 341 00:23:13,960 --> 00:23:19,359 Speaker 5: This is home now, Queens, this park, his friends, all of. 342 00:23:19,400 --> 00:23:24,040 Speaker 2: Our dies here, all our Punjabis, you know. So we 343 00:23:24,240 --> 00:23:28,120 Speaker 2: work five or six six days and we enjoy every Sunday. 344 00:23:29,080 --> 00:23:31,920 Speaker 4: So Ruby says, for now he's driving around New York. 345 00:23:32,440 --> 00:23:34,720 Speaker 2: I knew Uber Uber driver. 346 00:23:35,600 --> 00:23:37,840 Speaker 5: He works out a JFK a lot, picking people up 347 00:23:37,880 --> 00:23:40,080 Speaker 5: at the airport, and he says it's a good gig, 348 00:23:40,600 --> 00:23:42,520 Speaker 5: decent money. But one day, he. 349 00:23:42,600 --> 00:23:46,760 Speaker 2: Says, somebody will pick me ups of him. 350 00:23:46,880 --> 00:23:49,359 Speaker 4: One day he's going to be the one taking the 351 00:23:49,480 --> 00:23:53,040 Speaker 4: vacation and then he'll be getting picked up at the airport. 352 00:23:54,640 --> 00:23:56,400 Speaker 4: He says, he thinks about that day a lot. 353 00:24:00,920 --> 00:24:03,720 Speaker 5: So we're walking towards the volley courts and it looks like. 354 00:24:03,720 --> 00:24:07,040 Speaker 4: There's some kind of event happening. There's a rainbow flag, 355 00:24:07,280 --> 00:24:11,880 Speaker 4: a big trans flag draped across this tent and people 356 00:24:11,920 --> 00:24:12,720 Speaker 4: are dancing. 357 00:24:15,880 --> 00:24:21,199 Speaker 5: I mean, it turns out it's a barbecue held by 358 00:24:21,200 --> 00:24:23,720 Speaker 5: an immigrant rights organization, Make the Road, New York. 359 00:24:27,200 --> 00:24:39,680 Speaker 9: Garcia yu Nadrans Mexicana Principrans Migrantes. 360 00:24:43,720 --> 00:24:45,720 Speaker 2: Quin Eni. 361 00:24:45,760 --> 00:24:48,720 Speaker 5: Garcia is originally from southern Mexico, but she left fifteen 362 00:24:48,760 --> 00:24:49,120 Speaker 5: years ago. 363 00:24:49,520 --> 00:24:52,480 Speaker 4: She's a trans woman, and Mexico can be really difficult 364 00:24:52,640 --> 00:24:54,640 Speaker 4: for trans people, even more so than here. 365 00:24:55,480 --> 00:24:58,720 Speaker 5: So as a teenager, she came to the US to Queens. 366 00:24:59,160 --> 00:25:02,480 Speaker 4: And she built her life here. And then a year 367 00:25:02,520 --> 00:25:06,880 Speaker 4: ago she got the surprise her sister and niece were 368 00:25:06,960 --> 00:25:09,359 Speaker 4: coming to live in Queens. 369 00:25:09,720 --> 00:25:14,040 Speaker 5: And her niece didn't know that is trands at Principio. 370 00:25:20,640 --> 00:25:23,399 Speaker 4: So she started bringing her niece to the park. They 371 00:25:23,480 --> 00:25:26,359 Speaker 4: walk the dog here and they have these really long 372 00:25:26,640 --> 00:25:31,560 Speaker 4: talks in which she explains what it means to be. 373 00:25:34,119 --> 00:25:36,959 Speaker 3: Policando. 374 00:25:42,600 --> 00:25:45,639 Speaker 5: She says something that can seem unremarkable to a lot 375 00:25:45,680 --> 00:25:48,359 Speaker 5: of people, like walking your dog in a park with 376 00:25:48,480 --> 00:25:48,880 Speaker 5: your niece. 377 00:25:49,520 --> 00:25:59,399 Speaker 4: That means a lot to just be out together in public. Okay, 378 00:25:59,440 --> 00:26:02,560 Speaker 4: so now we're walking into the volleyball court area, which 379 00:26:02,680 --> 00:26:03,480 Speaker 4: is packed. 380 00:26:03,840 --> 00:26:07,359 Speaker 5: There are very few things that are certain in life, death, 381 00:26:07,720 --> 00:26:12,200 Speaker 5: Texas and Ecuadorians playing volley I guess I never realized 382 00:26:12,480 --> 00:26:15,720 Speaker 5: that not everyone is into volleyball like us. It was 383 00:26:15,800 --> 00:26:18,520 Speaker 5: just so baked into like all parts of life. There 384 00:26:18,520 --> 00:26:20,600 Speaker 5: were courts at the park, there were courts at the beach, 385 00:26:21,200 --> 00:26:23,240 Speaker 5: and I've noticed more of them now here in Queens. 386 00:26:23,800 --> 00:26:24,000 Speaker 4: Yeah. 387 00:26:24,040 --> 00:26:24,560 Speaker 5: Well, so like. 388 00:26:24,840 --> 00:26:28,920 Speaker 4: Fifty thousand Ecuadorians have arrived to the US in the 389 00:26:29,000 --> 00:26:32,040 Speaker 4: last few decades, and most of them have come to Queens. 390 00:26:32,160 --> 00:26:35,680 Speaker 4: And it's you can really actually see this throughout New York. 391 00:26:35,800 --> 00:26:38,560 Speaker 4: You can kind of trace it in the parks because 392 00:26:39,160 --> 00:26:43,080 Speaker 4: throughout parks in the city you see volleyball courts popping 393 00:26:43,320 --> 00:26:48,879 Speaker 4: up and people playing more and more volleyball. And correct 394 00:26:48,920 --> 00:26:53,280 Speaker 4: me if I'm wrong, but volleyball the courts seem like 395 00:26:53,520 --> 00:26:54,800 Speaker 4: a guy space. 396 00:26:55,000 --> 00:26:58,359 Speaker 5: That feels accurate. There's like fifteen volley courts here, and 397 00:26:58,440 --> 00:27:00,320 Speaker 5: out of all them, I feel like I can only 398 00:27:00,359 --> 00:27:01,480 Speaker 5: see two women playing. 399 00:27:02,480 --> 00:27:03,320 Speaker 2: Like flood. 400 00:27:07,440 --> 00:27:11,120 Speaker 4: So Flo started playing volley because of her husband back 401 00:27:11,160 --> 00:27:14,720 Speaker 4: in Ecuador during the pandemic. She got really into it. 402 00:27:19,760 --> 00:27:22,280 Speaker 4: Arrived in the US around two months ago. 403 00:27:22,960 --> 00:27:25,159 Speaker 5: Like a lot of people in her situation, she and 404 00:27:25,280 --> 00:27:27,920 Speaker 5: her family are living in a room at their cousin's house. 405 00:27:28,840 --> 00:27:31,000 Speaker 5: It's really crowded, she says. 406 00:27:40,200 --> 00:27:43,200 Speaker 4: Her husband has been able to find work, but she can't. 407 00:27:43,640 --> 00:27:45,960 Speaker 4: She's got to stay in the room they rent with 408 00:27:46,240 --> 00:27:48,320 Speaker 4: her two kids, who are toddlers. 409 00:27:59,200 --> 00:28:01,680 Speaker 5: Back in Ecuador, she says that we're always outside with 410 00:28:01,760 --> 00:28:05,960 Speaker 5: her animals, even at night here, she says, there's nothing. 411 00:28:09,240 --> 00:28:12,600 Speaker 4: As we're talking, I noticed that she's digging her hand 412 00:28:12,720 --> 00:28:15,760 Speaker 4: into the dirt and the grass and looking away from us. 413 00:28:16,520 --> 00:28:19,760 Speaker 4: You know, Flood is originally from La Sierra, from the mountains, 414 00:28:20,040 --> 00:28:23,200 Speaker 4: and she says she misses it so much. 415 00:28:26,359 --> 00:28:33,560 Speaker 5: Back she had all kinds of animals, but she loved 416 00:28:33,600 --> 00:28:47,480 Speaker 5: her pigs the most. She even named them Carlo Carlotta 417 00:28:47,680 --> 00:28:51,720 Speaker 5: because she's Gonadota, a big girl. Elisa her daughter's pig, 418 00:28:52,320 --> 00:28:57,800 Speaker 5: Evanna her husband's, and then Florinda, named after herself. And 419 00:28:57,920 --> 00:29:00,360 Speaker 5: it's different here. She says, I can't have a dog 420 00:29:00,560 --> 00:29:04,160 Speaker 5: or a cat. It's a small space. She says, not 421 00:29:04,320 --> 00:29:06,480 Speaker 5: seeing animals really stresses her out. 422 00:29:06,880 --> 00:29:09,440 Speaker 4: So she comes out here on weekends to play volley. 423 00:29:12,880 --> 00:29:15,000 Speaker 5: Now the sun is going down and people at the 424 00:29:15,040 --> 00:29:16,719 Speaker 5: courts start packing it up. 425 00:29:17,720 --> 00:29:20,720 Speaker 4: Florida gets a really sad look on her face. She 426 00:29:20,840 --> 00:29:34,600 Speaker 4: tells us she's got a plan, a dream. In five years, 427 00:29:34,760 --> 00:29:37,480 Speaker 4: she's going to go back to Ecuador, back to the 428 00:29:37,520 --> 00:29:43,240 Speaker 4: open space, back to her animals. Carlotta is probably wondering 429 00:29:43,280 --> 00:29:44,000 Speaker 4: where she went. 430 00:29:55,160 --> 00:30:03,720 Speaker 5: Before we leave, we stop by the Merry Go Round. Okay, sure, 431 00:30:05,720 --> 00:30:08,040 Speaker 5: this is one of the places I remember from like 432 00:30:08,240 --> 00:30:11,080 Speaker 5: my elementary school field trips to the park. Oh man, 433 00:30:11,280 --> 00:30:12,400 Speaker 5: the Merry Go Round. 434 00:30:12,480 --> 00:30:16,280 Speaker 4: It so fun and so many animals to hop onto. 435 00:30:16,960 --> 00:30:19,440 Speaker 5: Yes, but you don't understand you have to choose the 436 00:30:19,560 --> 00:30:21,880 Speaker 5: right one, like are you hopping on a cool horse 437 00:30:22,120 --> 00:30:25,760 Speaker 5: or something that doesn't really move? Like reputations are made 438 00:30:25,800 --> 00:30:26,160 Speaker 5: out here? 439 00:30:26,440 --> 00:30:26,720 Speaker 2: Wow? 440 00:30:27,000 --> 00:30:33,960 Speaker 4: Okay, in front of us, is this kid about to 441 00:30:34,040 --> 00:30:36,480 Speaker 4: get on the carousela all by himself? 442 00:30:36,880 --> 00:30:39,600 Speaker 2: Here are you? 443 00:30:40,960 --> 00:30:42,440 Speaker 5: His name is Michael, So. 444 00:30:42,680 --> 00:30:45,680 Speaker 4: Michael told us he moved here three years ago, and 445 00:30:45,760 --> 00:30:48,400 Speaker 4: he says he comes to this park quite a bit, 446 00:30:48,960 --> 00:30:51,200 Speaker 4: but he's never been on the Merry Go Round and 447 00:30:51,280 --> 00:30:53,920 Speaker 4: he's had his eye on one of the animals, this 448 00:30:54,160 --> 00:30:56,680 Speaker 4: big lion making a roaring face. 449 00:30:58,040 --> 00:31:01,960 Speaker 2: Look on it is a gad. 450 00:31:05,000 --> 00:31:07,920 Speaker 3: Yeah getsa. 451 00:31:08,760 --> 00:31:10,280 Speaker 4: I asked him where he's from. 452 00:31:13,920 --> 00:31:22,760 Speaker 5: Oh me too, I say extreme, Yeah, Michael says, but 453 00:31:22,960 --> 00:31:23,680 Speaker 5: I'm extreme. 454 00:31:24,560 --> 00:31:24,760 Speaker 2: Yeah. 455 00:31:24,800 --> 00:31:25,000 Speaker 3: I know. 456 00:31:25,120 --> 00:31:27,959 Speaker 4: He's like, we're from the same country, but I am 457 00:31:28,480 --> 00:31:33,720 Speaker 4: not a nerd like you. And I asked him, how 458 00:31:33,840 --> 00:31:42,000 Speaker 4: old are you? Eight years old? He says eight extreme years. 459 00:31:43,160 --> 00:31:51,720 Speaker 5: Okay, so we're getting on this Merry Go Round. We 460 00:31:51,800 --> 00:31:52,920 Speaker 5: gotta find where that line. 461 00:31:52,800 --> 00:31:58,680 Speaker 4: Is Michael makes a bee line for this lion. He's 462 00:31:58,760 --> 00:32:03,960 Speaker 4: been waiting, not just waiting. Michael has been training for 463 00:32:04,160 --> 00:32:17,400 Speaker 4: a year. He says, he's been training with his cousin Simon. 464 00:32:18,120 --> 00:32:20,520 Speaker 5: He says he's been doing cart wheels and strength training 465 00:32:20,920 --> 00:32:22,720 Speaker 5: so he can up and ride this line. 466 00:32:25,400 --> 00:32:26,920 Speaker 8: Yeah, mix tremo, no. 467 00:32:29,080 --> 00:32:39,320 Speaker 2: No yaquant docents come on. Okay. 468 00:32:39,400 --> 00:32:42,560 Speaker 4: So, so the Merry Go Around takes off, and it's 469 00:32:42,720 --> 00:32:45,640 Speaker 4: not two hundred miles an hour, but it is. 470 00:32:45,800 --> 00:32:49,360 Speaker 8: Actually it is actually pretty fast. 471 00:32:50,480 --> 00:32:51,360 Speaker 2: I'm not just going a. 472 00:32:56,640 --> 00:32:59,960 Speaker 5: Yeah, So Jasmine, you're not doing so well suddenly. 473 00:33:00,360 --> 00:33:04,800 Speaker 4: Yeah, like the ice cream and chicken combo, and then 474 00:33:05,360 --> 00:33:10,880 Speaker 4: we did have a fish stew. I am. 475 00:33:14,680 --> 00:33:17,680 Speaker 5: At this point, Jasmine asks him, how are you feeling? 476 00:33:18,000 --> 00:33:20,640 Speaker 5: But I think you were more asking for yourself. 477 00:33:24,400 --> 00:33:25,680 Speaker 4: Michael is unfazed. 478 00:33:32,240 --> 00:33:35,480 Speaker 5: It ends, and Michael emerges victorious. He's doing his little 479 00:33:35,520 --> 00:33:39,840 Speaker 5: victory walk off the carousel and we're stumbling behind, still dizzy. 480 00:33:40,400 --> 00:33:43,280 Speaker 4: And for the record, do you want to tell listeners 481 00:33:43,520 --> 00:33:45,239 Speaker 4: For the record, I did not throw up? 482 00:33:45,800 --> 00:33:48,440 Speaker 5: Okay, sure I didn't. 483 00:33:49,960 --> 00:33:54,440 Speaker 4: Outside on a bench, we said with Michael's mother, Stephania. 484 00:34:00,440 --> 00:34:02,640 Speaker 5: Yeah, she tells us he's been asking to come to 485 00:34:02,760 --> 00:34:04,680 Speaker 5: this merry go round for a year and she just 486 00:34:04,800 --> 00:34:05,440 Speaker 5: finally gave in. 487 00:34:06,200 --> 00:34:07,200 Speaker 2: Also soon she got. 488 00:34:10,640 --> 00:34:13,360 Speaker 4: Well, I say, he's been telling us about what a 489 00:34:13,560 --> 00:34:17,840 Speaker 4: brave boy he is. He is, she answers. 490 00:34:19,200 --> 00:34:19,560 Speaker 2: Nico. 491 00:34:21,719 --> 00:34:23,799 Speaker 5: She starts to tell us the story of how three 492 00:34:23,880 --> 00:34:27,200 Speaker 5: years ago she and Michael picked up the Mufftakuador. 493 00:34:28,080 --> 00:34:29,240 Speaker 2: The Mexico. 494 00:34:30,920 --> 00:34:31,240 Speaker 3: Para. 495 00:34:33,840 --> 00:34:35,960 Speaker 5: The two of them made it to the border. Michael 496 00:34:36,040 --> 00:34:39,640 Speaker 5: was five. They swam across the Rio Grande and asked 497 00:34:39,640 --> 00:34:40,160 Speaker 5: for asylum. 498 00:34:40,880 --> 00:34:42,320 Speaker 4: I ask if he got scared. 499 00:34:43,320 --> 00:34:53,640 Speaker 5: Yes, no, she says. He acted like it was walk 500 00:34:53,719 --> 00:34:54,160 Speaker 5: in the park. 501 00:34:54,880 --> 00:34:59,880 Speaker 2: Heberota mas mas pela. 502 00:35:04,960 --> 00:35:05,840 Speaker 8: Let me see. 503 00:35:07,960 --> 00:35:11,120 Speaker 6: Ee see. 504 00:35:11,960 --> 00:35:14,200 Speaker 4: She soas since they made the journey to the US, 505 00:35:14,600 --> 00:35:17,799 Speaker 4: they are always together except when she works or he's 506 00:35:17,880 --> 00:35:21,000 Speaker 4: in school. She has a job in construction, which, by 507 00:35:21,000 --> 00:35:23,120 Speaker 4: the way, a lot of migrant women have been doing that. 508 00:35:23,640 --> 00:35:29,719 Speaker 4: And then Michael interrupts in pretty much perfect English, like 509 00:35:30,360 --> 00:35:35,680 Speaker 4: like like my teacher speaks both language, but he speaks 510 00:35:35,760 --> 00:35:36,840 Speaker 4: the bull language. 511 00:35:37,760 --> 00:35:39,600 Speaker 2: Oh wow, you're English. It's really good. 512 00:35:41,760 --> 00:35:45,520 Speaker 4: I could have done this whole interview in English. That's you. 513 00:35:46,000 --> 00:35:47,320 Speaker 8: That's the language is that. 514 00:35:47,640 --> 00:35:50,719 Speaker 2: It's hard to control, but I control her a. 515 00:35:50,800 --> 00:35:55,840 Speaker 4: Really good Stephanie is watching him. She's tearing up that 516 00:35:55,960 --> 00:35:57,480 Speaker 4: she watches her son talk. 517 00:36:03,360 --> 00:36:07,040 Speaker 8: You pass. 518 00:36:10,280 --> 00:36:14,040 Speaker 5: I'm so proud of him, my son. I tell him, 519 00:36:14,200 --> 00:36:16,919 Speaker 5: I prefer he's speaking English. That way I can learn 520 00:36:16,920 --> 00:36:17,279 Speaker 5: from him. 521 00:36:17,760 --> 00:36:23,439 Speaker 2: I have travel ever, doesn't trouble ever, ever, not ever. 522 00:36:25,120 --> 00:36:29,120 Speaker 5: Wow, A very brave man. Yeah. 523 00:36:31,880 --> 00:36:34,600 Speaker 4: I asked Michael if he would do it again. The 524 00:36:34,719 --> 00:36:38,360 Speaker 4: carousels miles. 525 00:36:38,360 --> 00:36:38,840 Speaker 3: The beast is. 526 00:36:40,800 --> 00:36:42,560 Speaker 4: A thousand times, he says. 527 00:36:48,239 --> 00:36:51,680 Speaker 5: As we're walking out the park, it's nighttime. People are 528 00:36:51,719 --> 00:36:52,160 Speaker 5: going home. 529 00:36:52,480 --> 00:36:55,960 Speaker 4: Street vendors are selling the last remaining bits of food 530 00:36:56,200 --> 00:36:59,799 Speaker 4: and cleaning their gear. Volleyball nuts are coming down. 531 00:37:01,080 --> 00:37:03,960 Speaker 5: Tomorrow everyone will go back to the grind, back to 532 00:37:04,000 --> 00:37:09,600 Speaker 5: the construction job, the kitchen, the uber, the asylum application, back. 533 00:37:09,480 --> 00:37:13,120 Speaker 4: To dreaming of going back home one day, or dreaming 534 00:37:13,200 --> 00:37:14,879 Speaker 4: of never having to go back home. 535 00:37:16,480 --> 00:37:19,200 Speaker 5: But just for today, everyone got their day in the park. 536 00:37:28,239 --> 00:37:31,200 Speaker 5: And that's our show. You can follow us on Instagram 537 00:37:31,480 --> 00:37:34,279 Speaker 5: at NPR code Switch. If email is more your thing, 538 00:37:34,520 --> 00:37:37,759 Speaker 5: ours is code Switch at NPR dot org and subscribe 539 00:37:37,760 --> 00:37:39,920 Speaker 5: to the podcast on the NPR app or wherever you 540 00:37:40,000 --> 00:37:42,480 Speaker 5: get your podcasts. You can also subscribe to the code 541 00:37:42,480 --> 00:37:45,879 Speaker 5: Switch newsletter by going to NPR dot org slash code 542 00:37:45,920 --> 00:37:47,319 Speaker 5: Switch newsletter, and. 543 00:37:47,440 --> 00:37:50,200 Speaker 4: Just a reminder that signing up for code Switch Plus 544 00:37:50,400 --> 00:37:53,160 Speaker 4: is a great way to support our show and public 545 00:37:53,280 --> 00:37:58,000 Speaker 4: media and you'll get to listen to every episode sponsor free, 546 00:37:58,480 --> 00:38:01,920 Speaker 4: So please go find out more at plus dot NPR 547 00:38:02,160 --> 00:38:04,360 Speaker 4: dot org slash code Switch. 548 00:38:04,719 --> 00:38:08,600 Speaker 5: This episode was produced by me, Jasmine Garst, Margaret Serino, 549 00:38:08,800 --> 00:38:12,480 Speaker 5: and Christina Cola. It was edited by Courtney Stein and Liadanella. 550 00:38:12,920 --> 00:38:14,440 Speaker 5: Our engineer was James. 551 00:38:14,320 --> 00:38:16,800 Speaker 4: Wlitz and a big shout out to the rest of 552 00:38:16,880 --> 00:38:22,280 Speaker 4: the code Switch Massive Jess Kung, Jasmine Bromelo, Daalia Mordella, 553 00:38:22,760 --> 00:38:27,360 Speaker 4: Verlyn Williams, b A Parker, Lori Lisarraga, and Jeane Danby. 554 00:38:27,760 --> 00:38:30,040 Speaker 5: I'm Xavier Lopez and Jasmine Garst. 555 00:38:30,560 --> 00:38:36,000 Speaker 4: Take care, Queen, said chi Quos, who wrote this. We 556 00:38:36,160 --> 00:38:36,640 Speaker 4: both did.