Teenage Diaries Revisited Listen to Juan's diary 16 years later »

Looking at the Rio Grande

Juan and his family crossed the Rio Grande illegally into Texas in 1992. Now they live in a poor community just this side of the U.S.-Mexican border. This story originally aired on NPR’s All Things Considered in 1996.

Back to Mexico

In Juan’s second audio diary, he travels back to Mexico to visit his dying grandfather. This is his first time back since he immigrated to the United States.

“I search in my pockets and I find, you know, some money and I say, ‘Well, you know, now I can help out, you know.’ And he just laugh. And I say, ‘Why are you laughing?’ He says, ‘Well, I never expect you to give me some money, ’cause it’s like it was yesterday when you were a kid, and everything.’ And then, I still remember the smile on his face. He kept saying that he was proud of me. He was proud, you know?”

This story aired on All Things Considered in 1997.