When I asked my dad if he knew anything about the Tijuana garbage dumps, this is what he had to say.

"Yeah, I've heard of it. People actually live there. There's a lot of abandoned kids and orphan kids. There's no prospects. They don't have money, no connections, no education...so you're pretty much stuck in there..."

My dad grew up in the city, the Federal District, El D.F. He has a pretty good idea of the dumps. But reading this book literally gave me chills, made me cry, and made me take a step back and think of how lucky I really am. So naturally, I had to tell him about Across the Wire. I showed him certain passages and even he got teary eyed. The intense description, heartbreaking experiences, and intense poverty these people face is unimaginable. I felt like helping them even though they weren't my family. But they are mi gente. It is really unfortunate that we get caught up so much in life that we really forget to appreciate the basic necessities. A hot shower, a good hot meal, soda, cold water, a bed...I could go on and on.

I don't consider myself very religious but even I had my moment of thanking God for what I have and praying for those who didn't have what they needed. I have kept them in my prayers now knowing what really happens across the border. It's so haunting and so descriptive.

After my dad finishes his homework, we are going to call our family in Mexico. Even though my family doesn't live in the garbage dumps, it did make us think and miss our family over there.