A Perilous Journey: Economics students witness the challenges of migration in Mexico
A group of migrants at a shelter near Puebla, Mexico, sat in a circle of chairs and stared nervously across at five students from Eva Dziadula's Economics of Immigration class and a few other Notre Dame students studying abroad there.
The migrants were nearly all young men from Honduras. How could they describe the harrowing decision to leave their families and homes or the tortuous trip of thousands of miles on top of dangerous freight trains to get to the border of the United States?
Finally, one took the lead and spoke up.
José said he hopes to do carpentry and painting in the U.S. to provide money for his family. At home, he said, he can't make much money no matter how hard he works, and if he saves anything, it's usually stolen. He was making his third attempt without a “coyote” guide, which can cost thousands of dollars he doesn't have.
Asked about dangers on the trip, José shed some tears talking about the violence they face from Mexican authorities and gangs that often rob or beat the migrants. He said they just want to help their families and hope to be treated like human beings.
The students listened in empathetic silence. Then Jack Kelly, a junior studying pre-health and English, responded in his best Spanish.
“Thank you for sharing your story,” Kelly said. “You deserve respect, both as a person and as someone willing to do whatever it takes to help your family. I'm sorry for what you've had to go through.”
With little more solace to offer, the students stood and shook hands with each migrant in the circle. This kind of face-to-face interaction is exactly why Dziadula brings groups of Notre Dame students to Puebla and Mexico City to witness the journey at its midway point—in a course that focuses on the economic factors and outcomes at the start and end of the volatile subject of immigration.
Latest Colleges & Schools
- ND Ethics Week explores business and sustainabilityThe annual Ethics Week series, sponsored by the Mendoza College of Business, brings in experts from diverse perspectives to explore current ethics-related issues.
- PAM-M partners with civil society in baseline report, shedding light on Bangsamoro peace process in the PhilippinesThe Peace Accords Matrix-Mindanao (PAM-M) project, part of the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies within the Keough School of Global Affairs at the University of Notre Dame, released a civil society baseline report detailing progress and challenges in the Bangsamoro peace process in the Philippines.
- Undersecretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development to deliver Keeley Vatican LectureRev. Msgr. Anthony Onyemuche Ekpo, undersecretary of the Vatican's Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, will deliver the Keeley Vatican Lecture on Monday (Feb. 10) at 5 p.m. at the University of Notre Dame.
- Liam O’Connor selected as 2025 Richard H. Driehaus Prize Laureate at the University of Notre Dame; Philippe Rotthier wins Henry Hope Reed AwardLiam O’Connor has been named the recipient of the 2025 Richard H. Driehaus Prize in honor of his lifelong dedication to and outstanding achievements in creating distinctive private, public and civic projects. In conjunction with the Driehaus Prize, Philippe Rotthier was named the next Henry Hope Reed Award laureate for his lifelong success in elevating new traditional architecture and urbanism to public prominence.
- Aspects of marriage counseling may hold the key to depolarizing, unifying the country, study findsResearch has shown that polarization undermines democracy by driving citizens to prioritize partisan preferences over democratic principles, encourages democratic gridlock and threatens democratic attitudes and norms, such as tolerance for opposition. A recent study from the University of Notre Dame found that “reciprocal group reflection” — an intervention inspired by marriage counseling — helped reduce affective polarization among opposing political parties.
- Nanovic Institute awards 2025 Laura Shannon Prize to Megan Brown, author of ‘The Seventh Member State’The Nanovic Institute for European Studies, part of the Keough School of Global Affairs at the University of Notre Dame, has awarded the 2025 Laura Shannon Prize in Contemporary European Studies to Megan Brown, associate professor of history at Swarthmore College, for her book “The Seventh Member State,” published by Harvard University Press.