The Diary of Joaquín Magón Entry 22: The Deportation Chronicles, Part 1
The year 2012 has come to a close and the numbers of those removed from the United States are released – 409,849 individuals caught, trapped, nabbed, thrown into the patty wagon and kicked out with a boot – a record high.
For the Eastern Coachella Valley (ECV), it’s no surprise. It’s what makes the ECV so unique – the normalization, the desensitization of deportations. Think about that word. Deported. DE-POR-TED. It’s a horrible word and a horrible experience. To outsiders, the Coachella Valley conjures up fuzzy thoughts of a crazy concert or country clubs with golf courses and swimming pools.
But the Coachella Valley that I know is the Coachella Valley of deportation. The following are the stories of four people I am lucky to know. I am sharing their stories in an unconventional manner, over three installments of The Diary of Joaquín Magón. Hopefully, I will do them justice. Read on.
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