Luis Gutierrez

Miguel Salas: "I saw and heard so many tragedies, people attacked with knives, a woman without a leg because she fell from a train...."

During the first months of El Chaparral Migrant Camp, when most of the settlers were Central Americans recently arrived, Miguel Salas found himself surrounded by nothing but brothers and sisters, as he puts it. He was one of the few Mexicans that like the Central Americans were asking for refuge in the United States.

As a migrant in his own county and displaced from his home village – Amaculí in Durango. Miguel was touched by the stories he heard from Central Americans and all the refugee seekers in El Chaparral.

“I felt like equals with them, we are all humans, you know. But they have suffered more because they had to cross three borders as my corrido (ballad) says,” Miguel explained. "I saw and heard so many tragedies, people attacked with knives, a woman without a leg because she fell from a train, or people that died on their way here."

Last year and after months of waiting in Mexico, Salas' wife, son, and daughter are in the U.S., but he has to remain in Tijuana because in 1996 he tried to cross the border illegally and was caught. Now he is looking for pardon and meanwhile works as a construction laborer.

“My dream is to be heard by Biden’s government and get my pardon, then sing my songs there (in the U.S.). I have more than 100 songs that talk about all kinds of stuff, but nothing about cartels. I wrote one called “The Flight of the Bird," about how birds can cross the borders but we humans can’t."

Salas said his song was written in not much than five minutes.

Salas: "I have more than 100 corridos, but nothing about cartels."

Luis Gutierrez

“I want to make a record of my songs. Unfortunately, I live day to day and can't afford the 15 thousand pesos to pay for a studio. But then I met Judith from Border Line Crisis Center and she took care of all the expenses for me to record my migrant songs.”

Judith: “When I heard the song I got pretty excited, I liked his lyrics. My family is from Sinaloa and despite cartel culture being so strong within the corridos culture, I like how corridos tell stories through the music. So, I think it is really important that they sing about themselves or talk about themselves, and not just an artist that doesn't even know what is to be a migrant.”

Sample of Miguel Salas' song lyrics:

• Because in our countries there’s unimaginable violence
• The rich now have all the power and it's tough to make progress
• There’s no work anywhere and if you succeed
• The cartels and maras gangs want you dead.

• Hondurans, Haitians suffering, Mexicans, Salvadorians,
• Cubans and Guatemalans are crying to cross over
• The only thing we ask you Joe Biden is in your land being able to work.
• We ask refuge in your country – that’s what made us travel this far.