Provides a collection of oral histories that tells--in their own words--the stories of young refugees fleeing countries in Central America and traveling for hundreds of miles to seek safety and protection in the United States. Fifteen narrators describe why they fled their homes, what happened on their dangerous journeys through Mexico, how they crossed the borders, and for some, their ongoing struggles to survive in the United States.

Nobody wanted me /Soledad Castillo, Honduras -- One day, I want to be like my father / Josué Nieves, El Salvador -- I was made to do things I didn't want to do / Gabriel Méndez, Honduras -- You ride on top of the Beast and are totally exposed / Jhony Chuc, Guatemala -- People fought over land and water / Noemi Tun, Guatelmala -- Before a village like ours was so beautiful, and suddenly things were ruined / Isabel Vásquez, El Salvador -- He'd break down doors and come through the windows, or, if not, from the roof, up the fire escape / Danelia Silva, El Salvador -- I was solito, solito. I decided to cross by myself / Adrin Cruz, Guatemala -- The US immigration police herded us into cars and drove us to la hielera, the freezer / Pedro Hernandez, Guatemala -- For eighteen years I've wandered from the bottom to the top of North America, trying to change my life / Cristhian Molina, Honduras -- We walked for days, through the jungle, risking our lives, not meeting anyone / Rose Cuevas, El Salvador -- I'm the only one still alive / Ernesto González, Honduras -- When I slept, there were cameras on four sides / Julio Zavala, Honduras -- Maybe I'll transfer to the university next year as planned, or maybe I'll be deported back to Guatemala / Ismael Xol, Guatemala -- Only by leaving my studies could I work to pay him back / Itzel Tzab, Guatemala -- Ten things you can do -- Historical timeline.