Crossing the line- Coming to the United States

After her father secured a job as a smelter in Douglas, Arizona, Concepcion and her mother made the journey to the United States. As they lived in Cananea, which is about 54 miles by road to the United States border, they didn’t have to travel very far. They crossed to the United States through Agua Prieta, with Douglas Arizona mirrored across the border.

Concepcion doesn’t remember much of the trip. What she does recall is that they mostly walked, as they really didn’t know anybody who had an automobile at that time. In addition to walking, Concepcion rode a horse part of the way to the border, or as Concepcion calls it, the line. Back then, Concepcion recalls, the border was just a line, there wasn’t really any fence, or wall or complex customs system. The closest thing to customs that Concepcion went through on her journey to Douglas was having her father answer questions that they encountered by Immigration when they reached the line.

After crossing the line, her family settled into Douglas Arizona.

Douglas- Childhood and education at Salamale School

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