Musical Monday: Tres Veces Mojado

After a life of suffering from which they've fled, only to face a journey filled with pain that they never could have imagined, to finally arrive in the United States must seem miraculous. That they're now faced with still more suffering here, in the form of racist hatred, scorn and mistreatment, and raids by our Department of Homeland Security, is a shame on our country once known as a beacon of hope and prosperity for all who reach for the dream of living without fear.

With no sign of bitterness or hate, Los Tigres del Norte humbly sing of the suffering faced by migrants as they travel through Mexico.  Mexicans themselves, Los Tigres have been telling the immigrant story through their corridos for over 20 years.

Cuando me vine de mi tierra el salvador
con la intencion de llegar a estados unidos
sabia que necesitaria mas que valor
sabia que a lo mejor quedaba en el camino

Son tres fronteras las que tuve que cruzar
por tres paises anduve indocumentado
tres veces tuve yo la vida que arriesgar
por eso dicen que soy tres veces mojado

En guatemala y mexico cuando cruce
dos veces me salve me hicieran prisionero
el mismo idioma y el color les reflexioné
¿como es posible que me llamen extranjero?

En centroamerica dado su situacion
tanto politica como economicamente
ya para muchos no hay otra solucion
que abandonar su patria tal vez para siempre.

El mexicano da 2 pasos y ahi esta,
hoy lo echan y al siguiente dia esta de regreso,
eso es un lujo que no me puedo dar
sin que me maten o que me lleven preso.

Es lindo mexico pero cuanto sufri
atravesarlo sin papeles es muy duro
los 5 mil kilometros que recorri
puedo decir que los recuerdo uno por uno

Por arizona me dijeron cruzaras
y que me aviente por el medio del desierto
por suerte un mexicano al que llamaban juan
me dio la mano que si no estubiera muerto

Ahora que al fin logre la legalizacion
lo que sufri lo he recuperado con creces
a los mojados les dedico mi cancion
y los que igual que yo son mojados tres veces

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When I came from my land El Salvador
with the intention of arriving in the United States
I knew that I would need more than courage
I knew I'd better stick to the road

There were three borders I had to cross
Across three countries I walked undocumented
Three times I had to risk my life
That's why they say I'm three times a wetback

In Guatemala and Mexico when I crossed
Twice I saved myself, they made me a prisoner
The same language and the same color I reflect to them
How is it possible that they call me a foreigner?

In Central America, given their political and economic situation
for many there's no other solution but to abandon their country
perhaps forever

The Mexican makes two passes and there he is
today they throw him out and the next day he returns
this is a luxury I can't have without them killing or imprisoning me

Mexico is lovely but how I suffered
crossing it without papers is very hard
the 5,000 kilometers that I traveled
I can tell you I remember each and every one

They told me, you'll cross Arizona
and I pushed myself to the middle of the desert
by luck a Mexican guy they call Juan
gave me a hand, and if he hadn't
I'd be dead

And now at last I'm legal
I've recovered fully from that which I suffered
I dedicate my song to all the wetbacks
and to those who are also wetbacks three times