Juana Mendez
Portrait by: Leopoldo Peña
23. Wings to Fly
“In my heart I am American. I said the Pledge of Allegiance every day in school with every other kid in my class … In my heart Tulare is my home, and I pray that one day I’ll be able to go back home … Many times, I walk to the beach here in TJ [Tijuana], and look over at San Diego, feeling like my chest is crushing in my heart. Every breath I take feels like I can’t even breathe. It’s an indescribable feeling. Even though I am free I still feel imprisoned, standing on this side of a fence, wishing I could fly. If only I could fly.”