In the Midst of Winter

Evelyn relays the devastating story of her early life in Guatemala to Richard and Lucia. She emigrated to the U.S. from the town of Monja Blanca del Valle under the care of her grandmother, Concepcion Montoya. Concepcion raised Evelyn along with her two brothers, Gregorio and Andres, after their father disappeared and their mother Miriam emigrated to Chicago. Miriam was one of the many migrants who left Guatemala to earn money in the U.S. to send to family back home.

The civil war in Guatemala, which raged from 1960-1996, limited job opportunities for the populace. Gregorio became a drug user and eventually joined MS-13 (the Mara Salvatrucha gang), as many young men who remained in the country did. While Gregorio was able to earn money through the gang, Concepcion refused to accept anything that came from illegal activities, severing the relationship between them. Gregorio was eventually found murdered and hung with a sign that said that “this [is] how traitors and their families [die]” (49). After seeing her brother’s dead body, Evelyn developed a permanent stammer. Terrified for their lives, Andres arranged with Miriam to secure a guide and travel documents that would allow all of them to migrate to the U.