Enrique’s Journey Characters

Enrique and Maria Isabel's daughter. For her sake, Maria Isabel decides to leave Honduras and join Enrique in the U.S..

Enrique's protector in Nuevo Laredo and smuggler across the Rio Grande. His network enables Enrique to safely enter the U.S. and find his mother.

Belky is Enrique's older sister. Left by her mother when she was already an adolescent, she struggles to understand her abandonment. She focuses on school and does not attempt to find her mother alone, as Enrique does.

Luis, Enrique's father, takes Enrique in after his grandmother kicks him out of the house. Unfortunately, their attachment is short-lived. Luis finds another woman and leaves Enrique to start a new family.

Enrique's paternal grandmother, Maria, who raises Enrique. However, she kicks him out when he becomes an angry and rebellious adolescent.

Lourdes' brother becomes a sort of father figure to Enrique. Sadly, he is killed by bandits when he is working as a money changer.

Lourdes' sister, who leaves her children behind in Honduras and comes to live with Lourdes.

Diana is Lourdes' youngest daughter, who is born in the United States.

Lourdes' first boyfriend in the U.S. is Santos. He is the father of her child Diana, but is not around to raise her. He has a severe drinking problem, and eventually abandons Lourdes and returns to Honduras.

Enrique's aunt, from whom he steals a piece of jewelry to pay a debt to his drug dealer.

Another of Enrique's aunts, whom he kicks. His bad behavior results in him being kicked off the family property.

The field hand who helps Enrique when he is wounded in Oaxaca.

The leader of the Shelter of Jesus the Good Shepherd in Tapachula.

Maria Isabel’s mother, who cares for Jasmin after Maria leaves Honduras to join Enrique in the United States.

A priest and advocate for migrants in Nuevo Laredo.

Enrique's friend, who joins him on his first, failed attempt to go north.

Nazario's housekeeper, Carmen, inspires her to write a story about immigrant mothers and their children.

Carmen's son, who comes to the U.S., unannounced, to find his mother and learn if she still loves him.

A man whom Nazario interviews about the Mexican government’s treatment of migrants from Central America traveling through Mexico.

A woman whom Nazario interviews about the Mexican government’s treatment of migrants from Central America traveling through Mexico.

A brick maker in Mexico City who gives Enrique a job, food, clothing, and instructions for the best way to get to the border with the United States while avoiding immigration officials.

A trucker who picks up Enrique as he hitchhikes the last part of his journey in Mexico, to Nuevo Laredo. The trucker tells immigration officials that Enrique is his assistant, allowing Enrique to pass through checkpoints.

Enrique>/span>'s maternal grandmother, Lourdes's mother. Enrique lives with her for a while in Honduras but as he becomes addicted to drugs she has him live in a hut behind her house.