They come pouring off the highway, salt caked to their faces, thousands of them. It looks like some will need medical assistance. Hopefully they have family waiting for them. If not, perhaps they made a friend along the way who can provide support. Some volunteers hand out shawls, others bread, fruit and water. This is the finish line of the NYC Marathon in precisely one week.
The technological advancements allowing for aerial images to be shot and captured from the sky provides for eerie parallels between the NYC Marathon and the current Migrant Caravan. Thousands of people in line. What are they waiting for? In ¡Presente! Diana Taylor says “The walkers do not see the goal clearly ahead of them. They follow the promise that they will recognize the place when they come to it” (Taylor, 38).
One crosses a border and fears for their life. The other jumps over a finish line and can rest easy. One withholds their name for fear of being traced, so long that their original name gets forgotten along the way. The other holds a medal and is interviewed by the press, proud that they made it, proud of the strength, proud of their legacy.
“In the migrant caravan, the lucky ones manage to hitchhike. Others have to walk a marathon or more each day as they head to the United States” (CNN).
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