It took almost a month for Eli Ramirez to make it to this country. A native of Guatemala, he was smuggled through Mexico in the transport tank of a fuel truck, he was stranded in the desert, and forced to drink his own urine to survive. But just 24 hours after he made it to Chicago, he found himself at Charlie Trotters—one of the most exclusive, expensive, and fanciest restaurants in the country—a place unlike anything he'd ever seen before (4 minutes).
If you'd like to read more about Eli, his story is featured in the new book An Immigrant Class: Oral Histories from Chicago's Newest Immigrants, by Jeff Libman.
More in Immigration
Act One: The Sudden Departure
When a small town loses 100 people in just a few hours, kids come home to find their parents missing.
Act One: Where Have You Gone, Barbara Jordan? Our Nation Turns Its Lonely Eyes to You
Back in the 1990s, a bipartisan team led by the charismatic Barbara Jordan came up with a solution to the immigration debate that would have fixed a lot the things we’re arguing about today.
Act One: In Praise of Limbo
There is a library that's on the border of Canada and the United States — literally on the border, with part of the library in each country.
Staff Recommendations
Mistakes Were Made
Freezing dead people so scientists can reanimate them in the future is a lot harder than it sounds.
Abdi and the Golden Ticket
A story about someone who's desperately trying – against long odds – to make it to the United States and become an American.