>> IN THE POLITICS SURROUNDING MIGRATIONS INTO THE UNITED STATES, THE JOURNEY IS OFTEN IN QUESTION.

BUT CHILDREN OF MIGRANTS TYPICALLY HAVE NO SAY.

OUR NEXT GUEST SAYS THOSE PEOPLE MATTER.

SHE DESCRIBES THE MIGRANT JOURNEY THROUGH HER OWN EYES.

AS A CHILD COMING TO HER NEW HOME.

SHE JOINS US NOW.

THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.

DESCRIBE THE STORY THE BOOK TELLS.

>> IT IS MY STORY OF CROSSING THE BORDER FROM MEXICO TO GET TO CHICAGO.

>> HALLOWEEN NIGHT , ON HALLOWEEN NIGHT, YOU WERE DRESSED AS A PRINCESS.

WHY DID YOUR MOTHER DRESS YOU AS A PRINCESS?

>> I AM VERY FAIR SKINNED.

MY SISTER AS WELL.

WE WERE ADVISED , WE HAD NEVER CELEBRATED HALLOWEEN IN MEXICO , WE CELEBRATE THE DAY OF THE DEAD.

SHE WAS TOLD , IF WE GET PULLED OVER, YOU ARE THE NANNY AND TAKING THEM TO A HALLOWEEN PARTY.

IT HAPPENED, WE WERE PULLED OVER BUT WE HAD OUR HALLOWEEN COSTUMES AND NO ONE SAID A WORD.

>> THAT IS A VERY INTERESTING FAMILY DYNAMIC.

YOU AND YOUR SISTER ARE VERY FAIR COMPLECTED.

BLUE EYES AND BLOND HAIR.

YOUR MOTHER PRETENDED SHE WAS A NANNY.

>> MY MOTHER IS NOT AS FAIR SKINNED.

I THINK THAT IT GOES TO SHOW, ON THE SPECTRUM OF UNDOCUMENTED, WE DO NOT LOOK THE SAME.

THERE IS SO MUCH RANGE.

>> WHY DID YOU WRITE THE BOOK?

>> FIRST , I WROTE THE BOOK BECAUSE I WAS LOOKING TO GET SOMETHING TO MY MOTHER , HER STORY, THOSE STORIES ABOUT THIS WAS WRITTEN NOT BY US BUT I HAD THE IDEA TO TELL OUR STORY.

WHEN SHE TOLD ME THE REALITY OF CROSSING THE BORDER, HER VERSION WAS ENTIRELY DIFFERENT.

I REMEMBERED THIS MAGICAL JOURNEY , GETTING DRESSED UP LIKE A PRINCESS TO ARRIVE IN CHICAGO.

LANDING IN AN AIRPLANE.

SEEING MY FATHER FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A YEAR OR TWO AT THAT POINT.

IT WAS MAGICAL TO ME , SHE WAS CROSSING THE BORDER WITH THREE CHILDREN , BEING LED BY 18-YEAR-OLD.

HOPING FOR THE BEST.

A FIVE HOUR JOURNEY, LANDING IN THE BACKYARD , HOPING FOR THE MERCY OF OUR COMMUNITY.

OVER TIME , WE MET UP WITH MY FATHER AGAIN.

>> YOU SAY THE STORY IS ABOUT CHILDREN , WHY IS IT IMPORTANT FOR CHILDREN TO KNOW YOUR STORY?

>> SO MANY NARRATIVES ARE OUT THERE.

ONE, CHILDREN NEED TO BE TOLD ABOUT THE STORY SO THEY CAN SEE THEMSELVES IN A POSITIVE LIGHT.

THAT IS NOT THE END OF IT.

NOT HAVING CITIZENSHIP DOES NOT MEAN FULL STOP.

YOU CAN PUSH FORWARD.

WHETHER YOU THINK YOU CAN OR YOU CANNOT -- >> THIS BEGINS WITH YOUR JOURNEY IN MEXICO, HERE YOU ARE WITH YOUR MOTHER.

I TAKE IT YOU ARE HOLDING HER FATHER'S HAND ?

>> THAT IS RIGHT.

>> THE ILLUSTRATOR IS UNDOCUMENTED.

>> SHE IS FROM MEXICO CITY.

SHE LIVES IN PUEBLO, SHE HAS TRAVELED TO CHICAGO BUT NOW IS BACK IN MEXICO.

WHEN I WAS LOOKING FOR AN ILLUSTRATOR, IMPORTANT IT WAS A WOMAN AND WHO KNEW THE STORY, SHE ABSOLUTELY DID.

>> THIS IS AIMED FOR CHILDREN , LOOKING AT THE PICTURE, WHAT YOU WANT PEOPLE TO TAKE AWAY FROM THIS?

>> UNDERSTAND THE INNOCENCE OF CHILDREN FOLLOWING THE FAMILY.

ASIDE FROM THE PART -- WHETHER IT IS A GOOD CHOICE OR A BAD CHOICE, YOU ARE FOLLOWING YOUR HEART, FOLLOWING HER PARENTS, YOU DON'T KNOW BETTER , IT IS IMPORTANT TO HUMANIZE THESE CHILDREN AND FAMILIES.

>> MARGARITA , THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING YOUR STORY.

>> THANK YOU.

>> THE BOOK IS CALLED