¡Hola, mis estudiantes intermedios! Today we’re going to explore a very sad topic: the drama of those Latinos who are being deported from the United States.
You’ll hear an excerpt from a video on the Univision Noticias YouTube channel (uploaded December 26, 2025):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SL5ZNOkDeso
Since this post is aimed at intermediate students, I’ve selected only parts of the audio and added a transcription, translation, and lots of explanations to make it much easier. And interactive games!!! Plus, I have more homework to send you.
Let’s get started!
IMPORTANTE: Este sitio web es exclusivamente para fines educativos y está dirigido sólo a mis estudiantes. Aunque mi sitio web está disponible en internet, el contenido es de uso privado para mis alumnos. No tengo la intención de infringir ningún derecho de autor y siempre proporciono enlaces a las publicaciones originales. Siempre adapto estas obras con un enfoque educativo, sin fines comerciales.
El desconsuelo1 es evidente para los cientos de guatemaltecos que están siendo retornados [too formal; more natural: deportados].
The despair is evident for the hundreds of Guatemalans who are being deported.
Este grupo llega a Guatemala procedente de2 Tennessee. La mayoría fueron detenidos por migración cuando regresaban de su trabajo.
This group arrives in Guatemala coming from Tennessee. Most were detained by immigration [authorities] when they were returning from their work.
[Hombre no identificado] “Acá vengo con la frente en alto3 porque andábamos4 trabajando, y no andábamos haciendo cosas malas en otro país”.
[Unidentified man] “I come here with my head held high because we were working, and we were not doing bad things in another country.”
Pedro recuerda que quería obtener mejores ingresos5, por lo que6 emprendió7 el viaje a los Estados Unidos cuando tan sólo tenía diecisiete años.
Pedro remembers that he wanted to get better earnings, so he undertook the trip to the United States when he was only seventeen years old.
[Pedro] En el camino, pues, pasamos hambre8, sed9, dolores10.
[Pedro] “On the way, well, we went through hunger, thirst, and pain.”
Mario se fue a los diecinueve años. Y ahora dejó a su familia en Estados Unidos, por lo que en un futuro cercano intentará11 unirse12 nuevamente a su familia.
Mario left at nineteen years old. And now he left his family in the United States, so in a near future he will try to join again with his family.
[Mario] La situación en estados Unidos, o sea13, está un poquito difícil. Pues anda14 uno con miedo, anda uno… Ahorita, con este tiempo, ahorita, el presidente allá, o sea, ya no vive uno en paz.
[Mario] The situation in the United States, I mean, it is a little bit difficult. Well, one goes about with fear, one goes about… Right now, with this time, right now, the president over there, I mean, one no longer lives in peace.
Las autoridades migratorias informaron que la mayoría de los deportados han tenido entre cuatro a treinta años de vivir en Estados Unidos.
[Too formal. More natural: Las autoridades migratorias informaron que la mayoría de los deportados15 han vivido entre cuatro y treinta años en Estados Unidos.]
Immigration authorities reported that the majority of the deportees have lived between four and thirty years in the United States.
Here are a few words and expressions you might not know or might want to review:
- desconsuelo: despair, desolation, deep sorrow ↩︎
- procedente de: coming from, arriving from, originating from ↩︎
- con la frente en alto: with one’s head held high; with head held high; proudly ↩︎
- andar («andábamos trabajando»): we were (working) — andar + gerund; colloquial marker of continuous/habitual past action. ↩︎
- ingresos: income; earnings; revenue ↩︎
- por lo que: so; therefore; which is why ↩︎
- emprender: to undertake; to set out; to begin ↩︎
- hambre: hunger ↩︎
- sed: thirst ↩︎
- dolor: pain ↩︎
- intentar: to try ↩︎
- unirse: to join; to join (oneself) ↩︎
- o sea: that is to say; I mean; that is; in other words ↩︎
- andar (“anda uno con miedo”): one feels; one goes (colloquial) ↩︎
- deportado: deportee ↩︎
And now, let’s play this game so you learn these 15 expressions in a snap!
