A day long cultural excursion at three migrant shelters in Tijuana offered a small glimpse into the complex lives asylum seekers live. However, it also highlighted the political, structural, and cultural issues at play, which are nested in a larger multinational crisis of immigration. Upon our arrival, it became clear to us that the demographic of immigrants largely consists of family units. This is in contrast to some perceptions that the stereotypical migrant is an individual male. Together they caravanned from Central America, Mexico and Haiti. Many families slept together in tents that were set up inside the shelters, while individual migrants slept in cots or on the floor. And even though the shelters seemed impacted (200 residents at Embajadores de Jesus shelter), we were reminded that every individual and family seeking refuge has a unique immigration story\u2014often one that is tragic. The major themes we discovered were: escaping violence and imminent threats, leaning on faith or finding faith during the journey, hoping for a better future for kids and grandkids, embracing one\u2019s sexual identity, and emerging as a grassroots leader\u2014especially women empowering women to seek social justice.<\/p>\n