A Pulitzer Prize winning author who followed the treacherous trip of a young Honduran boy to the United States said many of the children crossing the border today are refugees and should be treated as such.

Sonia Nazario, who won the Pulitzer for a 2002 L.A. Times piece which eventually became the book “Enrique’s Journey,” retraced the trek from Honduras through Mexico of the young boy who, without a dollar to his name, spent months on the tops of freight trains on a quest to find his mother in the U.S.

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Having personally — physically — held on to the sides and tops of seven different freight trains in an effort to get a sense of what Enrique and other immigrant children endured, Nazario knows the dangers firsthand.

“There are gangsters who control the train tops … bandits who will rob you and rape you and sometimes kill you,” she said. Then there’s the train itself — dubbed “La Bestia” or “The Beast” — that children jump on to and off of as it speeds onward. The kids “lose arms and legs to that freight train,” Nazario said.

But the danger faced on the journey is nothing compared to the violence these young immigrants face in their home countries.

Since October, more than 52,000 children traveling without an adults have been caught entering the United States through Mexico, which, in July, is already double the number of children caught in the previous year.

The children are attempting to flee to the U.S. now “because of what’s happening in their home countries — especially in Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala. These are the countries with the highest homicide rates in the world,” Nazario said.

The murder rate in Honduras was 90 homicides per 100,000 people in 2012, according to the PEW Research Center. El Salvador and Guatemala both had about 40 murders per 100,000 people in 2012, PEW found.

A good portion of the drug trade has shifted to Central America and is to blame for the high level of violence, Nazario said. Children are used as “foot soldiers” for the cartels who give them an ultimatum to either start using and selling drugs or get killed, she said.

“We would be their executioner by sending them back.”

Nazario said the choice many of these children face is: “Do I stay and work with the cartels … or do I flee and save my life?”

And people cannot turn to the police, because a majority of cops are corrupt and will tip off the cartels, securing certain death for the children — leaving them with few options.

Nazario believes the U.S. government was caught flat-footed on the issue because they weren’t paying enough attention the outbreak of corruption in Central American countries.

“Our government has been caught once again unprepared,” without facilities available to accommodate the wave of children, she said.

Now, officials are stuck expediting the deportation of as many undocumented immigrants as possible, which Nazario called “inhumane.”

“We would be their executioner by sending them back,” she said.

Rebecca Blackwell / AP

In this Friday, June 20, 2014 photo, Guatemalan migrant Gladys Chinoy, 14, waits along with more than 500 other migrants, after the freight train they were traveling on suffered a minor derailment, leaving them stranded for more than 12 hours in a remote wooded area outside Reforma de Pineda, Chiapas state, Mexico. On the last day of middle school, Chinoy memorized her mother’s phone number in New York City and boarded a bus to Guatemala’s northern border. Once across the river into Mexico, she joined a group of women and children traveling with a smuggler paid to take migrants to the U.S.

The children who come to the U.S., not for economic reasons, but out of fear of being killed should be treated as “refugees,” Nazario said.

“I think many of the children that I’ve talked to in Honduras are no different than child soldiers in Bosnia,” Nazario said. Countries surrounding Syria have welcomed 2.5 million refugees, but “we get 90 thousand immigrant children and we start talking about expedited removal,” Nazario said. “I find that unconscionable.”

Allowing refugees to stay, by way of a fair trial in which the child is represented by an attorney, would also send a clear message to undocumented immigrants who come for reasons other than fear for their lives.

Those who are allowed to stay may not have an easy road ahead, Nazario conceded, but “it’s a much better life than what’s going on in their home countries.”

The hashtag #6wordtestimonies has been picking up steam on Twitter as many share their sometimes melancholic or inspirational immigration experience in just 6 words.

And a clever YouTube video demonstrating how average Americans would fail a US citizenship test went viral in just a few weeks.

These are some of the recent tactics Tony Hernandez, President and CEO of Latino Broadcasting Company (LBC), has used to bring attention to what immigrants of all walks of life encounter when they arrive at the U.S. His larger initiative, the Immigrant Archive Project (IAP) has been capturing testimonies of immigrants from around the country, from well-known celebrities to ordinary citizens who share their family story.

The immigrant story is as quintessentially American as the 4th of July, said Hernandez. “America has from its very founding continued to be fueled by immigrants,” pointing out the impact that Albert Einstein, Alexander Graham Bell and Andrew Carnegie have had in history.

Hernandez has traveled across the US, visiting New York, Washington DC, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Antonio, Austin, Dallas, and Houston and conducted lengthy on-camera interviews, which are later edited into short testimonies, not more than a couple of minutes, at LBC’s headquarters in Miami.

It all started around 2008, when Hernandez felt the conversation about immigration took a negative turn. It was contradictory to the experience he had, after immigrating from Cuba with his parents at age 5.

Growing up in the immigrant-dominated city of Union City, New Jersey, Hernandez said most kids around him had parents who were blue-collar workers. Yet despite the hardships, the majority of those children went to college and are professionals today.

“This group that arrived with a tremendous disadvantage really took advantage of the opportunity this country has given them,” said Hernandez. As a young child he constantly heard stories around the dinner table about the difficulties newly arrived immigrants faced and the drive they had to work and prosper.

“So I just came up with this crazy idea. What if I can give access to everyone to these dinner table conversations that I had access to growing up,” said Hernandez.

“So I just came up with this crazy idea. What if I can give access to everyone to these dinner table conversations that I had access to growing up,” he said. With the IAP he gives the audience a first hand account of what motivates and fuels those who work countless hours in the hopes of giving their children a better future. He pointed out how going to college was imperative in his family and among his peers.

“I think today the country as a whole can take a page from that immigrant playbook and understand that with one generation you can literally make an exponential leap forward,” Hernandez explained.

Hernandez stressed that previous waves of immigrants faced initial resistance from other Americans. As these immigrants assimilated, it is now their children and grandchildren who forget their families’ stories are very similar to those coming to the country today. With the IAP, Hernandez is trying to break that cycle of negativity.

One of the ways he does this is by incorporating a diverse array of Americans who were not born in the U.S. – from celebrities to CEOs to farmworkers. When asked which is his favorite interview, he said it would be like asking him to choose a favorite child. “It’s the stories of everyday hardworking people that really move me the most,” he said.

Hernandez’ work has been recognized by different organizations; he sits on the honorary board of Mark Zuckerberg’s Welcome.us, and has received the Impact Award from the National Hispanic Media Coalition, the Lexus Pursuit of Perfection Award and the Lupe Ontiveros Indomitable Spirit Award.

But perhaps one of the more special moments was when Hernandez received a humanitarian award from the World Church Service. Coincidentally, this ended up being the same church that helped Hernandez and his parents with $100 to help get them off their feet when they arrived from Cuba. After his father found a job, he returned the $100 and asked the church to give the money to a newly arrived immigrant family.

The hashtag #6wordtestimonies has been picking up steam on Twitter as many share their sometimes melancholic or inspirational immigration experience in just 6 words.

And a clever YouTube video demonstrating how average Americans would fail a US citizenship test went viral in just a few weeks.

These are some of the recent tactics Tony Hernandez, President and CEO of Latino Broadcasting Company (LBC), has used to bring attention to what immigrants of all walks of life encounter when they arrive at the U.S. His larger initiative, the Immigrant Archive Project (IAP) has been capturing testimonies of immigrants from around the country, from well-known celebrities to ordinary citizens who share their family story.

The immigrant story is as quintessentially American as the 4th of July, said Hernandez. “America has from its very founding continued to be fueled by immigrants,” pointing out the impact that Albert Einstein, Alexander Graham Bell and Andrew Carnegie have had in history.

Hernandez has traveled across the US, visiting New York, Washington DC, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Antonio, Austin, Dallas, and Houston and conducted lengthy on-camera interviews, which are later edited into short testimonies, not more than a couple of minutes, at LBC’s headquarters in Miami.

It all started around 2008, when Hernandez felt the conversation about immigration took a negative turn. It was contradictory to the experience he had, after immigrating from Cuba with his parents at age 5.

Growing up in the immigrant-dominated city of Union City, New Jersey, Hernandez said most kids around him had parents who were blue-collar workers. Yet despite the hardships, the majority of those children went to college and are professionals today.

“This group that arrived with a tremendous disadvantage really took advantage of the opportunity this country has given them,” said Hernandez. As a young child he constantly heard stories around the dinner table about the difficulties newly arrived immigrants faced and the drive they had to work and prosper.

“So I just came up with this crazy idea. What if I can give access to everyone to these dinner table conversations that I had access to growing up,” said Hernandez.

“So I just came up with this crazy idea. What if I can give access to everyone to these dinner table conversations that I had access to growing up,” he said. With the IAP he gives the audience a first hand account of what motivates and fuels those who work countless hours in the hopes of giving their children a better future. He pointed out how going to college was imperative in his family and among his peers.

“I think today the country as a whole can take a page from that immigrant playbook and understand that with one generation you can literally make an exponential leap forward,” Hernandez explained.

Hernandez stressed that previous waves of immigrants faced initial resistance from other Americans. As these immigrants assimilated, it is now their children and grandchildren who forget their families’ stories are very similar to those coming to the country today. With the IAP, Hernandez is trying to break that cycle of negativity.

One of the ways he does this is by incorporating a diverse array of Americans who were not born in the U.S. – from celebrities to CEOs to farmworkers. When asked which is his favorite interview, he said it would be like asking him to choose a favorite child. “It’s the stories of everyday hardworking people that really move me the most,” he said.

Hernandez’ work has been recognized by different organizations; he sits on the honorary board of Mark Zuckerberg’s Welcome.us, and has received the Impact Award from the National Hispanic Media Coalition, the Lexus Pursuit of Perfection Award and the Lupe Ontiveros Indomitable Spirit Award.

But perhaps one of the more special moments was when Hernandez received a humanitarian award from the World Church Service. Coincidentally, this ended up being the same church that helped Hernandez and his parents with $100 to help get them off their feet when they arrived from Cuba. After his father found a job, he returned the $100 and asked the church to give the money to a newly arrived immigrant family.

The hashtag #6wordtestimonies has been picking up steam on Twitter as many share their sometimes melancholic or inspirational immigration experience in just 6 words.

And a clever YouTube video demonstrating how average Americans would fail a US citizenship test went viral in just a few weeks.

These are some of the recent tactics Tony Hernandez, President and CEO of Latino Broadcasting Company (LBC), has used to bring attention to what immigrants of all walks of life encounter when they arrive at the U.S. His larger initiative, the Immigrant Archive Project (IAP) has been capturing testimonies of immigrants from around the country, from well-known celebrities to ordinary citizens who share their family story.

The immigrant story is as quintessentially American as the 4th of July, said Hernandez. “America has from its very founding continued to be fueled by immigrants,” pointing out the impact that Albert Einstein, Alexander Graham Bell and Andrew Carnegie have had in history.

Hernandez has traveled across the US, visiting New York, Washington DC, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Antonio, Austin, Dallas, and Houston and conducted lengthy on-camera interviews, which are later edited into short testimonies, not more than a couple of minutes, at LBC’s headquarters in Miami.

It all started around 2008, when Hernandez felt the conversation about immigration took a negative turn. It was contradictory to the experience he had, after immigrating from Cuba with his parents at age 5.

Growing up in the immigrant-dominated city of Union City, New Jersey, Hernandez said most kids around him had parents who were blue-collar workers. Yet despite the hardships, the majority of those children went to college and are professionals today.

“This group that arrived with a tremendous disadvantage really took advantage of the opportunity this country has given them,” said Hernandez. As a young child he constantly heard stories around the dinner table about the difficulties newly arrived immigrants faced and the drive they had to work and prosper.

“So I just came up with this crazy idea. What if I can give access to everyone to these dinner table conversations that I had access to growing up,” said Hernandez.

“So I just came up with this crazy idea. What if I can give access to everyone to these dinner table conversations that I had access to growing up,” he said. With the IAP he gives the audience a first hand account of what motivates and fuels those who work countless hours in the hopes of giving their children a better future. He pointed out how going to college was imperative in his family and among his peers.

“I think today the country as a whole can take a page from that immigrant playbook and understand that with one generation you can literally make an exponential leap forward,” Hernandez explained.

Hernandez stressed that previous waves of immigrants faced initial resistance from other Americans. As these immigrants assimilated, it is now their children and grandchildren who forget their families’ stories are very similar to those coming to the country today. With the IAP, Hernandez is trying to break that cycle of negativity.

One of the ways he does this is by incorporating a diverse array of Americans who were not born in the U.S. – from celebrities to CEOs to farmworkers. When asked which is his favorite interview, he said it would be like asking him to choose a favorite child. “It’s the stories of everyday hardworking people that really move me the most,” he said.

Hernandez’ work has been recognized by different organizations; he sits on the honorary board of Mark Zuckerberg’s Welcome.us, and has received the Impact Award from the National Hispanic Media Coalition, the Lexus Pursuit of Perfection Award and the Lupe Ontiveros Indomitable Spirit Award.

But perhaps one of the more special moments was when Hernandez received a humanitarian award from the World Church Service. Coincidentally, this ended up being the same church that helped Hernandez and his parents with $100 to help get them off their feet when they arrived from Cuba. After his father found a job, he returned the $100 and asked the church to give the money to a newly arrived immigrant family.

The hashtag #6wordtestimonies has been picking up steam on Twitter as many share their sometimes melancholic or inspirational immigration experience in just 6 words.

And a clever YouTube video demonstrating how average Americans would fail a US citizenship test went viral in just a few weeks.

These are some of the recent tactics Tony Hernandez, President and CEO of Latino Broadcasting Company (LBC), has used to bring attention to what immigrants of all walks of life encounter when they arrive at the U.S. His larger initiative, the Immigrant Archive Project (IAP) has been capturing testimonies of immigrants from around the country, from well-known celebrities to ordinary citizens who share their family story.

The immigrant story is as quintessentially American as the 4th of July, said Hernandez. “America has from its very founding continued to be fueled by immigrants,” pointing out the impact that Albert Einstein, Alexander Graham Bell and Andrew Carnegie have had in history.

Hernandez has traveled across the US, visiting New York, Washington DC, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Antonio, Austin, Dallas, and Houston and conducted lengthy on-camera interviews, which are later edited into short testimonies, not more than a couple of minutes, at LBC’s headquarters in Miami.

It all started around 2008, when Hernandez felt the conversation about immigration took a negative turn. It was contradictory to the experience he had, after immigrating from Cuba with his parents at age 5.

Growing up in the immigrant-dominated city of Union City, New Jersey, Hernandez said most kids around him had parents who were blue-collar workers. Yet despite the hardships, the majority of those children went to college and are professionals today.

“This group that arrived with a tremendous disadvantage really took advantage of the opportunity this country has given them,” said Hernandez. As a young child he constantly heard stories around the dinner table about the difficulties newly arrived immigrants faced and the drive they had to work and prosper.

“So I just came up with this crazy idea. What if I can give access to everyone to these dinner table conversations that I had access to growing up,” said Hernandez.

“So I just came up with this crazy idea. What if I can give access to everyone to these dinner table conversations that I had access to growing up,” he said. With the IAP he gives the audience a first hand account of what motivates and fuels those who work countless hours in the hopes of giving their children a better future. He pointed out how going to college was imperative in his family and among his peers.

“I think today the country as a whole can take a page from that immigrant playbook and understand that with one generation you can literally make an exponential leap forward,” Hernandez explained.

Hernandez stressed that previous waves of immigrants faced initial resistance from other Americans. As these immigrants assimilated, it is now their children and grandchildren who forget their families’ stories are very similar to those coming to the country today. With the IAP, Hernandez is trying to break that cycle of negativity.

One of the ways he does this is by incorporating a diverse array of Americans who were not born in the U.S. – from celebrities to CEOs to farmworkers. When asked which is his favorite interview, he said it would be like asking him to choose a favorite child. “It’s the stories of everyday hardworking people that really move me the most,” he said.

Hernandez’ work has been recognized by different organizations; he sits on the honorary board of Mark Zuckerberg’s Welcome.us, and has received the Impact Award from the National Hispanic Media Coalition, the Lexus Pursuit of Perfection Award and the Lupe Ontiveros Indomitable Spirit Award.

But perhaps one of the more special moments was when Hernandez received a humanitarian award from the World Church Service. Coincidentally, this ended up being the same church that helped Hernandez and his parents with $100 to help get them off their feet when they arrived from Cuba. After his father found a job, he returned the $100 and asked the church to give the money to a newly arrived immigrant family.