Did you know, according to Migration Data Portal (2021), since 2014 there are about 4,000 fatalities recorded annually on migration routes? The selection ‘Zapotec Crossers’ by Alan Pelaez Lopez is a collection of haikus depicting the harsh reality about migration. There are three great ways to approach the work stated namely biographical, formalist, and Marxist, because: (1) the concept of the literary piece has relation to the author’s life; (2) the text is overall well written; and (3) it shows the oppression experienced by migrants.

   Alan Pelaez Lopez is an Afro-Indigenous poet. Considering the author's life, we can take it as a given that the work of Alan Pelaez Lopez is a reflection of the violence and oppression he experienced. We can perceive that the line which states, "The migration, will be "safe" " pertains to a circumstance in his life where Lopez moved to Latinidad, USA, and built worlds that foster unity and eliminate racism (Lopez, 2020). The way the author uses children to portray the harshness of reality is a reference to his past. Lopez experienced racial violence when he was in kindergarten in Mexico (Lopez, 2020). Looking at the other works of the author, it is very evident that the main theme is always somehow related to the minority group. It stems back to racism and xenophobia that is still present in the USA, including Latinidad where he moved in, and on the rest of the world. With this, we can conclude that the Zapotec Crossers and his other works are more or less inspired by the author's life experiences.

   The selection written by Alan Pelaez Lopez is entitled Zapotec Crossers (or Haikus I Wrote Post-PTSD Nightmares) is a collection of five haikus. A haiku is a three-lined Japanese poem that follows a 5-7-5 syllabic rule and not necessarily has a rhyming scheme. The Zapotec Crossers doesn’t have an ending syllable rhyming sequence, but it uses repeating sounds (drowning, spring, crossing in the first haiku.) The text presents a story about his experience and work that attends the quotidian realities of undocumented migrants in the United States, and the Black condition in Latin America (Lopez, 2018). The usage of the words border patrol and migration tells what the selection is. The literary piece creates an imagery of the dangers migrants face during their migration. The border police, drowning, the need to run, and the need to hide were all perfectly visualized through the haikus. We can see that the speaker wants to demonstrate the universal nature of suffering and humanitarian crisis. The persona narrates the events that unfold throughout the migration. It is evident throughout the haikus. The author centralized the plot to survival and danger. The tone of persona through the creation of a nervous mood is fatalistic. Overall, the text was well structured and well written.

   As short as it is, even with the limited 5-7-5 syllable rule of a haiku, the selection Zapotec Crosses (or Haikus I Write Post-PTSD Nightmares) by Alan Pelaez Lopez has left a detailed and extensive impression of what oppression in reality to us readers. Within the principles of Marxist Criticism, we can encapsulate the two power classes present in the selection. The way how the author emphasized the word safe ("the migration, will be "safe" ") and the way they portrayed the border patrols as something to fear upon, as shown in the fifth haiku, indicates that the text is all about oppression of people crossing territories and the authorities being the oppressors. The literary text has vividly drawn how huge the gap is between the two power classes by using children as a subject and symbolism of timidness and inability to fight. The death of the first child was a touch to show how dangerous is it for the crossers. The author created this looming sense of danger present in every haiku. According to Amnesty International (n.d), crossers are at risk of falling prey to human trafficking, detention, and other kinds of abuse during or after their migration. There are things we might not know but are happening somewhere. In conclusion, the selection is well written. It also shows us the gravity and reality of the situation.

   We can say that every haiku, starting from the first until the last one, has the same message. The goal is to find a place they can live freely and escape the violence they are experiencing. These kids are trying their best to survive from the violence and oppression. These kids are poor and homeless, yet they strive to move forward. Yes, we must not romanticize their struggles. We must not overlook the violence and oppression that are happening. But at the very least, it is a call for us to fight for what our right. It doesn't matter how strong, weak, and desperate you are. Try to live despite the problems that hinder us from living the life we want. "Life may be tough, but we only live once, make sure to live the life you dreamt of."