My adoptive son/godson Bernardo "Bernie" Tzeliee Carrillo Ramírez just graduated with his degree in Nutrition—an achievement that took extraordinary courage, sacrifice, and perseverance. For his graduation gift, I had hoped to take him to the United States to finally meet my family, after five and a half years of hard work and sacrifice. But with violent ICE raids and detentions rising across the country, it simply became too dangerous for him to travel.

So I asked Bernie what he truly wanted instead.

We dreamed together—maybe a big fiesta in Guadalajara, or a celebration in his village in the Sierra. But what he really longed for was simple and profound:

“I want to go to the beach… with my whole family.”

Meet Bernie’s family — guardians of a living culture

Bernie’s Indigenous Wixárika family—his mom and dad, Carmela and Bernardo, and their six children—come from a long lineage of cultural guardians and wisdom keepers. They live with tremendous dignity despite generations of poverty and systemic neglect.

They make most of their living as migrant farmworkers and supplement it with their stunning beaded and hand-embroidered artwork that I’ve been honored to help sell over the years. Even with all that, they often struggle to make ends meet.

They worked hard to gather enough money to travel to Guadalajara for Bernie’s graduation. They have never had a family vacation.

Carmela, herself a mara'akame or spiritual guide, at 42 has never taken a vacation. Her only visits to the ocean have been to leave offerings at sacred sites before returning continuing the arduous journey from her mountain home to each of the sacred pilgrimage sites her people care for.

A moment that will never come again

After the ceremony, everyone was posing for photos and enjoying the moment on the beautiful campus of ITESO, the Jesuit university where Bernie had spent so many hardworking years. Soon enough they would all disperse again to distant farmwork jobs. It would be nearly impossible to gather the whole family at the same time ever again.

So I decided: We will make this happen. Now.

I called them all together and said, "I have a proposal for you." I had just reserved a Toyota van big enough for all of us, and I told them of the idea to travel together to the beach. I didn't have the money, but we could use my credit card for a lot of it. I would reach out to my community to see if we could find the support. And at the end, we would see what was left and each one could contribute - down the road, since now it took everything they had just to be here.

Hesitantly, they agreed. So yesterday morning, I picked up the van, we packed it up and hit the road for the coast. The smiles, the laughter, hearing them banter together in their beautiful Wixárika language… it has already been worth everything.

This family has endured deprivation, displacement, and discrimination for generations. Bernie himself had to leave home at age 12 to attend middle school—walking three hours to another village, staying all week, and walking back home on weekends. Then traveling to attend boarding school at 14, an expensive 24-hour journey from home.

A small footnote: Only about 1 percent of Indigenous students in Mexico receive a college degree. After accompanying Bernie on his journey, it's easy to see why. Student loans are nonexistent, flexible entry-level jobs that pay enough to live on are almost impossible to find, and even with scholarships, the cost of living can be prohibitive.

Five and a half years ago, I met him at the beginning of the pandemic, when his cousin, my goddaughter, asked if the two of them could stay with me for awhile when their boarding school closed. I saw something very special in this boy and after he graduated from high school I invited him to stay with me and continue on to college. I invited him to be my son and I his second mother. We traveled together to the Sierra to ask his parents’ permission, and they blessed it. This journey is a culmination of all those years of love, support, and shared struggle.

Now I need help to complete this gift.

PHOTO: From left, Bernardo Carrillo, Asalia, Alma, Bernie, Ivan, Abel, Carmela Ramirez, Osiel, and me. The women are all wearing skirts made of the cloth designed by Bernie and sewn by his sisters in the traditional Wixarika style. The suit Bernie is wearing, hand-embroidered over months mainly by Alma but with all the family contributing, illustrates the sacred symbols and patterns of his people, and was only finished moments before he had to leave for graduation.

🌊 What We Need to Raise

Our goal: $1,500
(to cover the basic costs of making this once-in-a-lifetime family trip possible)

🌿 Trip Expenses

Here’s what it will take to give Bernie’s family their first vacation together:

🚐 Rental van: $400
Large enough to fit Bernie, his parents, and all six siblings safely and comfortably.

🛣️ Tolls: $150
Highway fees for the journey from Guadalajara to the coast and back.

⛽️ Gas: $200
For a fully loaded vehicle traveling to the coast, local beach driving, and the return trip.

🏕️ Camping fees (8 people × 4 nights): $450
Economical, family-friendly camping so everyone can stay together.

🥣 Food for 8 people (4 days): ~ $410
We’ll cook most meals at camp, with:
• Fresh groceries for shared meals
• 3 simple taco-stand meals for the whole family
• 1 celebratory sit-down dinner together

✨ Incidentals: $120
Ice, water, firewood, small emergencies, and basic necessities that always arise with a big group.

Total Estimated Cost: ~ $1,730

I’m putting all of this on my credit card so we can seize this once-in-a-lifetime moment while the whole family is together.

My goal is to raise $1,500 to cover these shared costs.

Your support means the world — thank you for helping make this dream possible. 🌊💛

🌈 Why this matters

In times as heavy as these, joy is resistance. Family is medicine. Healing is sacred.

To see Carmela’s face beaming from the back of the van, heading for the ocean that where has never been able to linger and enjoy… to hear her children laughing freely, bantering in their native language… to witness a hardworking family finally rest and celebrate their son’s achievement—
this is not frivolous. This is liberation in miniature.

This gift is for Bernie, for his parents, for his siblings, and for the generations before them who never had the chance to rest.

If you feel moved to help us make this dream possible, we are profoundly grateful.
Even a few dollars helps.

✨ Thank you for being part of Bernie’s community of support.
✨ Thank you for believing in joy, in family, and in the right to celebrate life’s milestones.

With love,
Tracy 🌿💛🌊

✨ Help Us Give a Wixárika Family Their First-Ever Vacation ✨

By Esperanza Project

✨ Help Us Give a Wixárika Family Their First-Ever Vacation ✨

A celebration of love, resilience, and a long-awaited graduation