As a teenager and bait for gang recruitment, Pedro reluctantly fled El Salvador. This young father had to leave his wife and newborn son to seek asylum in the U.S., only to find himself ten years later deported. With his life threatened by gangs and his desperate need to return to his growing family in Boston, Pedro escaped El Salvador a second time. Arrested at the border, he was sent to a Tacoma, Washington, detention facility. Against all odds, Pedro won his release. Pedro’s story is a testimony to his resilience, passion for this country, optimism, and determination not only in the face of life-threatening gangs but also his intrepid desire to increase his English vocabulary word by word.