Looking for a tether in Mexico

Throughout the course of the novel Marcelo Hernandez Castillo struggles with the idea of belonging and whether or not he is real. In the majority of the novel he wants to be practically invisible, to escape scrutiny and fly below the radar of the Immigration officers. He describes himself desiring so much to be seen that "It was easy to imagine being hit by a car, because even if they didn't see me, I would for once be able to feel my body as more than smoke". This line connects to the mindset that Marcelo has on a broader scale to remain hidden from everyone, and how on edge he remains. His desire to go back to Mexico and see his father is in no small part an attempt to combat this feeling and this dissatisfaction with the ethereality of his own existence. Marcelo believes that going back to the place he was born his "origin" as he calls it will give him something to cement and tie his existence down and support himself as a human being. In doing so and exploring this process he reflects on what it means to be an immigrant in America and how dangerous and fleeting everything can be from terror to joy. I believe an excellent line to summarize this feeling is "We were always moving; I wanted to stay still for once". This is an outcry of emotion that Marcelo has had all his life but sadly has had to stifle because of the fear of ICE coming and removing him from the country, that fear seeped its into all aspects of his life and the opening scene is a great example of that fear and tension being omnipresent. All of these themes and elements are then compounded upon and magnified when Marcelo travels to Mexico to see his father. He begins to understand his fear more, especially when travelling over the border in the plane, he finally begins to unravel the techniques behind ICE and the American government to put fear into the heart of those who only want to love. The scene that frames these emotions and rebirth the best for me is when Marcelo first enters the house and spends time alone walking the halls and reminiscing about events and people that he never met. In the house he finds something of what was lost due to the constant pressure of immigration, he discovers that his ancestors built a "house once and never had to build it again". Through his interaction with this building that cannot be conquered Marcelo regains a hold on his personality and character in the real. He is no longer a wisp of a man flouted about on whatever wind takes hold of him, he has seen the foundation of his family and it is strong, his roots run deep. That same feeling is reinforced by the actions of his father, who Marcelo also finally comes to understand during his time in Mexico. Potentially battling those same emotions, and wanting to tie his family down, Marcelo's father built a house that is extraordinary, huge and strong enough to survive a hurricane or tornado or practically any other disaster. All of these themes connect to the larger idea of immigration taking your home from you and separating you from your family and ancestors, something that Marcelo struggled with is entire life. The time that he spends in Mexico is his attempt to fix those things in his life and finally attempt to become visible.

Why do you think that it was so important for Castillo to find something physical with which to tether himself to the real world? Were the emotions and actions of the place not enough for him? Why or why not?

I speak of this fear of being hidden and ethereal throughout my blog as being brought upon by immigration, do you agree with this claim, do you think that is the only reason or could it be caused by multiple things, i.e. Marcelo's father or relationship with his family?