Ema Matthews remembers her childhood as idyllic.



She grew up one of eight siblings – six girls and two boys – on a large ranch outside Hermosillo in the Sonora region in northwest Mexico. Her father, Rafael, spent long hours with the cattle and horses, earning enough to put all of them through school in the nearby city. Her mother, Alicia, was at the market every day, gathering items for dinner and preparing meals for the family of 10.



Rafael is now 83, she explains, but he still runs the ranch. Alicia, 76, remains a welcoming host, as always, especially when their many grandchildren come by.



One thing that has changed? At night, when the livestock are asleep, her parents watch hockey. They flip through the channels to find their grandson, named Auston, playing a game that only recently came into their life in a country they’ve never seen.



“My dad is into sports,” Ema Matthews explained. “He loves boxing. Loves...