As a record number of Central American children cross the U.S.-Mexico border, there's also a steady wave of young, undocumented Mexicans who are moving in the opposite direction – from the U.S. to Mexico.

Remember the term "self deportation"? Two years ago, Republican Mitt Romney suggested it as way to deal with immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally, saying "people decide that they’re better off going home because they can’t work here." Romney later softened that position and GOP leaders called the comment "horrific."

Still, every year, more and more Mexicans make the choice to return to their homeland. From the Here & Now Contributors Network, Liz Jones of KUOW has the story of one young man, Jorge Lerma, as he begins his journey from Seattle back to Mexico.

Tomorrow, in part two of our story, we catch up with Lerma in Mexico, and hear about his first few months back home.

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