Maria, my mother, has always been a driven and diligent person. She was raised in a small Mexican town. She was living in Mexico City where chances of getting educated were little to none because daily life was challenging. The reason life was so hard was because her family was very poor and had no money for anything. ... Read More »
I was a teenager, only 15 years old. I was a person looking for a better future and a better way of living. Me, my mom, and my step dad left Michoacan, Mexico to live in the United States. My parents and I were living in Mexico, Michoacan 1978, which was in the center. Durante este tiempo el aire estaba ... Read More »
My life was about to change. It could be for the best or for the worse but it was a risk I was willing to take. As a child, I lived in a little one-floor house with 2 rooms. Located in the hills of a valley. The valley was located in a small city called Veracruz, Mexico. There were house ... Read More »
“Did you ever wonder about living anywhere else outside your hometown?” I innocently asked my father. “Yes” he replied. A middle-class family would often visit his neighborhood every six months and they arrived in a pick-up truck. They came from San Antonio, Morelos Chihuahua located in the Western Sierra Madre. This family had a farm and my father always wanted ... Read More »
The first person who came to mind when this assignment was presented was my eldest Aunt on my mother’s side, “Betty.” Out of her 5 siblings she was the only one who was not born in America and wasn’t a citizen until her adult life. To protect anonymity, all names have been changed. She and I have never had ... Read More »
We sat across from each other with some coffee and some appetizers. It was noon, I could tell she was nervous to speak about her life mostly since I had mentioned that I would be asking her about her traumatic experience. I let her know that if she was more comfortable doing this interview in Spanish we could. Most ... Read More »
I interviewed my step-grandfather, Juan Herrera. He came into my family’s life in the mid-90s by marrying my biological grandmother on my mother’s side; however, his journey before joining my family is quite inspiring. He came to the United States in the 1980s as an undocumented immigrant to create a better life for himself and escape the poverty he was ... Read More »
Herlinda Zavala’s story is one of passion and determination captured both in her personality and how she maintains her small business in cosmetology while also giving back to her community, family, and friends. Zavala lives in San Jose, California and migrated to the United States from Zapotitlán Jalisco, Mexico at the age of ten with her family via a temporary ... Read More »
Some folks become lawyers because it is a profession that runs in the family, others find their way into the legal field through a different path. Byron Abraham Suarez, Deputy District Attorney for the County of Santa Clara, remembers that he and his sister served as translators for their parents, like many immigrant children, both even trying to explain contracts and ... Read More »
Teresa Marquez’s story is one of hope, inspiration and hard work. She has been with East Side Union High School District for twenty-six years. As Associate Superintendent of Educational Services at East Side Union High School District, she is the highest-ranking Latina in the District who paves the way for opportunities in the public education field for other ... Read More »