I was born onto a ranch, with many brothers and sisters. Together, we always wanted to be busy. We swam in the river, rode our bikes, played volleyball, anything to keep ourselves occupied. Aside from the games, we all worked at a very young age. We could not afford to receive an education. When I was seventeen years old, I left my hometown, Taiwan, Mexico, to work for a woman in Michoacan. I spent six years here, making shoes, and being treated very poorly, before deciding to emigrate to America, in hopes of developing a better life.
Moving to the US was very difficult. I travelled with four strangers, with one person serving as the guide, showing us the path we needed to take. We walked through the desert, sleeping there without food, water, or clothing. I was terrified, for I was alone, but we were all terrified. This fear and anxiety began to overcome us. We decided to turn ourselves in to immigration. To our surprise, nothing happened. They did not do anything to us. We continued our journey to the United States, and the travelling felt a bit safer. We then crossed the border into the US and made it into a small town. The person guiding our pack called someone and we were picked up.
When I first arrived here, everything looked so different. I remember being very worried, but also feeling a bit of relief. My first meal here was McDonald’s, and at the time, I believed it to be the best food I had ever had. Aside from this relief and delight with the food, I was scared of all of the unfamiliarity. The roads were the biggest difference; they were clean. At first, everything was so beautiful. The buildings and the construction of cities especially caught my eye. As time had begun to pass, however, this beauty began to fade, and I grew to see America as my reality, instead of a dream.
I moved in with my sister, and I stayed with her for years. I lived with her until I had met my first husband. I attended two high schools, both in an attempt to learn english, but I never caught on very well. I applied for jobs, as I wanted to work, but I was restricted from many. I decided to become a babysitter, and it is something I have stuck with. I ended up having a divorce with my first husband, but I remarried many years later. I have raised five children, whom I love, and I am very comfortable and happy with who, and where, I am today,
Interview was conducted by Amori Alcala. (Names have been changed to ensure anonymity.)