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 »
Evelyn was born in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala during the time of civil war. As a child, her mother stayed at home with the family and her father worked for someone trading Guatemalan currency into USD, often traveling to the Mexican border for work. Soon, however, word got out in her town of her father’s ... Read More »
Valentina (name changed) was born in el Chol Baja Verapaz, Guatemala in 1984. She lived happily in that town until she was 32. She was married, had two children. She and her husband had a little store. She came to the US because of circumstances that she didn’t expect. Because the store was successful, the local gangs extorted and threatened ... Read More »
My friend, Carlos,(name changed) was born in Baja Verapaz Guatemala in 1995. He came here for “a better life”. What does that mean? That means he didn’t have opportunities for jobs in Guatemala. He couldn’t earn enough to buy a car or house. Also there were many problems like violence, extortions, bad education and most of all – a corrupt ... Read More »
Beatriz (name changed) was born in Guatemala, Tumbador. She lived in Guatemala for 20 years. She migrated to the United States because for two reasons. She wanted to help her parents because they worked on a farm cutting coffee berries. The work was very difficult and they didn’t earn very much money. Hortencia and her sisters also worked on the ... Read More »
I met Alberto on the 12th of December in the central park of Xela, Guatemala. He is a “Guatemalteco” (a term used to describe someone from Guatemala) and he is around thirty years old. Like many others that day he was celebrating the “Dia de la Virgen de Guadalupe”, a day which celebrates the belief that man encountered the Virgin ... Read More »
We arrived at the beach and I was extremely happy and excited, and at that point I didn’t know we were crossing. I thought it was a normal day… until I got the news that my friend was pregnant. Little did I know that was the day my life was going to change forever. My name is Elena (name changed). ... Read More »
It was very hot in there and we had to wait for 3 days inside this tank, not knowing when I would get to see the world. I was born in Guatemala, a little town called Chimaltenango, where farming is still the way to go. The only way of living is crops, with only my mother and my grandfather. I was ... Read More »
Karla grew up in a 3 member family, consisting of her oldest brother, oldest sister, and Aunt Martha. Her other brothers lived with a different family. Their mom lived in America and Karla would receive calls periodically. From 1st-6th grade, she attended a catholic school where nuns were the educators and “spanking” with the ruler was acceptable, and the students ... Read More »
Rolando Sacor, whom I owe the world to, has had to work hard to get to where he is in life today. He, like many others here today, migrated from his homeland. I had never really questioned my father about this and I now recognize why this is such an important aspect of his life. Now I’m so much more ... Read More »