My family had to flee Laos which at the time when it was a war torn country. At that time my father planned the best escape that he could under the circumstances. You see we were a family of five with three children under the age of four. None of the groups wanted to wait so long because no one ... Read More »
Rosalinda Cabrera (name changed), my mother who is 34 years old, immigrated from Michoacan, Mexico to Santa Rosa as a child. She later immigrated back to Mexico and immigrated to Los Angeles in 2005 when she was 17 years-old where she later moved to the Bay Area. For over 10 years, she ... Read More »
I was in a caravan with my wife along with 70 people. Everyone came from different places. I came from a small ranch named San Miguel Michoacan. I was 21 when I decided to leave in order to give my family and my wife the best by giving them a good education. I was ... Read More »
Stan Ng recalls that in his 1960s and 70s Los Angeles childhood, one of the main activities his family enjoyed was to simply get out on the open road and drive. His dad would go up and down the 101, or make his way towards Santa Monica and drive past the Hollywood landmarks ... Read More »
I was born two years before we left our home in Sydney to move to the unknown, Houston, Texas, USA. In Houston, life was like a TV show. Everything seemed as if we were in a sitcom where everything seemed right and in place. The only thing that seemed out of place were my parents. My mother, of Ukrainian and ... Read More »
“Corre! La migra!” the coyote yelled, “Run! It’s immigration!” To this day, I’m traumatized by the word “run.” Who wouldn’t be? It’s all I did while crossing the border and it was the only thing that kept me from being sent back. I will never forget the long cold nights where we spent hours running. It was as if we ... Read More »
Chicago. \Photo by Francisco Antunes Coming from Argentina to Chicago, there was a big weather change but nothing my parents couldn’t handle. They migrated to Chicago to start their own family. There was not really a plan. My mom and dad were only in their early 20’s. It was in the 1950’s, so segregation was still going around. When ... Read More »
My cousin arrived with news I no longer wanted to hear about. He told me my visa was approved and that I would be going to Hawaii. I told him I no longer can accept. The house I lived in was built by my Teti (dad). My teti was a sheriff and was very protective over our family. The island ... Read More »
Many migrate for a chance at a better life. However, for my mother, this was not the case. She grew up in a small village in Jalisco, Mexico. She lived in a modest home with both parents, four sisters, and two brothers. Her father drove a Pepsi truck, and her mom ran a restaurant. My mother’s favorite place to go ... Read More »
It always dawned on me that once I leave, a part of me will be missing. Now a proud citizen of America, I must tell how and why I became the person that stands before you today. I am proudly known as Malia Imalata Tofavaha, mother of 4 wonderful kids, wonderful friend to many, and a soulmate to one. From ... Read More »