I was born in El Paso, TX and have lived here all my life. Both of my parents were born and raised in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua and immigrated to El Paso, TX in 1975. My parents only had a high school education and did not speak English. My mother had family here in EL Paso and they helped bring my mom to El Paso during two of her pregnancies to deliver one of my brothers and me. My father was a construction worker and my mother a housewife she took care of my three brothers, my sister and me. We lived in poverty and even though we did not have much I recall having a good childhood. My dad was a great father to all of us he was strict and all he had to do is take his belt off for us to get scared and listen but I also recall my father not being a good husband to my mom he would drink and get physically and mentally abusive towards my mom. My mom would do as he said since he would always threaten her with hurting her family or taking us away I recall my mom being scared and submissive.
During my elementary and high school years my class mates were either Mexican or Mexican American I do not recall any racism while growing up here in El Paso. Every Friday when we would get out of school, we would go to visit my dads family in Juarez and stay the weekend. I recall having a lot of fun at family gatherings, birthday parties or when celebrating Mexican traditions. My father passed away when I was 12 years old in Dallas while he was away working, and it changed our lives completely. My mom became a single parent with 5 kids and was able to qualify for emergency housing and food stamps but months before we moved to housing my two oldest brother who were 17 and 18 were shot in a drive by shooting in front of my grandmother’s house and my oldest brother unfortunately passed away. This tragedy traumatized us and kept us further away from my father’s family because of the growing violence in Juarez.
One year later my mom had just started working and she was in a car accident that caused her to lose her right leg and she was not able to work any longer, so through all the tragedies and pain that we went through we were able to get through it as a family. It saddens me to recall all the heartache that my mom went through as a single parent but through our Catholic religion we were able to keep going and staying strong. Life happens and having someone like my mom who through everything she has been through continues to be very lovable and strong. I know my mom never gave up because of us her children so I admire her strength and perseverance. I love both my parents for all the sacrifices they had to endure to provide all of us with a better life and this is something I will always appreciate be thankful. I like to talk to my mom when she tells me the stories but especially the one of how a coyote helped them cross over and even though I was a U.S. citizen they crossed me with them because I was so attached to my mom. They also had to leave my brothers and sister behind in Juarez with my grandma for about six months and it was very hard for my parents.
My mom and my dad are both my heroes because of them we are here in the U.S. living a better life and for that I am thankful. I am also more empathetic when it comes to immigration because that is how my parents sacrificed everything and it breaks my heart when I see immigrants being miss-treated or when I hear of immigrants with their kids passing away trying to cross over for a better life for their kids. I look at my kids and thank my parents for allowing me to give my kids a better life and push them to get an education and be successful. In this class I have learned more of my heritage and always relate to so many things we talk about in class I enjoy the discussions and movies in class.
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