As I have grown up I started to observe more and more that life was not as easy for my parents especially for my mom. “I [Maria] was the eighth child of my mom, but she has nine kids in total. I also have eighty half brothers and sisters with my dad’s side because he would cheat on my mom with other women while he was away at work [truck drive],” said my mom with disappointment. For Maria her father figure was her older brother Luis, who passed away about three of four years ago, but even though she did not have her dad as a father figure she said, “I couldn’t ask for a better big brother or family.” Her family didn’t always have a meal, but her older brother always tried to take them out to know different parts of Mexico, so he would work so much to save up money.

“One day I was home with some of my brothers when I heard my older sisters’ husband screaming that he was going to kill everyone. I was very frightened.” When Maria started to hear the gunshots. She got into a panic attack and that made her very ill. “My mom decided that it was best for me to be in the United States alive than in Mexico died.” After Maria’s mom decided that she was going to the United States, her mom got all brothers and sisters together to tell them she was going to send Maria to the United States. “Almost all my brothers and sisters said, “yes” except for one Roberto my second oldest brother.”

As my mom was telling me this I can tell that she was very upset that her brother didn’t want her to leave Mexico, but she was also excited to see and live in the United States. “I left everything behind like my family, friends, and school to become a social worker at the age of seventeen or eighteen in the year of 1984.” Once she was in the United States she had to grown up really fast. “I had to start working right away to pay for rent, food, clothing, and tokens for the bus.” Her childhood was over and she never went to school again.

She is very disappointed with this country in various reasons. One reason is “they don't help the poor, they help only the people with money.” Another reason is “there are places where if you don't know how to speak english then they discriminate you or also just because you're Mexican.” She wants to go back to the Mexico with her family but she is still here because she knows that this country is a better place for her three kids and two grandsons.