I decided to interview my mother, Rosalba, about the time she came to America. My mother was born on April 27, 1967. She grew up in Taxco, Guerrero, Mexico with her mother, father, and two siblings until she was the age of five. Her father, Santiago Lagunas, wanted to provide a better future for his kids so they decided to move. She then moved from the town in which she grew up to Chicago, Illinois in the year of 1972. She moved to 4820 N. California Ave.,Chicago, Illinois. She lived in this house for the next 25 years until she met my father, Maximiliano. 

What was your childhood like back in Mexico?
My childhood was good, because my father came to America first. And we had a very good upbringing. My mom stayed with us, but my dad would send money all the time, monthly. Our house was nice, and everything so.

Did you find your childhood better here or better in Mexico?
We had a good life in Mexico because that’s our country, and because my dad was here. We left more protected and we left like a family again.

When and why did you decide to move to America?
Well like I said my dad was here, we missed him. He left when I was three, and I came here when I was five. So it was two years since i’ve seen him. And we really needed to have our dad with us, so he decided to bring us with him, with my two other siblings and my mom.

When you were coming here did your mom fly back to get you guys and come back to America or did you come here alone?
No, we came here alone. The stewardess took care of us. We had our papers and everything, It was scary but you know how my brother’s always been a leader and he’s always taken care of his sisters. So he was the man of the house back in Mexico, while my dad was gone, so we always felt protected with my brother.

How many siblings do you have? And how many came here to America?
I have my older brother, Guillermo, my older sister, julie, and my younger sister Mireya. Mireya was born here, so only three of us came to America. So i have three siblings.

What was the biggest obstacle you had coming here?
Well first we had to get everything organized. Leaving our house there, our family, and our friends that was the hard part.

How did you come here? By plane, by boat, what?
No, we came here by plane. Cause we had to apply for a visa and we had to make all the requirements for the visa. We came by plane with a traveling visa.

Was the process to get the visa easy or difficult?
Well back then it was easy and hard, because you had to prove why were you coming here, and how you were gonna support yourself, they didn’t want you to take advantage of the government, because we were young it was much easier. We wouldn’t take advantage, we would just come and study.

Did you come to Chicago right away from Mexico? Or did you stop somewhere, live there for a bit and then go to Chicago?
No, we came directly to Chicago, because my dad was here. He already had an apartment and everything. Our school already. We were gonna start school and everything, so yeah we came directly to Chicago.

Did you miss anything back in Mexico? Like did you miss your friends, or did you miss the food?
Well I didn’t miss much because I was only five when I came here, so I really didn’t miss anything cause it was whatever my mom gave me. So we still had the same food but it was hard to find ingredients for our Mexican meals and everything. But I didn’t feel a difference. The only difference was because they spoke in a different language, it was hard for me cause I was in a private school and nobody spoke spanish. It was hard for us because we didn’t understand but here I am speaking English very well….I think.

Back to talking about saying how you didn’t know english did you have a tutor in school? Or did you pick it up along the way by yourself?
No, we picked it up along the way because before we didn’t have like spanish classes like now they have bilingual classes. My dad never wanted us to be in bilingual classes because we said “this is America and you’re gonna learn the language.” You’ll speak spanish at home because my mom doesn’t speak english very well. So we said we’re gonna speak spanish at home and english at school, which was good for us.

Did you find it easy or hard to make new friends, settle into the new schools, and everything like that?
Yes, it was because we were different cultures. You know sometimes you don’t understand other nationalities or whatever, so you try to stay within your own cultures but then like I said we went to a private school and we were the only Mexicans in that private school so it was a little harder for people to get to know us but eventually we did okay.

Do you ever picture what your life would be like if you hadn't moved to America?
My life would because I wouldn't have the same education, and safety that I feel here, and the unthinkable thought of not having you or your dad.

Can you tell us any stories from your childhood that you would like to share?
Well yes, before we got here, my mom came with my dad. And I think she was here for like a year before we came to America. And we were staying with my grandma, but then my grandma passed away and my mom couldn’t stay because she had a job here. She then left us with my grandfather, which my grandfather never liked my dad and he was not very nice to us. We did have a bad time then. But then we came here and I hadn’t seen my dad for two years, and when he left I was three so I really didn’t remember my dad. I remember when we got here, I saw my dad and my dad had like an afro and you know like bell bottom jeans,and a leather jacket and I just thought he was the coolest guy ever. I was scared of him, but then I remembered his voice so it was nice. And then you  in Mexico you know we had a big yard, a big house, and we never had to share rooms. So here we came to a small apartment. It was maybe two bedrooms, and it was a little crowded because I had to share with my older sister.  I remember that my dad bought us a bike...to share because I was five and she was older. But you know what it was nice sharing a room with her.

Rosalba, has been living in America for 42 years. She went to Von Steuben High School, where she graduated in the year 1985. She then went on to Loyola University in Chicago, IL. She became an Orthodontic Technician. She found a job at Ford Orthodontist Ltd in Winnetka, IL. She has been working there for seven years. She now lives in Illinois with her husband Maximiliano, her daughter Emily, and their dog, Minnie. Rosalba has been married to Maximiliano for 19 years. Rosalba has never planned on moving back to Mexico. She tends to go back every few years, to go for vacation and visit her old childhood home, where her parents still live.