It took all my strength not to cry at the end when I saw the most innocent, yet powerful message from BuzzFeed's video "For My Parents" flash across my iPhone.
Released on Youtube back in December 2015, Justin Tan's video presents the story of a parent recalling her experience as an immigrant student attending an American university. Leaving behind the life she knows, she embarks on her education journey alone with just a English dictionary as her guidance. From financial insecurities to language barriers, they are some of the many challenges she faces on a daily basis.
Credit: BuzzFeed Video
Yet, she perseveres with her college education and slowly forms a new friendship along the way. At the end, she blossoms into a confident young woman and years later, watches her own son graduate from college.
Immigrant parents have sacrificed so much that they would endure every single obstacle if it means giving their children a better life. During the 1990s, both of my parents made the decision to immigrate from Mexico to the United States. This meant leaving behind most of their families and friends and venture off to an unknown country all by themselves. It was a risky choice, but they both knew it was the right thing to do.
My parents did the best they could to provide me and my brothers the best childhood possible. They would take us to the beach during the summer and we played on the sand. They would take us out to the park and we would run around the playground for hours. They would celebrate special holidays like Christmas or our birthdays so that we had memories we could cherish forever.
Photo Credit: Angelica Rojas
However, these memories and experiences were created at the cost of their own personal sacrifices. For them, this meant working hard labor jobs for long hours throughout the week just so we had a roof over our heads. It meant giving up most of their own meal so that we had food to eat whenever our groceries ran low. It meant my mom doing laundry late at night even though she was tired from cleaning two apartments that same day. It meant my dad having a sore back and legs every single night although he had to bear with the pain for us.
For me and my brothers.
Now that I'm older, I am starting to fully understand all of the sacrifices they made. Because of them, I was able to have a proper education and graduate from high school—something my parents never achieved when they were younger. Because of them, I am the first in the family to ever attend a four-year college. The two of them have allowed me to be on the path to success and to this day provide me with endless support.
Picture above: My parents at Atlantic City
All their sweat, tears and blood they have shed throughout the years will be worth it. The times when they barely slept will no longer matter to them. The times when they struggled with their English or when they felt hopeless will be rewarded by me.
So for those of you who have an immigrant parent or parents, remember all of the challenges they have faced for us. Remember all of the sacrifices they made for us, whether big or small. Lastly, remember that their first step on moving across the world was done so we could have a better life.
To all immigrant parents, including mine:
Thank you.
