Some people will never understand what it’s like to have Immigrant parents.
They will never understand what we did as kids.
Remember when you had to translate for your parents? I bet you were only seven years old…like me.
Remember when you needed help with your homework in elementary school? I bet you had no choice but to figure it out yourself because your parents didn’t know much about the subject.
Remember when you saw the news on the TV and saw many families getting deported every single day and you were afraid that would happen to you?
Do you remember when your mother would tell you to work hard in school so that you wouldn’t have to struggle in the future? I was only five years old when she first told me, "You will graduate high school, go on to college and make something of yourself. I don't care what it is. I'm here for one reason and only one and that is for you and your sisters. I am not sacrificing myself, not being able to see my family so that you can make mistakes." She said it in Spanish, of course.
Do you remember the story of how your parents crossed into the American land just so you would be able to have what they never did? The education they could never afford. The house they could never buy, and the stars they could never chase because they kept it in a box, sealed just for you. A gift you were given the moment you were born. A box that would soon open and be set in place. You are free to choose the life you want. The dreams you aspire. The things you want for yourself. Eighteen years later, you’re so close. You’ve become what your parents hoped for. They don’t care what kind of job you want. As long as you’re in love with what you want to do, they will forever keep you in their hearts and support you along the way. They now know it was worth going through hell for you.
- January 21st, 1995 through January 21st, 1998
Those dates above are important for me and my family. On January 21st, 1995, my parents crossed the border between Mexico and the United States. They walked towards the American Dream. The next date is the day my mother gave birth to twin girls. I am one of them. On December 21st, 2000, I was given another sister. I believe the number twenty-one has some kind of value for us.
Many people have denigrated my parents for being Mexican and for not knowing how to speak English properly. Call them what you want. Think what you will, but my parents are my heroes. They are my motivation. They are the ultimate reason why I believe in myself so much. Donald Trump and his supporters think that my parents are criminals. People like him see them as a threat. One thing he doesn't know is that I will fight back. I will rebel against him if he becomes our president. I have a voice. I have power. I am Mexican-American and damn proud of it! My parents raised me to be better. To be good. To thrive. That is exactly what I intend to do.
My mother and father have never let a language become a barrier. They came to the United States without knowing a single speck of a word in English. Ignorant people would say that they should know English by now. They could. But one thing most of you wouldn't know is the value of sacrifice. My mother gave up work so she could be home with me and my sisters. That means she didn't have time to go to night school to learn the language. She could've done it if she wanted to, but she chose us over anything in the world and that is the most important thing that a mother can do for her children.
My father, on the other hand, worked so hard to have a roof over our heads. That roof we grew up in will finally be our official home in a few months. They will be owners of that house they purchased for themselves sixteen years ago. That is important in my family because although we have struggled so much with money, they still managed to do one thing: Achieve the American Dream. Did they have to learn English to do that? No. One thing I ask of you is to stop criticizing my parents and the Immigrant community. You don't know what it's like to grow up in that kind of situation unless you've been through it. Whether you like it or not, if it weren't for my parents working in this country, the economy of the U.S. would go down the drain automatically.
Mexicans aren't the only group of people who speak Spanish. I wanted to point that out because people are uneducated when it comes to history and geography. If someone speaks Spanish, it doesn't necessarily mean that they are Mexican. Don't forget about El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Colombia, Argentina, and so much more. Please know the facts before you speak and say something that is completely unintelligent.
