Monday, November 23, 2009

Anniversary

November marks the anniversary of my arrival to my adoptive home, the United States of America. 18 years and counting. I may have writen about this before somewhere, but it's always good to revisit some things. I was talking to my mom earlier today and I was joking with her about having a celebration with fire works, hot dogs, hamburgers and apple pie with american cheese on it. 18 years is a long time and we have built our lives in this country. Our lively hoods just like anyone else that has immigrated here, but therein lies the truth.

The story of families uprooting themselves from their home countries usually involves hardship, poverty, political unrest, war, violence and the hunger for a better quality of life. Not with my family. For you see, when my family, mainly my dad, decided to cross over he did it for the sole reason that he was tired of life in Mexico. In Mexico we lived in apartments where we knew almost everyone there, very community like. My mom and dad sold fruit in a tiangis (farmers market) and did well. I loved going to school and everything was cool for me and my two sisters at the time. Then all of my moms family started migrating north and after stopping at our house, they made their way across.

And just like that, my dad crossed and worked in garment factories sending money to my mom and us who lived on my great grandmothers ranch for three months until we made the trek to cross. I was passed of as my cousin of the same age while my mom crossed with my 2 yr and 3 yr old sisters in the hills and out back. She said they crossed really cheap, round $250 to $300 for all three of them. And just like that, everything changed because my dad was bored. Pretty anti-climactic huh ? 18 years later and here we are.

I'm college bound, my two other sisters are working and living their lives and my youngest sister, the one who was born here, is here and going to school. She doesn't have muc ambition right now, even though she see's everything I'm doing and going to school. 18 years of going throug the Los Angeles Unified School system, moving all over and working to make ends meat. I wouldn't dream of changing any ofit because it has made me the person I am right now. Whether it's inspite of or because of those experiences. I'm thankful for my family, my friends who read this riffle ass tripe and support me in their own way. Things could always be worse and after talking to a woman who put her self through my jr college, UCLA and a Masters Degree while being undocumented and not having AB 540, I have it easy. I'm an anamoly plain and simple. Here's to the next 18.