Personal Narrative: My Hispanic Mother

One of the toughest adjustments, having been born to Mexican parents, is migrating to an unknown country where traditions and languages differ from one 's own. Though many pursue an education and strive for a better life, the purpose behind an immigrant, like myself, differs from the typical American. Immigrants strive for a life that was once impossible, going to school is not only to attain an education, but to better prove that we can also become successful regardless of our traditions and skin color. I lived in a country for over fifteen years, fearing deportation, not only losing a home, but potentially saying goodbye to a bright future. Although many feel empathy for Mexican-Americans, it is undeniably difficult to truly comprehend the immense trauma children and even adults undergo  upon experiencing racism and prejudice.

Being a child of immigrant parents is not easy. You are constantly living in the fear that one day you’ll wake up and you parents won’t be there with you anymore. Specially now that we have a new president, things are getting more challenging. But don’t get me wrong, I live a happy life. I am proud to call myself a Latina.

Doning the title as a hispanic goes far beyond how one looks and speaks, but rather how one conducts himself through every step of their life. I greatly contribute my hispanic roots in shaping me into the young man I am today. The morals and traditions instilled in me such as my unparalleled work ethic and family values leach from my upcoming in a strong hispanic lifestyle. My Grandmother and her family immigrated from Mexico at an early age in a dire attempt to discover a life that bettered their quality of life. She had to tolerate working in fields to make money that then fed her at night.

Imagine being separated from your family at such a young age because you weren’t able to move from Mexico to America. Or imagine having to leave your family and come to America to work in order to support your family. My mother was born in Mexico and was separated from her parents and older siblings when they decided to move to America. The four younger children weren’t able to migrate over to Mexico due to not having papers; it was only the four older children who were able to move. As four younger children were left behind in Mexico including my mother, the other four had to start working to support the family.

Growing up in Mexico was very dangerous and very hard to make a living in the 1900’s. Many left because of violence from the Revolution that was taking over the Country by storm. With a country that offered no jobs or feasible areas to live, the only other human intuition was to pack up and leave to find a better life. As a Mexican traveling north to America, you only had hope to go on for a better life. Life in America would bring income, food, security, and the pursuit of happiness for any Mexicans willing to take the journey to America.

I come from an authentic Hispanic family, who is traditional in plenty distinct aspects. We treasure all the memories that have occurred to all of us and we laugh about the embarrassing moments we all had. We hold traditional customs and we accept new traditions as well. All of us are over protective of each and every family member, meaning that if anyone in the family has a problem we will not stop until it is fixed. To every family member, family is always first.

My mother is an immigrant. A hardworking, pious woman who moved to a foreign country in order to raise her children and offer them everything she could. After her first three children, my mother grew accustomed to her feeling of loneliness. She was often left alone with three young children, dealing with their constant bickering and nagging. On top of that she had limited communication with others, due to a language barrier, no car and no friends in this new world.

Thanks Amy, your post defined the many reasons for Hispanics to be among the inclusion of family therapies and other counseling. Hispanics have left their homes to come to a place of different than their own, so depression and grief could be a thing of the past for Hispanics living in America. Health is a key component when raising a family, seeking better for oneself, but alcohol is not a family thing or an individual thing it is a societal issue that must be combated no matter the culture. SBIRT is a great intervention process that speaks to the individual and the family. I believe in a unit if one part is affected then the others are as well.

BING!........BANG!...... BOOM!.The exploding lights of fireworks set off as the celebration of Carnival takes place in Mexico. Some say that Mexico is one of the most unique countries in the world with their bright colors and marvelous festivals. My heritage country affects my life now in many ways. I connect through traditions,food and lifestyle.

Growing up I felt shame for my Mexican heritage, teachers would tell me to speak in English and not in Spanish, specifically when I spoke in Spanish to my friends who had a difficult time speaking in English. Some of my Mexican classmates bullied me for being Chicano, Mexican heritage but American born. That motivated me to give it my all to learn how to read and write in Spanish and prove that I am not any lesser than they are and to prove that I understood my rights, after all, knowledge is power. As the years went by I realized that discrimination is not only confined to my education but instead followed me everywhere. Little by little I noticed people behaving in negative and threatening ways, most of all by people in positions of authority.