My mother was born in the capital of Chihuahua, Mexico. As a young girl, my mother moved around Mexico because her father worked for the railroad as a topographer. Being the oldest of her two brothers and sister, my mother helped my grandmother by caring for her siblings. For Christmas, her only gifts were handmade clothing and apple dolls; this was all her parents could gift her. As she grew older, she developed a passion and appreciation for school, which was demonstrated by her perfect grade card. However, she left her studies in Mexico to pursue the American Dream; the dream that if one worked hard, they'd receive wonderful blessings and success. A Mexican high school graduate, my mother arrived in Chino, California in 1996. Eventually, she left California for Kansas because her parents were situated in Scott City. At the age of 20, she entered American high school in order to learn English which she eventually did become fluent in. Unfortunately, my mother never attended a college or university because she became pregnant with me. Her first job since becoming pregnant was working as a waitress. Eventually, she landed a higher paying, but still low-income, job as a dietary aid in the nursing home. The time she spent working at the nursing home was one I did not enjoy. I remember only seeing her in the moments before my sister and I had to go to sleep on school nights. When my youngest sister was born, she quit her job to spend more time with us. Today, my mother works as a housekeeper and caretaker. I know this isn't what she wanted to do with her life, but I hope that she continues to work hard. Years later, my mother hasn’t given up on the American Dream; she has passed her dream down to her children. My father was born in the capital of Aguascalientes in southern Mexico. He grew up one of ten children in a small home in the outskirts of the capital. Going to school was always the highlight of his day. Art and literature were his favorite subjects. However, when he was in high school, he was forced to drop out of school to help his family with their financial troubles. Instead of living in Mexico with no education and no money, he decided to try his luck in the United States. …show more content…
Whenever I asked my mother how to say something, she couldn't always answer my question, but that helped me in the long run. My education was like any other American child, except for the fact that I had a translator every second of the day. I remember feeling stupid for not knowing what the teacher was saying and for constantly needing help. Eventually, I learned English quickly and effectively. By the time I was in first grade, I could speak and comprehend English just as well as the next kid. In second grade, I was at the reading level of a fifth grader. By the fourth grade, I knew the value of education and I felt its power.
An important aspect of my life has always been my education. I was taught that education was an opportunity. Education could make me have a life better than my parents lived or that we were provided. Money was not a factor in your intelligence. A good education could get me out of the situation I was living in, one with no financial stability. Hard work led to good grades; good grades led to a good college; and a good college led to a good job. A good job meant I wouldn't have to worry about the troubles that my parents and their parents before them