My name is Maria Tenecela and I am from Ecuador.
I traveled from my country on August 22, 1999, to the United States Of America.
I was married and had 4 children. When I came here, I left them with my sister and yes it was a really hard decision to make. I remember when I first arrived here, I spent four months crossing  a lot of other countries, as well as borders and I, suffered from starvation and thirst.
At one point I was deported back to my country and I lost everything. I didn’t give up easily, and I tried to cross again until I finally arrived in the USA on December 4, 1999. The only thing I had with me was a $10.00 dollar bill. I had no family members in the USA but now I have all of my children here and we are together. 
Now, I am working towards my citizenship! With faith in God and $10.00 in my pocket, I started a new life in America. I am capable of doing anything I desire.
 

– Maria Tenecela

Relationship:  Im/migrant Im/migrant