I always assumed my mother and father came here to stay forever, but I heard a different story. My mother, Maria Espitia, is from Mexico and she immigrated here in 1999. She came here for better job opportunities and she originally was going to go back home in a year or so. My mother has six siblings, two brothers live here, her sister and two other brothers live in Texas, and one passed away but they all came to the U.S. before she did for the same reason. Her whole life was in Mexico, but then she met my father and had me in 2004. They both got jobs in wineries, then they had my little brother in 2007, and now Napa is her home. She kept our Hispanic culture alive here and I’m proud to be a part of it. Other than the music and fashion, food is one way she touches her hometown. One of her favorite dishes to make is Chiles Rellenos. It’s basically a green chile pepper stuffed with minced meat and coated with eggs. Chile Rellenos is originally from Mexico, in the city of Puebla. Back in Mexico she always made this dish and ate with either her family members or her neighbors. Now my family and I get to make it here whether it’s just a normal day or during holidays like Thanksgiving or Christmas. When my mother cooks this dish or any other Hispanic dish, it brings back memories of her and her mother when they cooked together and now she gets to teach me how to cook. This is important to me because I get to make more memories with my mother, but I also get to connect with my culture somehow and learn more about my identity.

– Mayrete Pasco

Relationship:  Child of im/migrant Child of im/migrant