My mother is a crucial part of my family. She has gone through hell and back to be able to give my siblings and I a better life in the United States, and that is something I am incredibly thankful for. Growing up, she had immense amounts of support in whatever she was doing from her big family of ten. As she prepared to begin her new life in the U.S. in 2001, she was forced to leave her family behind and prepare for the next chapter of her life without the support she was used to. As she experienced struggles when dealing with a new setting and a language barrier, she relied on the little family she had here in New York to push herself through. In Mexican culture, family is of utmost importance. Nothing will ever come between family, and it is crucial to appreciate this well known standard. Once my siblings and I had been brought into the picture, my mother instilled this standard into our daily lives. From a young age, the love and need to protect your family is widely understood. My mother has held onto the appreciation of family she had learned and used it to help her get through the difficulties she has faced. As my mother has told me, “Family is the tool in which every human relies on to face the joys and adversities of life.” 

– Diana Montes

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