At age 11, my mother, Rosalba Amara Guzman, came to the Americas for the first time, however, this first time she ended up going back to Guadalajara, Mexico. At age 17 however, this would be the time she decides to stay in America, in particular, Downtown Los Angeles, California.Meanwhile in Puerto Limon, Costa Rica, my father, Garvin Alfonso Hamilton would be born, and taken to Nicaragua to be raised until age 8. He would later cross the border with my grandmother and proceed to settle in East Los Angeles. At ages 17 and 19, my parents would meet, and proceed to start out their lives. After interviewing them separately, I came to find out why their family found it best to move into the Americas. On my father’s side, financial hardship drove my grandmother and father out of Nicaragua and to the US. With no biological father in the picture, there was little to anything left for the country to offer my father and grandmother. Exposures to American culture and imagery inspired my grandmother into believing that America was the “land of opportunity”. On my mother’s side, she and her family really had to deal with pushing factors such as an accumulating family debt. With more mouths to feed, the family branched off and moved out to the Americas. The grandmother on my mother’s side along with multiple other family members, would aim to make enough money to send back to Mexico to support the family. Bearing their families’ hopes and dreams, the two strived under lots of laborious work until they met one another and started a family of their own, us. 
 

– Esteban Josue Hamilton

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