My mother immigrated from Mexico to the United States in April 1989, when she was only 18 years old. When she was younger, the family that had moved to the U.S would send photos of their life in New York. When she turned 18, the opportunity to leave Mexico was presented to her by my aunt, who offered to help financially. Apart from moving to the U.S for better job opportunities, my mother was most excited to see the snow during winter. My mother hadn’t told my grandfather she was leaving Mexico out of fear he would convince her to stay. When she left Mexico, my mother didn’t have much to take on her journey; she had a backpack, her older sisters, and a pair of earrings she rarely took off. She said goodbye to her mother and her younger sisters and left. Once she got to Chicago, she called my grandfather to let him know she was in the U.S and she was safe. From Chicago, she traveled to New York City to stay with family who were in New York before her until she could find a job. The winter of 1989 was the first time my mother saw snow 

– AR

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