My mom like the early Mexican immigrants came to the U.S. because of the opportunity available and to give my sister and I a better life. She knew that if she came to California her and my dad would have a greater chance to get jobs that would be able to support us and their families back in Mexico. They wanted to earn enough money to send to their families, like many Mexican men that left their families in Mexico, because they did not have very much and struggled to get by. She also wanted to escape all the violence, crime, and corruption in Mexico. However, my dad was the biggest influence on my mom coming to California, if she didn’t have my dad she would not have made the journey. My dad came four months before my mom and me, we came by airplane five days after 9/11 happened, and my sister came four years later. My mom had always been religious and had a lot of faith just like her mom. My grandma gave her a book of prayers before we left Mexico. My mom held it tight and said prayers throughout our whole flight because she was scared of everything that had recently happened. She prayed that we would make it to California safely with no complications. To this day, she continues to use the book and cherishes it. It is very significant to her because it has been with her since the beginning of her journey to a better life and holds important memories and stories. One day, she will pass it on to me so it can become my reminder that everything will work out.

– Bianca Peralta

Relationship:  Im/migrant who arrived as a child Im/migrant who arrived as a child