My grandpa had a religious upbringing and with that, he developed a religious persona with strong catholic beliefs. His parents also gave him a rosary and he held onto it while growing up. He kept it when he was immigrating to the United States during the 1970s. His journey to come to the U.S was exceedingly dangerous and this was mainly due to the police that were around the area to ensure that no illegal immigrants entered the U.S. My grandpa decided that the best method to arrive in the U.S was through a cargo train. He snuck onto a cargo train that was leaving Mexicali during the night while keeping in mind that if he were to get caught, there would be severe consequences, but he had faith and prayed. Luckily, he made it over safely and tried to build a life for himself in California. However, he had to deal with the paranoia and fear that came with being an illegal immigrant in the U.S. My grandpa would pray with his rosary in hopes that he would become a legal citizen and his prayers were answered when a law was passed that made him a legal citizen. After this, he visited Mexico and saw some of his family, but he realized that there were so many people that were once in his situation. So, for a few years, he would take his truck and bring struggling families over to the U.S, praying that they would get a new start just like he did. My grandpa did all of this with his rosary in his hand, and because of the strong significance he had to him, he passed it down to my dad.

– Isabel Rodriguez

Relationship:  Grandchild of im/migrant Grandchild of im/migrant