This affidavit from 1946 is a symbol of my family’s sacrifice and survival. It was written by my great-grandmother Nieves Ávila de Valdez and her son Ricardo and sent to the U.S. immigration office. In it they promised to support their daughter-in-law and grandchildren so they could join them in the United States. The language is formal, but between the lines you can feel their love and loyalty. “We are both able and willing to support them.”
Their story began decades earlier during the Mexican Revolution. My grandfather’s grandmother worked as a maid for General Venustiano Carranza, a leader of the revolution and a future president who would help write Mexico’s 1917 Constitution. When the opposing forces tried to bribe her to poison the general, she feared for her life. She escaped on trains used to transport soldiers and watched the battles and saw the atrocities of war as she made her way north. Eventually, she crossed into the United States where our family would begin a new chapter. This letter reminds me that immigration is more than filling out papers, and symbolizes the will, courage, and sacrifice of people who risk everything to protect the ones they love.

– Marco Valdez

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