My grandfather was a hardworking man and so was his father and his father before him, and so on. Eventually, my direct maternal grandfather got to a point in his life where he wanted to see more of the world and so he set forth on a journey to the US. My grandfather would often get called many slurs and looked down on if anyone found out he was Mexican, sometimes they would not let him into restaurants or walk in a particular part of town. A couple of times, people went as far as to mock him for not speaking English they would know, it got to the point where he would simply not speak unless it was absolutely necessary, it was all going well until people asked him his name.My mother knew all of this and so she very proudly named me as I am today. After finding out about all the things my grandfather went through and still deciding to carry on his name, I think it’s an absolute honor to keep his story going, as well as my great grandfathers.My grandfather did what I was planning to do as a kid and changed his name for some time while in the United States and still he eventually changed it back. I believe he did it as a symbol of his family’s honor and pride, he passed through all sorts of obstacles just like his father did and eventually he succeeded in overcoming them by finding love and happiness with his family and with himself. I want to do the same one day and continue his legacy by ensuring my kids carry on the Torres surname and say it loud and proud. 

– JT

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