My grandfather was only 12 when he immigrated to Chino from Mexico. His parents had already been in the United States for five years, and he was still in Curimeo, managing a grocery store with his older brother and selling bread in his small town in the evenings. In March of 1960, my grandfather went to the ambassador of the United States in Mexico City to collect his legal documents. After a long process, his documents were approved, and he and only half of his siblings traveled to Tijuana, Mexico, to meet his parents at the bus terminal, "Tres Estrellas." My grandfather was very poor and had nothing but memories to take to the United States. He explained that despite this fact, he remembers the burgundy, grey, and white bus he rode on his way to reunite with his parents. My grandfather remembers sitting towards the back of the bus with his younger sister, listening to "The Beatles," only the music was played in Spanish, so when he arrived in the United States and heard the songs in English, he thought they had copied all the songs; he did not realize it was the same band. As a result, whenever my Papa witnesses a bus that appears similar to the one he rode during his immigration, he remembers his journey to the United States and how thrilled he was to finally be with his parents again and begin a new life in Chino, California. My grandfather's story resonates with many others. He left his small town in Mexico, hoping for a better opportunity in life, education, and family. 

– Isabella Balog

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