Living THe american dream

By Ruby Castillo

My mom, walking the border pregnant with my oldest sister just to live the American Dream and simply create a better life for her, my dad and her soon to be family.

Walking the border with brand clothing, sunglasses, loose clothing so they can look “less Mexican” and more American waiting to get picked up from cousins they have in El Paso Texas.

They’re holding magazines with sunglasses on so no one can see their nervousness and the scariness they felt to be told something or to simply tell her and my aunt to go back to Mexico.

Once getting to San Jose my mom, dad and sister rented a basement in my uncle's house.

For my mom it was especially hard living in a space that wasn’t hers and dealing with sister-in-laws, bad comments, bad energy.

Although she felt that way she still says that the time she lived with her oldest brother is the time she learned the most, became more independent and learned that living in the U.S isn't as easy as it looks like.

She learned that you have to work hard to live the life you want. She passes down the advice they once told her to us.

Dad “No pues te imaginas yo se que ahorita es muy difícil para tener una casa en California pero gracias a Dios con el esfuerzo de cada uno de nosotros y pues lo logramos y la tenemos” [“No, well, you can imagine, I know that right now it is very difficult to have a house in California, but thank God with the effort of each one of us and well, we achieved it and we have it”

My parents always told us that one of the reasons they have the house we now live in is thanks to my mom's oldest brother. My mom's oldest brother Carlos told my parents that if they saved up $30,000 he and my mom's other siblings would let them borrow money to put down a down payment for the house.

My mom and dad of course took his words and they did it. My mom said they did everything to save up those $30,000.

They wouldn’t eat out; they would stay home and cook. My mom said it wasn't easy but thanks to their hard work they achieved it.

Dad “Admiro a las personas que nos han ayudado nos han apoyado, un apoyo económico o moralmente también, nos han apoyado para seguir adelante” {“I admire the people who have helped us, they have supported us, financial or moral support as well, they have supported us to move forward”}

Once saving the money came the paperwork. Another struggle for my parents, especially not being born here in the U.S and not having that type of support.

Once again my mom's siblings were there to help with signing the papers. My mom till this day is super grateful and blessed to have had that support from her siblings. By siblings she refers to 5 older brothers.

My mom said the day her brothers were there to sign her sisters-in-law tagged along. Once my mom’s brothers finished signing the papers for my parents' new house , my mom told my sister and I that one of her in laws told my mom “tenemos nueva casa '' saying “we have a new house” since it was her husband signing for the house.

My mom said that she will never forget what she had said and after that she said she was going to do everything possible to put that house under her and my dad's name.

Dad “Si bastante orgulloso porque no es fácil adquirir todo esto que tenemos y le damos gracias dios de que lo hemos logrado” {"Yes, quite proud because it is not easy to acquire all this that we have and we thank God that we have achieved it"}

My parents became homeowners in the year of 2000 so they have had this house for approximately 22 years.

They remodeled the house completely and finished by 2004.

My parents' hard work came into consideration and all that sweat, hard work, tired nights, is all paying off. Although when they bought the house San Jose was much cheaper it is still a goal of many to own a house here.

Dad “porque mis propósitos eran para tener algo más tener algo nuevo y comprar mi casa y parece que si lo logre” {“Because my purposes were to have something else, to have something new and to buy my house and it seems that I have achieved it”}

When people tell me “ruby you have such a pretty house” or “you’re so lucky to live here”.

It reminds me of how proud and blessed I am to have such hardworking parents because after all this isnt mine or my siblings house it is our parents and our house is a living piece of everything they work hard for.

Hopefully one day we can be half as successful as our parents and take the advice they have taught us. They Have taught us so much, like to work hard for what we want and to be independent.

This is such an achievement but life can change in the blink of an eye. The least we can do now is to stay in school and give them the degree they deserve.

Dad “Que sigan en la escuela, que se sigan educando para que ellos también quieren un titulo para seguir adelante” {"That they continue in school, that they continue educating themselves so that they also want a degree to move forward"}

Music Credits

"Price of freedom" by ZakharValaha from Pixabay

"Battle of the dragons" by TommyMutiu from Pixabay