Oral History

For this oral history project I interviewed a person who I look up to. A person to whom I’m grateful for all the things she has done to give me and my siblings everything we have. My mother has always been my role model. She came to the United States about thirty years ago. Her journey when crossing was not an easy one. She attempted crossing six times before finally having achieved her seventh time. “Cuando me junte con el papa de tus hermanos, nunca pense irme de Mexico.” My mother didn’t have in mind to come to United States when married to her first husband.

When married to her first husband my mother had no voice. Her husband was one of those “machistas” who beat her all the time. She couldn’t turn to her family because they just turned their back on her. My grandmother had said to her that it was her decision to escape with him and that my mother couldn’t go back in with her and my grandfather. Typical family customs, everyone has pride, too much pride. When my mother finally did decide to migrate to the United States, it was only because her first husband had been shot and died. She had no other choice. My grandparents and the rest of the family wouldn’t help her out. She wouldn’t have been able to make it on her own with two children.

In her seven attempts my mother was put in jail twice, the second and sixth time. They handcuffed her harshly. At one of those times they even tried taking both my brothers away from her, but she didn’t let it happen. “Claro que no iva a dejar que me quitaran a tus hermanos.”

It wasn’t easy to cross even tough she says that she realizes how much harder it must be now. My mother came to the United States with the help of a Coyote. She remembers being squeezed in the trunk of a car with other people. The heat of the car would hit them and she was scared she wouldn’t survive at one point. “Senti que me iva a morir.”

The six times they caught her, she recalls the officers being mean to her. They would call all the immigrants names. They threw out any food or beverage anyone carried with them. They would push and shove them all together. Imagine dealing with those officers six times.

When finally getting settled in Chicago my mother started of working at a factory. She says the bosses would treat all the Mexicans bad. There was a lot of racism and a lot of the people wouldn’t speak up. They gave the immigrant workers the harder jobs. The bosses would enjoy humiliating the workers. Not even a bathroom break was permitted, and if it was four minutes was your limit.

My mother says not a lot has changed since then. To the last job she had it was almost the same situation has her first job. There was racism and if you did any little thing wrong you would get fired. If you where a Mexican of course. My mother quit this last job she had.

It’s awful to see how some things still remain the same but I’m very proud of my mother. She is now a U.S citizen.