Interview with María
Introduction
As I was creating my schedule for this current semester, I was eager to enroll in this sociology class because of the unique topic that is immigration. As a child of an immigrant, there were qualities about my mom’s life that I thought were only specific to her and the life we’ve established here. Knowing that most of her experiences were universal amongst the immigrant community gave me a sense of comfort and somewhat eased the guilt that I grew up with. Therefore, this class gave me the opportunity to dive deeper into the topic of immigration and understand my mom’s experience a bit more. When this project was assigned, I knew this would be the perfect chance to interview my mom and finally have a conversation about her story before my birth. Growing up, I was primarily raised by my single mom and my grandfather. Although my mom and I’s relationship is close, she rarely spoke about her travel to the U.S. or her motives for crossing the border. Very rarely would she even describe life before I was born. If she did, it was almost always fond memories with her siblings or stories that brought her joy. Being able to sit down with her for 45 minutes and talk exclusively about the complexities of her immigration journey was very rewarding. I feel even closer with her after this project.
Summary
María came to the United States from Mexico City in 2000 when she was around 22 years old. Her life in Mexico was average for the typical young adult: working, spending time with friends, dating, and taking care of her family. She wasn’t very fond of education, but instead found value in working to provide for the household and go to concerts with her friend group. This group was formed through a similar love for punk music, so they would often travel to different regions of Mexico to watch their favorite bands perform. Through these adventures and connections, María often found herself meeting individuals from all over the world who traveled to Mexico just to be united through punk music. From these interactions, curiosity stemmed in her youthful self and she began imagining adventures outside of Mexico.
Years before, María’s father had left Mexico and immigrated to the United States. During her early twenties, she began dating Alejandro, my biological dad. Around the same time her curiosity heightened, Alejandro presented her with the opportunity of going to America with him since his uncle was already living there. Without hesitation or a clear plan, she agreed. She believed that she would just go to America to visit and explore, work a bit to earn money, and return back home to her family in Mexico. Though her mind was set on this timeline, others around her were doubtful. It was a running joke that those who cross the border never return, so they were convinced the same thing would happen to María. Nevertheless, she still wanted to embark on this adventure and felt comfortable doing so because of her established connections. As she took out her piercings, dyed her hair back to normal, and packed her singular backpack, she was ready to see what life was like on the other side of the border.
Once María settled in Harrisonburg, VA with her father, she noticed some obvious differences between American culture and Mexican culture. Specifically, the transportation, the prices of products, and the beauty standards of America shocked her. As soon as she arrived, she started working in a hotel and cleaning rooms through a mutual connection her father had. Eventually, she moved to a higher paying job and so on. Through these working environments, she was able to learn English from her coworkers, and they were even interested in learning Spanish. Although she couldn’t communicate efficiently, she always felt like she was welcomed in the Harrisonburg community and never an outcast. However, throughout her work, others would question her ability and were confused as to how she was excelling as an employee.
Eventually, I was born, and her entire plan of traveling to the U.S. for a fun adventure changed into something more. Because of my automatic citizenship, she did not want to be selfish and take that privilege away from me. Additionally, she knew that I could receive the best education, even attending college, in America compared to Mexico. For those reasons, she decided to do everything to support me and my life as an American. However, due to her status, she still finds certain things difficult to this day. For example, owning a house or a car requires a credit score, which she is unable to obtain. Additionally, she has gotten used to life here, meaning that returning back to Mexico permanently is not an option she’s willing to choose. María has no regrets about immigrating to the United States and feels that she can live both the American and Mexican life under one roof.
Analysis
Theories of Migration
During this course, we discussed a few theories of migration, meaning reasons why individuals may decide to leave their home countries and move somewhere else (in this case America). I want to begin with the push and pull factors that were apparent within María’s immigration story. Push factors can be defined as the reasons or driving force one may emigrate from their current home to somewhere new. Pull factors are categorized as the reasons one may be attracted to a certain country where they are looking to settle. Oftentimes, immigrants will have extreme push factors such as poverty, crime, corruption, etc. However, I found my mom’s case unique. Her main push factor was adventure and exploration. She was fascinated to learn more about how people from different countries lived. Although she was in poverty and crime rates were high, those factors didn’t push her to go to the United States. The offer presented itself and she thought it could fulfill that itch to travel outside of Mexico. Her pull factors were also not as common as one may imagine. Instead of seeking safety or freedom, she chose the U.S. because of convenience. It was a neighboring country that just so happened to be where her dad was living and her boyfriend was about to travel to.
Another theory of migration we touched on was networks that are established prior to immigrating. These networks, whether big or small, play a critical role in the integration of immigrants to the new country. As María stated in the interview, she would not have crossed the border if it wasn’t for the existing connections she had. Her boyfriend who offered to take her on the trip had an uncle in the U.S. already. María’s father was already living in Harrisonburg at the time of her arrival. Additionally, her family knew people who could help her cross the border and travel in the group with her. These relationships made her feel at ease when taking this big leap. Once she arrived in Harrisonburg, her housing was already covered because of my grandfather and his existing trailer home. He was able to get my mom and dad settled very quickly with all the essentials they needed. Finally, finding a job soon after immigrating was also made easy by the networks her dad had established around town. All the jobs my mom started off with were thanks to family friends who directed her to the right locations.
Integration
Crossing the border or traveling from one country to another is a difficult task within itself. It requires support, planning, expenses, and sacrifice. However, after overcoming that challenge, immigrants are faced with a new challenge: integration. The ability to adapt to a new culture, learn a different language, and build community is not easy to achieve at first. The only way immigrants can benefit from their new home is if they integrate and transition successfully into society. Thankfully, some of that stress my mom had to face was eased when she arrived in Harrisonburg. Her father played an important role of being a guide and helping her adapt to the new space. He was able to provide transportation, knowledge, and connections in order for her to survive. As my mom got adjusted and began working, she jumped another hurdle of integration: the language barrier. As mentioned in the interview, she would communicate in signals or signs many times when she interacted with English speakers. Slowly but surely, she was able to pick up on key words and eventually hold long conversations with her peers. When she faced backlash from her coworkers who were jealous of her achievements, I believe that was a part of social integration that she may not have prepared for. As an immigrant who wants to do their best at their job, it was probably a shock to see a negative reaction from those around her. The individualistic side of American culture was presenting itself, and it’s something my mom had to adjust to as well.
Second Generation
Although this interview may not be about me, I believe it’s important to highlight the second generation experience that I have lived through, and how it has affected my mom as well. Since I was born in the U.S. and have at least one parent who is foreign-born, that makes me second generation. In the interview, my mom spoke about having a personal English teacher in the house at all times. Examples like these are when the second generation experience is unique to typical American families who have been here for several generations. The education that I was able to receive in America directly benefited my mom at such an early age. If I had grown up in Mexico instead, both my mom and I wouldn’t have had the chance to be bilingual speakers. Similarly, my family blends two different cultures together on a daily basis. In class, we discussed the divide that some second generation individuals may feel when being raised by one culture at home, but having to thrive in a society that values a different culture. Personally, I’ve always felt torn between my Mexican and my American identity ever since I knew what to label myself. Certain customs or behaviors that I found normal were very foreign to the rest of my friend group. I mention this because although my mom faced similar struggles of integration and identity confusion, I don’t think she expected this new layer of challenges I would face growing up in America. Nevertheless, it has made my life special and has broadened my view of culture and values throughout my youth.
Conclusion
This project gave me the unique experience to interview my mom first-hand and learn so much more about her journey to the United States. I often take her sacrifices for granted, especially because my journey has been significantly easier than any family member before me. Being able to get a fuller picture of the thought processes my mom went through and how her life changed once immigrating has reminded me of my luck. Because she made this big shift towards a new adventure at a young age, I can’t help but to put myself in her shoes as I approach the age of 22 years-old. I know for a fact that I would not have the confidence or bravery to move to another country at my current state. I’m grateful for this space to share such a meaningful story, and even more grateful for my mom who took the time to recount the memories from her past.
Alexia: Hello, my name’s Alexia and I’m here with my mother and she’s gonna introduce herself for this immigrant interview project.
María: Hello, my name is María and I come from Mexico City.
Alexia: So all these interview questions are gonna be said in English, but then she will be responding in Spanish. So to get started, when did you decide to leave Mexico and what did your life in Mexico look like at that time?
María: I decided to come to the United States in the year 2000 and it was when I was only 22 years old, so I was just a young girl. My idea was not exactly to come here to stay, but simply as perhaps an adventure because I was still too young to make serious decisions.
Alexia: What were you doing at that time in your 22 years old? What did your life look like?
María: Ah, it was going out with friends. It was going out with my sister, going to parties, to concerts, to meet people from different cities, because we had a place where we visited. There were people who came from different countries, sometimes from different states, but united by music, which was what we liked at that time.
Alexia: So meeting all those people from different places you wanted to, kind of just go out and explore?
María: Yes, I was curious about what life was like in other places. For example, people came from Peru, people came from England, people came from different countries in Europe or from different states of Mexico. I was curious to know what life elsewhere was like.
Alexia: When did the opportunity present itself for you to go to the United States?
María: When I was dating a person, with who now is your father, he had come here [to America]. He was living with his uncle and we had plans to live together and he asked me to come here [America]. Again, this was just like an adventure and it made it a little easier for me too because my dad had been living here ever since 1984 and he knew here [America] more than me, so it was easy for me. It was easier for me to be here or, like, the opportunity to be here with him too. Likewise, my dad also offered me to come here and that interested me.
Alexia: Did you receive any backlash for leaving Mexico? Was anyone opposed to you leaving Mexico and going to America?
María: Yes. Mostly from people I knew as friends said they knew people who had come here [America] and that they only came for a while and never came back. Personally, I thought that was never going to happen to me because, similarly, I thought ‘no, no, no, I only go for a while and I’ll return. I have nothing to do there [America]. Here is my family. Here we all are and I really don’t have anything that binds me or that forces me to be there’.
Alexia: What was your plan in America? How did you envision your time in America? If it was just gonna be just to explore and get a new experience? Were you looking for anything or did you want to do anything specifically, or you just wanted to see how it was gonna go?
María: I was just curious to know what life was like here [America] and try to work all of a sudden, like [how] all people come, work, earn money and come back. I thought it was going to be like that, but no, you get used to many things that you don’t have back in Mexico and you start to like life here. As time goes by, you get used to everything and a time comes when you can no longer look back or return to the place where you were. Now, I have been here for 22 years and I no longer think how I could live there again. It’s difficult.
Alexia: You said you want to come here [to America] and work and then go back. Did you ever have a dream job or anything?
María: No, not necessarily. I don’t think I’m the only person this happens to, but coming from another country where another language is spoken and you only come to work in whatever they give you and with the goal of making money and returning, then no, you don’t think about improving yourself. At least I didn’t think about improving myself or getting to where I am. Simply work in whatever they gave me and earn money and collect money to send to my family or for whatever could help them. [My dream was] never necessarily go to school and have a career. None of that, because first of all, I think there is no such opportunity. I think up to a certain limit you can study. There are young children who arrive and even finish high school and can no longer go to university because there is no longer a way to enter school. So, well, for me similarly, I came at twenty-three years old and it was practically impossible. I could have studied a technical career, like I know they offer some at Massanutten [Technical Center]. There are short courses that you can study, but I was never interested in them. I think yes, definitely if there are more people who go to school, learn something and dedicate themselves to what they are studying, for example, cosmetology and all that, right? In reality, I always liked working and earning money more than [getting an education].
Alexia: What resources or support did you have when crossing the border, essentially? So that could be physical resources or support as in who you were traveling with or just support from family as well.
María: So, I think it was a little easier for me to come because I wasn’t going to come alone. My mom had a couple of friends that she knew and maybe that’s also why my mom let me come. I imagine that it is very difficult for a mother to let her 22, 23-year-old daughter go on an adventure like that. So she knew this couple and it turned out that we were going to travel together. We were going to have the trip together. So, she was a little calmer and let me come. So, maybe that made it easier for me and I felt more confident about coming and maybe I didn’t think about the risks nor did it scare me. Nothing of that. I didn’t think about any of that. I simply wanted to come and already being accompanied by another person, it became easier for me. Also, my brother knew a person who was passing people [across the border] and had very good recommendations. So, it was also easy for us to have that connection with that person and have good recommendations from that person to make it easier for me to get here.
Alexia: Was it expensive?
María: Well, in Mexican pesos, maybe yes. However, when you’re here, you start working and you find it easier to pay back what you spent. For example, Alejandro [partner] lent me money to come and later when I started working and I paid him back. Similarly, my dad paid a portion and then I paid him back.
Alexia: When you were crossing, did you bring anything with you or you came empty handed?
María: Yes, I had a backpack that I used in Mexico that I always carried with me when we went to faraway places or when we went to a concert and they would let us bring in backpacks. So I took that backpack everywhere and I brought it [to America] and to this day I still have it.
Alexia: What did you bring in the backpack?
María: I only brought a change of clothes and maybe I had a bit of makeup to get ready and lotion or something like that. [I brought] toothpaste, all that. What you need for your personal hygiene. Um, what else? Well nothing more. Nothing like important papers. Oh, my credential. Yes, my credential, because it’s important. You hear many stories of people going [to cross the border] and they don’t manage to pass, so they always said bring your identification with you in case something happens or if they find you or I don’t know – things always happen, so I just brought my identification.
Alexia: What was going through your head when you were immigrating? What were you thinking was going to happen in America? Did you have a plan?
María: I almost already answered the question, but it was more of an adventure and having the curiosity about what life was going to be like here [in America] and work and supposedly come back. It was nothing planned and also like [happened] very fast, like an idea. It was only an idea and Alejandro [partner] asked me, “Do you want to come?”. I said yes and that’s how everything turned out, nothing was planned.
Alexia: Transitioning to when you first like came and specifically when you first settled in Virginia, what were some of the first things that you did?
María: I remember the first days a lot because I arrived and everything is, I don’t know, it’s different. Life, the people, the language, the food [is all different]. My dad asked me, “Do you want me to take you to the store to buy clothes?” or “Let’s go eat out”. [That’s] something that in Mexico is very difficult to do because you can’t easily say “Oh, let’s go shopping. Let’s go, I’ll buy you clothes. Let’s go, I’ll take you out to eat”.
Alexia: Is it because everything is far away?
María: Everything is more expensive. The way of life, the one we had was mmm…we did not have access to many things. If we worked, we barely had enough to buy a few things, but never enough to give ourselves luxuries or say, “Oh, this day I’m going to do this because I have extra”. None of that. So, coming here and my dad offering to take me shopping for clothes was something very, very nice. When we got to the store, I saw that everything cost $3, $5, $10, up to $25. It seemed very cheap to me because you see the difference between pesos and dollars. You say, “Oh, only $25?” In Mexico it would be MXN $250 or $300. So that’s like saying, “Oh, how cheap!”
Alexia: Where was your dad working at that time?
María: He was working in a chicken or turkey plant, and that’s what normally a lot of people come here for because it is a place where they offer you work, and it’s a job that you can do, too. You don’t need a lot of education, so many of those of us who come from Mexico without knowing the language, well that’s where we come to work many times.
Alexia: What were some major differences you noticed between American culture and Mexican culture? That could be social cues, everyday life working environments, food, etc. What were some of the things that stood out to you at the beginning or that maybe surprised you as well?
María: At that time, maybe I didn’t see much difference because I was still learning and getting used to everything. I think that one of the things that I remember well is looking at how everyone had to have a car. Everyone had to know how to drive because a car is essential here. In Mexico, it’s a luxury [to have a car]. Here [in America] you have to have transportation. If not, it makes many things difficult for you, many things that you have to do on a daily basis. If you don’t have a car, an automobile, or something to transport yourself, it makes things more complicated. You have to pay a taxi or you have to pay a person or you have to wait for the bus that might be late which requires more time and it takes you a further route, so you need a lot of time if you’re traveling by bus. Also, the people look the same. I was very surprised to see that Americans, although they may not have a lot of money, have fine features and can pass for a finer (pretty) person. On the other hand, in Mexico, [the difference between] people who have money and those who do not have money are more noticeable.
Alexia: There’s a bigger divide?
María: Yes, how you notice [the difference in] the physique of the person, not necessarily the way they dress, but the physique. A person with money is prettier or thinner or things like that. Here in the United States, the American people are…they are beautiful.
Alexia: When you came [to America], how did you find a job? What was your first job?
María: Here, all the people help each other when people from another country come [to America]. Then people start asking, “Oh, there is a person coming, we need to help them find a job.”
Alexia: Do you think that was specific to just Harrisburg or do you think that’s like a lot of places? There was already a community established, no?
María: I think that that’s everywhere you go, because the Hispanic community is always helping each other in that way. Conversations begin like, “Oh, a son of my friend is coming [to America]. Do you know where they’re hiring or where can I look to find them a job?” So, people help each other more that way. For me, my dad helped me because he knew a person who worked at a fast food restaurant. Oh no, okay, my first job was cleaning hotels. So my brother was here too, and he took me to apply to a hotel and they hired me. I didn’t know English so I was limited to only understanding mere signs, but they hired me and I worked there for three months cleaning a hotel.
Alexia: Why did you leave that job?
María: [I left] because my dad kept asking around and he met another person. There was a Mexican man who had a cleaning company and he offered me a little more money. So, that suited me more and he also spoke Spanish, so I could communicate better with him and do the best I could. Not being able to speak Spanish and trying to explain signs is not very convenient. So, I started working with him and I started to earn a little more and I liked helping him too because he was a very good person.
Alexia: I assume that you didn’t know any English before coming or if you did, just a little bit. How did you feel about not being able to communicate at first and then eventually how did you learn English?
María: At first it was frustrating, but I didn’t always see it as impossible. Since I was in Mexico, I always enjoyed English classes a lot and they were precisely the ones I had the best grades in because they were the ones I liked the most. I liked listening to music in English and so I always wanted to understand the lyrics. Trying to communicate with people was difficult, but I wasn’t ashamed. I wanted them [people] to understand me and at the same time, I wanted to talk to them. Sometimes I even dreamed that I spoke English and had conversations, long conversations with people. That encouraged me to learn more.
Alexia: How specifically did you learn [English]?
María: [I learned] at work, listening, repeating, and asking. What I have always said is that I always had my teacher at home. When you [daughter] started going to school and you started to speak English, you would come home and you would speak words to me in English or sing songs in English and I wanted to understand them. I wanted to sing with you. I wanted to talk to you. I wanted to understand you and communicate with you. Technically we both learned a little bit together. Later, when you were learning more English, you were also teaching me more. Also at work, [I learned by] writing notes and asking questions. At the time, there wasn’t a translator on the phone. I had a dictionary and sometimes I used it, but it helped me more by asking and repeating things as they were said to me.
Alexia: How was it like interacting with others? This could be at work or just in your everyday life. When you first came [to Amercia], did you ever experience any racism or discrimination? Overall, how were your feelings and how do you think that you were received as an immigrant?
María: At work I never felt discriminated against. On the contrary, people always wanted to help. People always wanted to communicate with me. It was interesting seeing how they also wanted to learn Spanish at the same time. I mean, at the same time that I was asking how to say something in English, they asked me how to say it in Spanish. Both parties were learning a second language. At some point I did feel discriminated against, but I think it was not just for being a Hispanic, but for wanting to excel more at work and for wanting to do things better and give my best. Some people didn’t agree that a Hispanic person should come and do things better. Well, it wasn’t once, it was several times that this happened. I never wanted to make anyone feel bad. I just wanted to do my job well and some people didn’t like that. They feel bad when someone else is doing a better job [than them] and is receiving more recognition from a person who doesn’t even speak the language, simply because they are doing a better job than a person who was born here and grew up here.
Alexia: Did you ever keep up with the politics or political scene when you came [to America], or were you interested in any of that?
María: Not exactly when I got here, but as soon as I got adapted to life [in America]. The news became more of a topic in the house because we would see that such a person is running to be president and more than anything, because he was supporting the Hispanic community or because he wanted to do something for Hispanics and all that. So, that always interests people and you start to follow the news more closely, like who is a republican and who is democrat and all that. I’m not up to date with everything or very informed about everything, but it’s simply about knowing who wants to support us [Hispanics] and make change.
Alexia: Overall, what do you think were the biggest difficulties you faced during specifically your first year here and how did you overcome those? And you might have already talked about them, but just overall, what do you think were the hardest moments?
María: I think to this day, one of the worst challenges or what is most difficult for me is, for example, to be here, you have to have a credit score to be able to own things. In Mexico, simply by having money, you can buy a house, you can buy a car without having credit. Here [in America], it’s what they always ask you for. In my case, I have a good job. I’ve been working there for several years and I am very sure that I can have a good credit score, but simply because I do not have a status, I cannot apply for anything. I can’t apply to buy a house. I had to save up money to be able to buy a car because otherwise they wouldn’t have given it to me. That’s what I find the most difficult to achieve.
Alexia: Has immigrating here changed your perception of family or of working life? Just in general, have any life values changed since coming to America?
María: No, we have always been a family and we have always worried about the siblings and our mom. Now, I worry about my [immediate] family. That has stayed the same. Family will always be important. It doesn’t change.
Alexia: Was there a part of you or your identity that you had to leave behind?
María: Yes. When I was in Mexico, like I mentioned, my sister and I went to concerts. They were punk music concerts and many of our friends had their hair colored. We got to dye our hair purple or red. We had piercings in our eyebrows, in our nose, and in our lips. When I came here [to America], I didn’t want to come with all that. I wanted to come as a good person because I didn’t know how they were going to view me here because I didn’t know if that was accepted here or if they were going to look at me ugly or what they were going to say about me. So, a more normal looking person I didn’t think would attract so much attention. So, I took off all my earrings and dyed my hair back to normal. [I wore] my normal clothes because before, also around that time, all our clothes were black and we would dress up on theme with the parties we went to. So, I started buying more normal clothes and my hair was back to normal.
Alexia: Do you miss that or do you feel like you had to grow up faster than normal because you were still very young and in your twenties?
María: No. I think that everything was in accordance with the time. The time I was in Mexico, we were obviously young teenagers and for us it was okay. When I came to the United States, I did miss it. I felt sadness having to take off my earrings and all that, and somehow having to leave that behind, but being here, you have to adjust to what life is here. How is life here? Especially, because Harrisonburg is a town, not a big city where you see a lot of everything. It’s more reserved here [in Harrisonburg] and you don’t see much. There weren’t any punk parties, so I couldn’t walk around looking like that…it wasn’t right for me. Yes I missed it, but one way or another, I had to adjust. It wasn’t hard for me because I knew I had to adjust since I was coming to a new place and needed to be able to fit in a new place, but no, it was not hard for me.
Alexia: Do you have any overall regrets about coming to America?
María: No, because until now I’ve had a life, not the best way of life and I may not have everything I would like to have, but I’m fine. I have learned how to live life here and, again, to be able to fit in one way or another in the society here. It’s different how Hispanics live and how an American family lives, and in some ways, I’m living both…and I like it, it’s interesting.
Alexia: Since you came here without the intention of staying here [in America] and going back to Mexico, do you remember the moment that you decided, “Oh wait, I’m actually going to be staying here for longer than I thought”?
María: Yes. I remember because that’s when you [daughter] started growing up and I couldn’t take away that privilege of having an education here and of growing up here, because technically you’re American. I have heard stories of kids who are born here [in America] and their parents return to Mexico or they themselves have to return. Later, when they want to come back, they can come back, but they don’t speak English. So it’s sad for them because they’re American, but they don’t know the culture or speak the language and they are losing all the privileges. At the end, they have to return [back to another country] or they get used to being here [in America] and learn everything, or they go back [to another country] because they couldn’t fit in. They didn’t like it or the language cost them a lot of work. I saw that and I didn’t want that to happen to you. I didn’t want to take away the privilege of being here, learn, and above all, go to college and have an education and be someone better than what Mexico would have offered you.
Alexia: So when I was younger, you were like, “Okay, I want her to go fully through the whole education system” and invest in that?
María: Yes. For me it was never an option that you finish high school and that’s where it all ends. I think parents always have to, for example, if you had told me, “I don’t want to go to school anymore”, I wasn’t going to force you, but I wasn’t going to give up leaving you there either. Always in my mind was always how to support you in whatever you want, but not leave you.
Alexia: What is your attitude towards citizenship and would you like to obtain it one day?
María: Yes, it would be nice because I’ve been here for many years and somehow you get used to life here. You appreciate many things about the culture here and personally I’ve also learned to value some of the things that people have valued here and are used to doing. So, becoming an American citizen would be really nice because, technically, I don’t speak the language very well, but I do understand and can engage in conversation with someone. Also, I think I could do more in some other job or be something else to have a better paying job. Again, like having a house and traveling. So having a status, a citizenship and things like that, it helps you more to achieve everything you want. Also because I appreciate this country. This country has a lot of freedom of expression. There is a lot of freedom and many things that in Mexico perhaps cannot be done.
Alexia: If you were given the opportunity, would you be willing to move back to Mexico for a couple of years or maybe towards the end of your lifespan? If so, do you think it would be a hard adjustment essentially back to your home country?
María: I think that the possibility of living in Mexico would be greater if, at a given moment, I can no longer be here. If they send me to Mexico, then obviously I have to go there. I can’t go back and I would have to adjust to life there again, but that’s only if I have to leave. If I was given a choice, no, I would not go to Mexico to live there because it would be difficult to adjust to life there again. In some way, I would always feel unsafe because of the violence as it is there. Although I lived in Mexico for a long time, well, all my youth I lived in Mexico and there was always crime. There were always assaults and all that, but you get used to it and it happens. It even happens to you and you get assaulted but you say, “Okay, thank God nothing happened to us”. If I go back to Mexico, I don’t think I’d be very calm. For example, I know that I won’t be able to bring a phone like the one I have now. I know that I won’t be able to bring my watch like the one I have now or my earrings that are expensive. I’m not going to be able to do all that because I would feel even more unsafe. Aside from that, I wouldn’t feel comfortable with my family. For example, if you [daughter] went with me, I would feel very afraid.
Alexia: Like more worried over there [in Mexico]?
María: Yes. We wouldn’t be able to go out so late at night or so far away. We would have to protect ourselves more and be more aware of everything. And here too, right? But it’s not like there [in Mexico]. Having to adjust to all that is very difficult. I would like to visit, yes. Visit and return, but similarly with a lot of precautions, because you can’t enjoy 100%. You can’t enjoy 100% like when you go out here [in America]. You can’t leave your bike out. You cannot go, for example, to the beach and leave your things there. Sometimes when we go to the beach here, [we leave our stuff and] “Okay, no problem. Nobody is going to take it.” In Mexico, you can not do that.
Alexia: I guess this will be our last question, but what advice would you give someone who is planning to immigrate to America?
María: Have a plan. Have a plan, because at the end of the day, now that I know for sure, that someone who comes [to America] will not return [to their home country]. If you spend, for example, three, four years here, you’ll end up staying. So, if they have a plan, for example, to come and work for a certain time, to be sure that this is the plan and that they are going to return. There is nothing wrong with staying [in America] without a plan, but, in the future I think it’s better.
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