American Dream meant escaping abusive uncle

By Roberta Garcia

Mi mom gave birth to her first daughter, my sister Elena, when she was 14, and to me a year later, when she was 15.

My grandpa and uncles thought my mother was very young to take care of us, so they decided my oldest uncles and aunts should take care of her offspring.

They planned to do so at 3 in the morning, but my mom decided to leave the house, taking us with her. One of my uncles found out about my mom's plans and tried to stop her, buy my mom took her few belongings and her two daughters and ran away from home.

Unfortunately my uncle caught her and managed to pull me away from her arms. Then, he took me to my grandpa, telling him my mom had run away with my sister. My grandpa told him he could keep me, so I lived with them since I was 2 months old.

Trying to escape from my uncles and grandpa, my mother fell into a ravine. A woman listened to my sister cry and helped them, and took them to her house. My mom entrusted her to take care of my sister while she looked for a job and for a way to come to the U.S.

A year later she found a person who helped her come to the U.S. She brought my sister with her, and I kept living with my aunt and uncle, who were looking after me, but not very well.

Then my mom met a 39-year-old man when she was 17. He was rich and wanted my mom to marry him, but she didn't want to. He took her to México, and my uncles and grandpa told her she had to marry him.

She got married to this man by force and gave birth to a boy, but because her husband beat her when she was pregnant, my half-brother was born with some diseases, including asthma, deafness and stammer. A few years later her husband passed away, due to alcoholism.

My mom wanted me to be returned. She tried to see me while in México, but I didn't know she was my mother because my aunt used to say bad things about her and never told me she was my mom.

I was afraid of her, I thought she wanted to take me away from my aunt and uncle. I didn't know her, and I rejected her, since I was only 3 years old at that time.

She got my uncle's phone number and called my aunt, asking for me to be delivered to her. This happened when I was 5. My aunt told her she should pay them $20,000, but my mother said she only had $15,000. They argued for a while on the phone, and then my aunt hung up on her, because she wanted to be paid all the money.

My mom started sending money to me at my uncle's place, but my aunt kept it and used it for traveling and shopping while I starved. I didn't have clothes; I wore my cousins' old cloths to school.

Sometimes I was not even able to go to school. My aunt used to batter and mistreat me, and made me do chores. I was only 6.

My uncle sexually molested me from when I was 6 until I was 9. When he was doing drugs and drinking alcohol, he was violent and aggressive, and once he grabbed me by the neck. One day he got a knife and tried to kill me, but my aunt knocked him down and kept me from being hurt.

My mom kept sending money for my expenses, but they gave it to their parents when they were sick or used it to visit them.

One of my uncles told my mother what was going on, and she decided to stop sending money, saving it instead to bring me to the U.S. She and my uncle drew up a plan.

One day my uncle picked me up from school and took me to a man who helped me come to the U.S. Even though I was only 9 years old, I could follow instructions y do everything I was told to do in order to cross the border.

Finally we got together -- my mom and me.

I would like to go back to México, when I get older, and accuse my uncle and aunt of all they did to me. I want them to pay for the abuse they made me suffer.

My mom took me to the doctor for a thorough check-up. She bought me new clothing and after, we had lunch. She also bought me toys and sent me to school.

I am happy to be with my mom. I was sad while away from her, and she has told me she missed me badly, as well.

Being together makes me very happy, and I thank her every day for that.

I really love my mom.