Overcoming Obstacles a Challenge for Migrant Students

By Homer Alcalde

As a migrant student I had to overcome many obstacles to become who I am now. The obstacles were a personal experience, and they helped me grow emotionally and mentally mature.

I was too young to understand why we moved all the time. When I was a little child I dreamed to be just like the rest of the people. However, my arrogance kept me from understanding it was just impossible, and it affected my life, making it bitter.

My mom always says that being different is not important. We were migrants, and we had our own reasons for moving so much, and also for our diversity.

But it was hard for me to understand it. She kept saying that to me, but she never realized how much I suffered when we moved again. We were always meeting new people, faces, and different attitudes. It was difficult to overcome.

When I was a child, I hated being in constant movement because we never found the house where we could feel like a normal family. Now I am old enough to understand my parents' reasons. It would have been helpful if I had not been such a stubborn child.

And their reasons were that they weren't able to get a steady or better-paying job. I think this changed my life, because it was really hard for me to understand those I love the most.

I apologize to them for my stubbornness. Now I know they only wanted the best for me.

There was another obstacle I had to overcome. It was when my dad, who was working in the orchards picking fruit to bring food to our table, was diagnosed with a terrible disease.

I was after falling from a ladder that he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.

At the time the only thing I could do was observe my dad's suffering and agony. His strongest regret was not to be able to go back to work.

Since I could not work because of my studies, my brother had to give up his studies. He worked as if there was no time to be wasted.

It was a great blow to my mom, since she wanted to provide her children with everything. She never got the opportunity to study, much less have a career. It impacted all of us.

To see my brother working to keep our family going and losing his opportunity to attend school made me cry because I wanted to help. But my schooling interfered. I was afraid not to keep the promise I made to my dad.

I had promised my father, "When I finish my schooling, I promise to work and keep studying in order to be an important person for you all. I don't mind if I kill myself at work and at school, I will achieve the goal of becoming a person who can help migrants to excel."

The next day my father told me: "Just remember that being a migrant makes us realize that not all in life is easy. We must struggle to overcome the challenges that life brings along. It does not matter if we kill ourselves working, what matters is the dignity and passion we put into our work."

When he was telling me this, I was left speechless, as a statue smiling at the beautiful day. Listening to those powerful words coming out the lips of such a strong man made me realize it wasn't important to be like the rest of the people.

I learned I have the wit, as everybody else, and also that I have something others don't have. I am unique.

I didn't want to be like the rest of the people any more. If I were like the rest of the people, I think I would have pulled up my hair. I feel this way because if I were not a migrant, I would never understood all the problems and obstacles we migrants have to endure and to overcome.

I don't mind being a migrant any more. On the contrary, I am grateful for the hardships I have had to endure. They have helped me to mature, to get along with my family and have a home.

Now I can say, "HOME SWEET HOME." And it is a home with plenty of love, happiness and harmony.

Every cloud has a silver lining. God has helped us to overcome all the obstacles life brings along.