Obstacles Make Migrant Student Stronger

By Erica Martinez

As a child I had many medical needs. I was sick, and much money was needed for my medications. The pay in Mexico wasn't good enough. So my father decided to cross the border, to send money to my mother.

However, during the time they were separated, things didn't work between them. I no longer had my papi. My mother had a very hard task ahead of her. She had to take the roles of both my mother and father, so my uncle and my grandma stepped in to help.

My mother worked two jobs in the fields, my uncle worked another two and my grandmother was like a second mother to me. She took care of me when my mom was at work, which caused my grandma and me to become really close

When I was about 3 years old, I became very ill and needed an operation. There just wasn't enough money to pay for such a costly operation. However, they had no choice; they had to pay it. There was no way to escape it. Without the operation I wouldn't be here today.

So my uncle, who I called "dad," put all his money together and sold his truck. I am so thankful to him. He saved my life.

Once I recovered from my operation, my uncle decided we needed to go to the United States. He said we would have a better life there. He saw what many other migrants saw when they thought of the U.S., a country of dreams, said my uncle.

It was easier said than done. We had to save up much money and then put ourselves in the hands of a coyote (a person who helps migrants sneak across the border). I was about 3½ when I crossed the border, along the side of my uncle and grandma. Thank God, we got there safely.

When we got there, it wasn't as easy as my uncle thought.

Not knowing English was a big obstacle for my family and me. The only jobs they found were out in the orchards. They had to work in the back-burning heat or out in the freezing cold. The government barely ever checks a lot of these jobs. Therefore, many field workers are being taken advantage of by their employers, or as they called them, "gringos."

Also, the place we lived in was definitely no palace. My other uncle and aunt came to the U.S. and shared a tiny apartment with us.

About a year later we had some money saved up for my mom so she could cross the border. I was happy to see her. But my grandma in a way without trying had taken her place. A couple years later my uncle got married. So my grandma and I went to live with him.

I started kindergarten when I was about 5. I was really excited, because I was finally able to practice my English. I watched educational channels every day ever since we arrived in the U.S., and I would repeat the words until they were stored in my head. I didn't know what they meant, but I could pronounce them correctly. I was a very ambitious person since I was a child.

When I started school, my teachers were amazed by how much English I knew. However, as the years passed, I did need a little help.

When I was in the third grade, I was put in a class once a week that helped migrant students as well as other students that needed help in their reading and writing. I had difficulty reading, especially when it came to the big words.

In Spanish, words are pronounced as they are written. In English, words aren't always read as they are written. Therefore, my reading speed wasn't as high as the other students. I was glad I was in those classes, because it helped me get to where I am today. Those classes helped me improve so much that when I entered middle school I no longer needed them.

Nowadays, my English is so much better that some people think I was born here. Some people think if you have an accent, you're from another country.

Another thing I had to deal with as a migrant student was racism, as do many other migrant students. We looked different from other students, so we were teased and laughed at. And on top of that we had to deal with people looking down on us.

They didn't seem to understand that looks aren't what matter. If you take the time to get to know us, we are just like anyone else, that we are human beings struggling in a new country. However, I didn't let that bring me down. It made me work harder and become stronger inside.

The struggles I've dealt with as a migrant have helped me build character. I have overcome many obstacles. I've learned to look at the positives. My struggles were worth it, because living in America allows me to get a good education.

Next year I'll be entering college, which is going to allow me to have a much better life. And thanks to that, I'll be able to give my family a good life.