My mother and her cousin crossed the Rio Grande for a better life in America. My mother was scared when she crossed the river because of the raging waters. She was told never to pick up her legs from the bottom of the river because the river would sweep her away and drown her.
When they got out of the Rio Grande River they had to change their wet clothes by the “llervas” so immigration would not see them. They were exhausted from crossing the river, but they still had to walk 5 miles on their bare feet before entering a shoe store.
They waited for someone to pick them up in a truck to take them to a hotel. They were scared because they needed to wait until night fall. Then they would have to walk to this place called “al monte”. This place was filled with thorns and wilds animals like snakes and coyotes. Their destination “Chequeo de Imigracion”. Once they crossed "el chequeo" my mom and her cousin felt calm but tired. My mom was so thankful that they crossed the border with no problems and that she was headed to Austin, Texas to be reunited with her parents and boyfriend.....my father.
When my mom arrived in Austin she made a mistake. She decided not to go to school and ended up working full time at the age of 15. She then got pregnant and give birth to her first child at the of age 15 and her second child at the age of 17. My grandparents told her to come live with them so my mother, my father, my older sister and I slept in one room. All four of us crammed in a tiny room for twenty-four months. Two years later, my father and mom decided to rent their own place.
My mother had the opportunity to go back to school. She took some classes to get her GED and with her hard work she got it. Now she is working as a housekeeper and my father as a landscaper. My sister is in college, my little brother is in middle school and I will graduate in May. Thank God she came to the United States without no big problems and we all ended up as one happy family. We are a hardworking American family with big dreams!
Credits:
My Immigration Story by Hector Rivera