I began hearing this story when my mother was cooking and I asked her,“How did you come to the US?”. Little by little, she began to tell me that it was a sunny day in Mexico City and that I was four years old and my sister was eight years old with long hair. According to her, she had just come from the store when she received a call from my dad and he told her to come to Los Angeles.

He said, “Honey, come to Los Angeles so the kids can get a better education.”

She responded, “I don’t know if this is a good idea. How are the kids going to pass?”

At first, my mom didn’t know what to do but my dad finally convince her. For a moment, she stop and continue telling me that after that call she waited like a week or two for my dad to call her again. This time he called to tell her that everything was ready for all of us to come. So the next day we got ready to go to the airport. When we got to the airport it took a long time to aboard the plane. It took like an hour to get to Mexicali where from there we would stay in a hotel. She told me that it was a fast and bumpy trip to Mexicali.

After some hours, a lady came to pick up my sister and me and we left in a small blue car. Luckily, later that night my mom got a call from my dad telling her that my sister and I had arrived safe. She felt so happy to hear that and went to sleep. The next day a men came to pick her up to take her to the U.S., but when they were going though immigration the border patrol stopped them to check the car she was in. She couldn’t see anything. She heard the officers talk but she did not understand what they were saying. She also heard the dogs barking and smelling the car and she got alerted. But they couldn’t smell the people because he they had put coffee. It took like five-ten min and went along.

On the next day, they waited in a little house until the night fell so it could be easier. Around six or seven, they went walking the whole way, but then they saw the border patrol and hid under some rocks. After the border patrol left, they kept on going, but then the border patrol saw them and told them to get on the ground. The border patrol took them to some kind of jail and took their information. Hours later they were deported back to Mexicali. She mumbled that she was really sad because she was almost half way in and she got deported. On that same night, she tried again, but this time she went with some lady that was coming from El Salvador.They rested for a little time because everyone was sore from walking. Then out of no where the border patrol saw them and deported them back to Mexicali. That night she called my dad and told him that she had been deported back two times already.

He answered, “Try again I know you can do it!”

But she responded, “I am too tired, why don’t you just send the kids back?”

He yelled, “No!”

I asked her why didn’t you just give up she answered that for the reason that she wanted to be with us and never be away from us. She tried four more times but still got deported back. She thought this was going to be impossible trip. She was so tired of making it half way and getting deported every time. One night, she dreamed that she was in the U.S. with all of us together. After that dream she to told herself, “I’m not giving up! I’m try again!.”

She told me that it was her fifth time trying and she hoped that she would make it. This time she went at 12:00 midnight with the same lady for last time and kept on going they crossed the border but my mom cut her hand when she they were crossing. They ran as fast as lighting . They rested for about five to six minutes and kept on going. After hours of walking and hiding from the border patrol they took a quick break and then kept on going. Then they ran as quickly as they could. Fortunately,they saw a road and the both of them got happy. They got a ride from some guy who was so nice that took them to a store where they use the phone. Immediately, she called my dad and told him that she was in some part of San Diego. He told her that he would call someone to go and pick her up. She felt so happy she said that in that moment she felt like she was on an island. After some hours some guy took them to Los Angeles.

On a July night, she arrived in Los Angeles. She was so happy to be in Los Angeles because she finally got to see us. We were living in her brother’s house. Eventually, we moved in to our own house. From that day, she has been having a good life in Los Angeles. She told me that she feels really happy because she accomplish her goal.

The determination of my mom changed my life. I thank her for wanting to be with us, her kids and her husband. To conclude, this story shows the lesson that no one should give up; we can all achieve our dreams if we try. Thank you, Mom. Because of you, I am having a better education. I promise that I will try my best in school and I’ll never let you down. I’ll fight for what I want like you did. I’m very thankful that you are here with us.