By ALEXANDRA MENDOZA TODAY | MAY 28, 2019 AT 2:16 PM
It was the image that moved many.
A student in cap and gown posing with her parents in a farm field in Carlsbad, California.
"With great affection I dedicate my master's degree to my parents. Their sacrifices to come to this country to give us a better future, it was worth it," reads his Facebook post.
This story of tenacity begins with a young woman with Mexican roots who initially did not speak English and thought that high school was the highest she could aspire to.
Érica Alfaro, 29, is the second of three siblings, children of Teresa and Claudio Alfaro, agricultural workers who emigrated from Santiago Asunción, Oaxaca.
Since they were children they saw the sacrifice of their parents, who worked in the fields from dawn to dusk so that they would have a better life. At dinner time, it was common to see them arrive with their clothes covered in dirt, the result of the arduous day.
Income at home was limited, even once the family shared an apartment in which up to twelve people lived. In the neighborhood, the situation was difficult. Many gang members and it was common for women to get pregnant at a young age, he says.
Erica remembers the moment when she thought about her future.
When she was thirteen years old, her mother took her and her siblings to work in the tomato fields in San Ysidro.
"That was the first time I realized that their work is very heavy," he says. "When I was there I was able to hold on, but the next day I couldn't stand up. Everything hurt."
Their mother wanted to teach them a lesson.
"She told me, in Mixteco, which is what she speaks, this is our life, we didn't have the opportunity to study. The only people who have a good life are those who study, so if you don't want to work this way, you have to study." ".
Erica does not forget that moment, and she still had to overcome many adversities.
At the age of 15, she became pregnant and went to live with the father of her child in Fresno, California. It was a stormy relationship in which she was a victim of domestic violence.
One night, with their month-old baby in their arms, their then-partner left them outside their apartment in the cold. "The only thing I said to my son is forgive me, forgive me for giving you this life."
He heard within himself the words of his mother. She also remembered the day that as a high school student they took her to see the facilities of the San Marcos State University (CSUSM)...
Damn immigrants…working hard at hard jobs so their daughter could go to college and have just an all around “better” than they did. Yep, damn they are great people.
Spartan2470 on January 17th, 2022 at 22:05 UTC »
Per here and Google Translate:
Lowboo on January 17th, 2022 at 22:08 UTC »
Damn immigrants…working hard at hard jobs so their daughter could go to college and have just an all around “better” than they did. Yep, damn they are great people.
SaintVanilla on January 17th, 2022 at 22:16 UTC »
Those parents are outstanding in their field.