The Migration Story of My Friend

Essay 1 

The Uniting of a Family 

Oakland California, 2002

Gigi was 4 years old when her parents left their hometown in Mexico. She was staring at the window looking at her parents walking to the car parked near to their house. Gigi didn’t have a choice, but she had to stay with her grandparents in Guadalajara Mexico. Her grandparents took care of her, while her parents were looking for a job in the United States. She felt very sad and lonely. She missed her parents every day and night. A week passed, Gigi received good news that her parents got a job. She was not convinced and she was not happy either. The most important thing with her is her parents' presence. It was 2001 when her parents left their country. A year passed, Gigi’s parents went back home to get her. At night, they were celebrating the arrival of Gigi’s parents. They were having a good time enjoying their food for dinner. 

Gigi left their country in 2002 and she was 5 years old at that time. After dinner, her parents told her the reason why they went home was to get her. Gigi’s parents planned to get her from Mexico and bring her to the United States. She was disappointed with her parents' decision. She was thinking that her parents would stay in Mexico for good. She couldn’t leave her grandparents, who took care of her when her parents were not around. She was a kid, she couldn't make any decision on her own, but to follow her parents. The day before they went back to the United States, Gigi and her grandmother packed her clothes and put them in the bag. They were talking while they were packing Gigi’s clothes. 

“Gigi be a good girl out there!” her grandmother said.

Gigi nodded as a reply to her grandmother’s words and at the same time, her tears were falling and she couldn't help it. Gigi smiled covered with pain because it was very painful leaving her loved ones behind. It’s time with her parents to go back to work. 

Gigi went with her parents to the United States, it was 2002. It was Gigi’s parents' decision to leave their country because they both knew the opportunities that Gigi would have here in the United States. They both had a job, so it was a big opportunity for them to live in one place together as family. 

Gigi and her parents went straight to her uncle's apartment in Oakland California. Her uncle Lando gave them a room and bed for them to stay, while her parents were looking for an apartment to stay. The room that her uncle gave them was too small for 3 people, but it is “better than nothing.” Gigi felt better  when she saw her cousins Rosa and Teresa. The pain that she felt for leaving her grandparents was slowly healed. 

They moved to their new apartment, as soon as her parents found out. She started her new life together with her parents in the United States. At the beginning, Gigi’s parents struggled a little. They needed to adjust for everything, they had to cook food to save every penny. They had responsibilities to take care of. They needed to pay for the rent, utilities, and other expenses. Gigi’s parents Juanito and Linda worked full time but still not enough for their daily needs. They don’t have any savings for their daughters' future. It was hard for them to save money because of their low income and lots of expenses. Her parents never gave up. One day, their neighbor told them to go to the community service office and there they got help. “Having food from the community for free”, It was a huge help for them to survive. Also, they got a lot of help from programs in school and the library. Through hard work, perseverance and the help with the community service, their lives were a little bit comfortable. They started saving money every payday and they can eat out once a month. “Life must go on!”

After 6 months, Gigi’s parents realized they needed someone to take care of her while they were at work. They decided to get Gigi’s grandparent to take care of her. As soon as possible, Gigi’s mother went back to Mexico to get her grandparents and bring her in the United 

States. To make it surprising, they never told Gigi about their plan. The time that her mother came back to the United states. 

 “Knock knock” her mother knocked on the door.

“Daddy someone is knocking on the door!” Gigi said

Gigi’s father checked the door to see who was there. Her father saw Gigi's mother and her grandparents, so he let Gigi open the door. 

“Gigi opened the door,” her father said. “Yes daddy,” she answered.

Gigi was surprised when she opened the door. She saw her mother together with her grandparents. She was very happy and she gave a hug to her grandparents. Family is the most important and It was the happiest thing that ever happened to her life. 

The reason why they left Mexico? It is because of the poor community and gangs.  Their lives are safer here in the United States than in Mexico. Gigi's parents chose to live in the United States because  they saw freedom and work opportunities that they don’t have in their country. Like everybody else wanted to come to the United States to have a better future.

Twenty years later, Gigi overcame all the trials that she faced in her life. Through an active plan, seeking advice and support, helped her to move on. Also, visualizing her goal for motivation and to keep moving forward with her family and friends. Now, she realized that she made a good decision to come with her parents. She can explore her knowledge and understanding in the United States. Her goal is to be something important and have a career. Also, helping her family as much as she can.

Gigi’s life and experiences in the United States compared to her country. Her life in the United States is amazing, first of all, she was mostly raised in the United States. She adapted to a new culture slowly, until she got used to it. She has 2 sisters and 1 brother.  Now she is working two jobs and she is studying at the same time. In her country, it was a poor community and she wouldn’t be able to do things due to women having to stay at home. The men are the only ones to put bread on the table. She doesn't have the opportunity to make her life better and she can not help her parents in the future. Everything that happened in her life here in the United States is the opposite of what would have happened in her  life back to her country. 

Gigi is worried because of the new immigration policy. They are undocumented immigrants. She couldn't even fly to other countries because there is a possibility that she can not reenter the United States. She chose to stay with her family on her vacation day instead of 

travelling to other places. She was hoping that they would not be deported back to their country and not separated from their parents. Her sister is working in the military, she was hoping that she could help them process their papers and become a lawful resident in the United States. 

Gigi gives some advice to some people who are planning to migrate to the United States. First, they need to process their papers because the government policy has changed. It is better when migrating to the United States legally, so they don’t need to worry about deportations or family separation. Actually, they flew from Mexico to LA and then they flew from LA to California. This time Gigi is very happy. They live happily in one apartment together with her grandmother, her parents, her sisters and her brother.