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Birth
My mother was born on July 7, 1963, in a small village in Mexico. She is the sixth child of seven siblings. My mother's family was very poor, and her father left them after my grandmother had her last child. -
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Education
There was no school in my mother's village, so she and her siblings had to travel on a bus to the nearest city for school. She and her siblings were split into two groups to attend either the morning or afternoon shift. She was able to finish high school. -
Married
My mother got pregnant with me at sixteen, got married, and lived with her in-laws. -
First Child
She gave birth to me on May 31, 1980. She was in labor for almost 24 hours with no one to drive her to the hospital. Her husband was not very supportive. -
Gas Station Explosion
A trailer crashed into two large exposed gas tanks below my grandmother's house. My mother had eight-month-old me in her arms outside the house when she saw the crash and heard the explosion. She ran to safety, keeping me safe in her arms. She became trapped and curled herself up, keeping me safe. She suffered third and fourth-degree burns in 75 percent of her body and spent many months in the hospital. -
Second Child
Five years after having me, she gave birth to my sister. -
Immigrated
My father sent for my mother, my sister, and me to come to the United States. She still lives in her Pasadena home here in California. -
Third Child
My mother gave birth to my youngest sibling. -
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Work
After having my youngest sibling, my mother worked from home washing and ironing clothes for other people. She also enrolled in the local community college to learn English. Once my brother was old enough to attend pre-school, she got a job at Chuck E.Cheese and worked for the company for ten years. She solely supported our household for almost two years due to my father's alcoholism. She currently works at Target hoping to retire soon. -
Home Owner
After twelve years of working and saving, she contributed to buying the house we had lived in since our arrival to the U.S.
