Leaving your home country in hopes of having a chance in America is the biggest dream for some. Chasing a better life not just for yourself, but often for your family as well. Sure, it’s not a dream that everyone has, but it was my dad’s. From the young age of 9, he knew he didn’t want to live in his small home in Mexico. He felt that he was destined for much more than he would ever be able to accomplish from where he was. So, at 15, he made the hard and scary journey up North to what he saw as his only hope.
Fast forward a few very eventful years and my dad’s sacrifices seem to have made a difference not just in his life, but in the lives of his family and those around him. It’s hard for me to explain just how proud I am of him because I don’t believe words can encompass all that I feel – they just don’t do it justice. It’s even harder to talk about how sad I feel not just for my father, but for everyone else who is going through everything my dad is.
Rarely are the downsides of searching for a better life talked about, and those who hate the idea of my people coming to the United States don’t realize how much they had to suffer in leaving the only world they’ve ever known behind. At the end of the day, it really was their only hope, and they most likely would not be doing this if they had any other choice. Just recently, I had an uncle in Mexico pass away from COVID-19 complications and I think this was when it really started to hit me the most. My parents had not seen him in years and would never get to see him again. They couldn’t just pack up everything and leave to see him and my family, So, they were left at home, suffering in the unknown and the guilt. This is the reality of most Latin Americans that travel in hope for a better life. They leave parents, brothers, sisters, aunts and uncles behind knowing very well they may never see them again.
My father was lucky enough to obtain papers that would allow him to travel back to Mexico and return safely to the United States, but unfortunately that is not the case for many others. Once you make it into the United States, it’s nearly impossible to travel back home and then return safely without proper documents. I know my dad won’t ever admit it, and neither will most of the people in the same position, but they are hurting. They miss home, they miss their family and knowing that they won’t get to see them again, even at the time of their death, is painful.
However sad and heartbreaking it is, it’s helpful and fulfilling that most have created a beautiful life for themselves here, which definitely helps my father with the hurt of leaving his other life behind. Those just like my father have fought for their dreams and have endured more in their lifetime than I probably ever will. I find myself thankful for all my father has done and continues to do for my family and me, but I’m also able to provide the support and reassurance he needs: to tell him that he is doing so well and in the end, it will all be worth it.