My mom grew up in Mexico and she came to this country between 1980 and 1990. She brought with her an object of Jesus Christ. She believed so strongly in prayers that even though she could only bring a small suitcase she made sure she packed all that she needed and wisely put this wooden object in her suitcase. I am glad she did… Her journey to America was not that easy. She joined the migrant workers who were coming to America. They had to cross long distances on foot. She found the journey very hard. But, she knew that she had to make it because there were no jobs in the village where she grew up. So when she got the opportunity to leave Mexico, she packed her bags and brought the prayer object with her. There were a few moments during the journey my mother thought she will not make it. She did not have enough drinking water at one point. She tried to sip the dew on plants to keep herself moving ahead with the other workers. She thoughts one of the migrant workers might offer her some water. But, nobody was thinking of her… so she took the wooden object and started to pray. Her prayers kept her spirits up and determination strong. I am glad she made it to this country. Here she worked as a migrant worker when she first arrived. Soon she had a family and passed down this tradition to us. Now, our prayers are filled with gratitude for what we have in this country.

– Jesus Tiros

Relationship:  Child of im/migrant Child of im/migrant