Narrative

(Parentheses indicate additions I have made to clarify dialogue, and question marks indicate guessing in transcribing because of the tape recorder falling over or bad recording quality)

My Journey? Was in 1994.  Summer.   I took a bus then I crossed the border, and came here, y’know.  That’s about it.  It took me a week!  That was, what?  Twelve years ago?  A long time ago.

When I used to live there (in Mexico), when I saw my uncles, like go over, and then come back I would be like “Oh, when I grow up I want to be like them!” Y’know, because they would come here and work for 6 months, a year, and then go back and spend some time with their families. I thought that was cool.

I came before my parents.  I came because I had some family living here, like my uncles.  They wanted me to come over, and see how it is, so I can go back and really put my mind to school.  I was going to school all that time in Mexico.  That was in the summertime.  I was only supposed to be here for two months, but I decided to stay.  Then my family immigrated, after that, like a year later.   

I didn’t speak any English when I got here.  My family spoke Spanish.  I went to school.  After 3 years of high school, I started understanding, and I was like “Hey I want some new --- (?)”  I used to hang out with old, Spanish-speaking people so, yeah.  Yeah that’s how I learned (English).  School.

I don’t know (What I expected the U.S. to be like).  No, not really.  I wanted to see it, then I decided to stay.   I started meeting people and, y’know, started driving, got a job, started making money.

Here is not the same (as Mexico), but I had some family here so it wasn’t a big change.  Everybody speaks Spanish here, all the people I knew.  I mean, even in the school everybody speaks Spanish, teachers so, it wasn’t a big adjustment.  It was a little different.  People are different, I don’t know.  I can say that, when you’re in Mexico, every day is like a different day.  You know it’s a Monday, you know it’s a Tuesday, and especially you know when it’s a Sunday.  There’s something different.  But then here every day is the same.  I don’t know why.  I guess because you have to go to work and go to school.

I believe in different stuff than Americans, but, you know, it’s nothing big.  Well, I used to work with a guy, and he would make fun of the things that I believed like religion (Catholic), you know.  He would be like “HAHA,” people like that s**t.  Stuff like that.

 Ah, yeah, (it hurts) a little bit.  I really don’t care.   Who cares, y’know.  It’s a free country.  So I don’t get bent up about it.  Whatever

I’m an assistant manager.  I’m married now.  It’s just me and my wife, and two Chihuahuas. 

I can say the best (thing about coming to the U.S.); I met my wife.  The worst?  The worst, I don’t know.  I lost a brother here.  That was the worst thing. 

At the time I was 14 (when I immigrated), I was still a kid, so I don’t know (what has changed about me since I came here).  I like it here.  Just the way of living, and the opportunities.

I have a sister over there (in Mexico).  I contact her by phone every once in a while…every year.  

I don’t know yet (if I’ll go back to Mexico).  I won’t say no or yes.  If I get to go back, I mean, that’d be nice.  I could stay here too.  It’s nice.

About Michoacan and Mexico

Analysis and Interpretation

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