Almost American Dream

 

After a couple prospects for this interview projects fell through, I finally turned to a good friend. This is the story of mi amigo Carlo Saucedo.

                My name is Carlo Saucedo and I was born in Guadalajara, the second largest city in Mexico. I have lived in the United Sates since 1989. Yet, I have still not become a legal resident. I currently reside in the town of Avondale, Arizona where I live with my beautiful wife and new baby boy. Although I am in America I have not fully embellished the American dream.

                I was only four years old when I found myself in the arms of my mother running under the night. I remember the helicopters flying by as we hid in any cover we could find. Then, I was on the shoulders of a man that I did not know as we crossed a shallow river. I remember clearly looking down and seeing my mother next to me as we waded through the deepest parts of the water.  I was scared and worried about getting caught even though I was too young to know what we hiding from and what I was supposed to be scared at.

                In Mexico, life was not as much of a struggle as many other stories I have heard from other immigrants. Living in Guadalajara my family could be considered as lower middle class. We had a two story house with three bedrooms, running water and with much struggle and hard work from my father; we had food on table. But providing for my family’s needs was getting harder and harder every year for my father.  Then one day my uncle, a government employed security officer, was put in jail accused of a bank robbery. This devastated my family and left us completely shocked. My uncle, a dedicated employee who had been in his position form many years, was furious of these accusations. He had not committed the crime and the banks video surveillance tape proved his innocence. The video depicted a short and fat guy, were as my uncle is tall and skinny. The local law enforcement continued to hold my uncle and demanded money from my family, in an indirect way, before they would release him.

                 This corruption, along with the lack good employment, was the last straw for my father.

Carlo’s Love for the American muscle car resulted in this Tattoo

 He loved his home but he would not stand to raise his family in fear and wanted the best possible life for all of us. So in 1989 he decided it was time for me and mother to make the journey for opportunity. We were dropped off at the border and met with a bunch of other people. After getting across a couple miles in California we were picked up by fiends and taken towards Los angles to start a new life. Then a year later my father made his journey and was reunited with us in Azusa, California.

                We keep in touch with our family in Mexico on a regular basis through the telephone and some times we send money back to my grandma when she needs a little help with her bills. My grandma has a passport and comes to visits us a couple of times a year. Back in 1995 my family and I crossed the border back to Mexico for my cousins Quinceanera. It was actually quite simple. We went in to a market that was just passed the boarder entrance and walked right out of the back door of the shop were we had family waiting with a car. After a week spent with the family we hand not seen in 5 years, we made the same journey home though the back door of the Market. Since then I have not seen some of my family in over ten years.

                In California we had friends and family to help make the adaptation process very easy. I went to first grade and it was taught only in Spanish. Second grade was taught in both English and Spanish and there I began to make English speaking friends. By third grade, class was only taught in English and from there on I was pretty much bilingual. My first girlfriend was in third grade and she spoke only English. My parents had a bit more trouble learning English just because they are older, but over time they figured it out and do pretty good now.

                Basically I have grown up in American with only a few memories in Mexico. I am fully Americanized but still illegal. My parents filed the papers for our citizenship in 1996 and there were hopes that we get the final word in 2001. Then the terrorist attacks in New York happened and everything was put on hold. So I wait still to become a citizen.

 

Carlo’s Dream Car 1979 Pontiac Firebird

               It is discouraging to me to have graduated from high school with a GPA of 3.4 and attending college in for a degree in fire science and not be able to get a decent job. The only thing I can do with my citizenship status is work in the fields, contract labor or work under the table. Though, any of that type is employment is respectable and admire anyone willing to work to provide a better live for themselves, I have the opportunity to go to school and I feel I have the chance to offer my best to society.

                My parents have truly taking advantage of their opportunity and have made the best of it  My mother now has her own catering company and my dad has worked his way up over the years to foreman/supervisor of a construction company. They separated a couple years ago and now they both own their own houses. As they did for me, they are going to put my younger brother and sister (that were born here) through college do what ever they need to provide the best opportunity for them.

                I currently deliver inflatable jump houses on the weekends to help provide for my own family. It’s a job and it pays the bills. I am still studying fire science and plan on becoming a fire fighter some day. My dreams are to finally end this chaotic, drawn out, quest to be come a legal citizen and start my career and life.  I want to own my own house in a nice neighborhood with my friends and family near by. I don’t need to be rich or have lots of expensive things, because those things don’t mean much to me. Being happy with you family and friends close to you is all I will ever need.

                As for plans to go back to Mexico, I would have to say only to visit. As soon as I can legally go back and fourth across the boarder, I will definitely go there to see my family and rediscover my roots and heritage. Also, I would love to see other countries as well and see what this world is all about.        

Analysis

            Carlo is just one of the millions of immigrants living in our country.  Like many People coming into this country, he and his family have struggled and faced a verity of issues. They have been through hard times but they make the best of it.

 For Carlo, he has no plans of moving back to Mexico to live because he has basically grown up in America.  There are many stories that I have heard and read about immigrants wanting to eventually return home.  In the book, In and Out of Morocco, Moroccan immigrants dream of returning back home for retirement.  This is dream for many other immigrants, but for Carlo it is as different situation because he has spent most of his life here in America, which is home.

Since Carlo is basically American he never really experienced the culture parents grew up in.  This issue was discussed in the book Voyages.  The author discussed the cultural differences from the migrant generation to the American generation and the changes in cultural traditions.  In Carlos case, you can see this difference.

As a Bank teller, I am faced with a language barrier between me and my Mexican costumers.  I once did a poll on a busy Friday and tallied up the number of customers who could not speak English and I had to acquire Spanish assistances to complete the transaction. On that day I could not help 22% of my costumers. Sometime I am annoyed when I can’t do my job and help them but there are many other customers put up with my broken Spanish as I try to figure out their broken English. Over the time, me and my regular costumers have improved on our language skills. From the article, Assimilation, past and present   By: Levine, Robert, Statistics have shown that 72% of foreign born first generation immigrants speak primary Spanish. The second generation immigrants are 93% bilingual. Carlo could be considered Second generation, and he was fully bilingual by the third grade.

Discrimination when ignorant people can’t stand anything different. Because of Carlo’s citizenship status he faces discrimination. Even though he can read and write English better then me and graduated a half a point higher GPA, people are still ignorant. These people should just listen to the Mexican musical rock band Molotov’s song, Frijolero, an anthem to all the immigrants that dares all those people who discriminate them to wear their shoes to see what they would do.

In the book New Pioneers in the Heartland, there is even more examples of discrimination, prejudice, and racism of the Hmong.  Although the Hmong were refugees, they still experienced discrimination. Like a broken record, Carlo’s case is the same. 

My connection to the readings may have been weak and I should have had Carlo help me finish and edit this assignment but in the end there is a lot we can learn from Carlo’s story. This may not be a typical immigration scenario but he still battles the same issues as other immigrants. I would like to thank Carlo for giving me the opportunity to help inform the world of his story and maybe make a difference and help open peoples eyes.