Moving to America has brought about many changes in my life. I’ve had to leave a lot of things behind—a language, a fiancé, family and friends, and a career.
My English is adequate, but I still struggle with finding the correct word occasionally.
The only family I live with now are my daughter and my fiancé’s child. My fiancé lives in Mexico but I still take care of his daughter. The children are three and eight and both incredible. My fiancé and I will be getting married next year, hopefully in September. I go back to Mexico twice a year to visit him along with family and friends. I miss them a lot.
I was a nurse in Mexico; I earned a degree there in the medical field. Here I work two separate jobs throughout the week. When I’m not working I enjoy taking the kids to the park and playing with them. My daily schedule revolves around work and the children with not much room for anything else.
The violence is what caused me to move to Manhattan. Seeing people die in the hospital so often because of the drug wars was frightening. An area with such bloodshed is no place to raise a family. I was willing to leave my friends, family, and career, if it meant living in a place where I knew I was safe. Hopefully my family will be here in Manhattan with me soon.
My fiancé sends money from Mexico to help with bills, but sometimes it’s still not enough. The Breadbasket is a place I can go to feed my children and myself when money is scarce. I am incredibly grateful for that. I love Manhattan. It is a place where I can feel safe and once my family joins me here, it will be a place I call home.
As told to Donald Pepoon