In 1978 my mother, sister, and I initiated our journey to the United States (America) from Central America. Driven out of our country by a ravaging civil war, we embarked on this journey with the hopes and dreams that our lives would somehow, in some way, and ultimately some day be better by the limitless opportunities that America had to offer.
My mother always instilled in us that hard work was invaluable. She always said “always work harder than everyone else, always achieve in education, and always follow the rules.” This was, according to her, a recipe of lessons to attaining the American Dream.
Our immigrant’s journey would take us from having everything to having absolutely nothing, with the exception of each other.
This is my true American Dream story; one I never would have imagined.