My Daddy
...arthquake. The hospital my mother and I were in collapsed leaving thousands dead and hundreds injured. Luckily, my mother and I were among the survivors. This earthquake has been the worse quake ever-recorded in Mexico City granting it the title of the greatest natural disaster. After this tragic event occurred, Mexico City seemed doomed economically. My father, materialistically, lost everything the whole house in general. My father knew that this was one more debt crisis for the Mexican government, and that the next devaluation or price increase would be a massive social uproar. Anticipating such actions my father fled from Mexico City with my mother and me to the United States illegally in search for the “American Dream.” My father obtained a college degree as a veterinarian in Veracruz, Mexico and my mother as a schoolteacher. However, an education in Mexico City is not valued very much in fact it is almost worthless. When we first arrived to the United States, fifteen year ago, my fathers’ first job wasn’t very pleasant. He used to get paid three dollars an hour cleaning dog cages. With that type of salary and only one working parent we couldn’t afford much, actually we didn’t afford anything. We began receiving help from the government as soon as my brothers and sister were born. Our house was made out of wood and consisted of two small rooms, which was a kitchen and one bedroom; the restrooms were located outside. Our home was located in the south side of McAllen in the section known as “La Paloma” where a very well known gang inhabited. Drive-byes, fights, and getting robbed were very frequent in that type of environment. I use to walk to and from school every day because we did not own a vehicle. I can still remember going to school was an every day battle because I would get beat up constantly. Being illegal immigrants and not speaking English was a great disadvantage for my family. However, as years went by and as I got older I continued attending school without any problem and my father finally obtained a decent job as an employee at a local printing shop, after he became a citizen of course. That was our big break; because of my father’s new job we were able to get a better home and a car. My mother continued to be an ordinary housewife till this very day. In retrospect, my...