Stories from Rural Dutchess County
Our youth group, Perspectivas Latinas, provides a space for young people from immigrant families in rural Dutchess County to tell their stories. Some of those stories are uplifting, some are frightening, and all shed light on the lives of people living in our part of the world. Below are some of those stories
To Be Young
“El poder de juventud”
When my mom introduces me or describes me, she always says I was a very complicated child because whenever I went out to play with friends, I always came back very late. Once, while playing with friends, I had an accident on my bike. I came home unconscious because I hit the top of my head really hard. It left me unconscious for at least three hours. She always says I was a very hyperactive child. When I saw other children, I wanted to play. I felt like a very free person in those moments.
When I was sixteen, I decided to travel to a new country. I told my mom, but she didn't want to go because a trip comes with many risks along the way. But my brother told her that everything would be fine, that in the new country I would have better opportunities and that way I could get ahead. Then she decided to let me go. She knew I was already a person who could make good decisions.
I realize there's a huge difference between my mom's emotions and mine because I felt like a free person, but she was worried about the risks I faced. But I think as young people, we have different thoughts. We ourselves don't have the knowledge of the dangers we can face when we have fun. But my mom has different thoughts. She knows the risks I face. I think it's best to let people go. They can clear their minds, take on challenges, and learn what life is like outside.
The Secret
My mom had a secret that I didn't find out until the age of 13. I had never imagined that I had a step brother, but I did. I will never forget the words my mom told me: Tienes un hermanastro. Yo nunca voy a olvidar eso.
Mi mamá me dijo que no tenemos otros hermanos pero entendí porque lo hizo. It was hard for her and I knew why. She worked hard to send her son money.
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Years later we found out he got married. My mom was upset and said she found out two days before the wedding. Mi mamá tuvo que aguantar todo porque él no quería nada que ver con ella. Después de dos años el finalmente communicated with us. He said he wanted to come to the United States. Mi mamá estaba enojada con él porque ella tiene familia pero no la quieren ayudar. Tuvimos que pagar lo doble para que llegan los dos juntos. Mi mamá lo aceptó como su hija.
We realized that they had a baby! I was shocked he had a kid and never said anything. I did not know what to say, but a few days passed and I got close to his son and took him everywhere. I put him to sleep every day even for his afternoon naps.
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De repente le dimos una sorpresa. Va contento: se mudó a la casa y por unos días fuimos a verlos y a veces dejaron al bebé con nosotros. Pero unos días después fuimos a la casa y no iban nadie pero había un letrero diciendo que la casa se está vendiendo. Mamá se puso a llorar y ahí supimos que él quería el dinero para irse otra vez.
Le llamamos y no contestaba. Pasó dos semanas que no supimos nada de ellos hasta que un día en la tarde we received the call. I answered it and I heard Christopher, the baby. I cried and then my brother apologized but I wasn't forgiving him.
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Quinceaneros
I'm proud to come from Hispanic culture because our culture is so beautiful in so many ways. One thing I'm proud of is celebrating our 15th birthday because for us, that means we transform into a young, independent woman. The tradition is called Quinceanera. It's the only day you have a special moment in your family. It's a big day for us, planning everything. I remember my parents and me planning my quince. You usually want to plan everything months ahead so it's not too chaotic the day of the event.
The quinceañera is like the opening of a flower. Flowers don’t have petals to begin with. For me, I didn’t know much about certain things in life, but at the time of my quinceañera I began to learn about them, just as petals begin to bloom. That’s how my quinceañera felt to me.
Anyways, the excitement I felt planning my quince day was a dream come true because ever since I was young, I always wanted one. And on March 4th, 2023, I got to celebrate my special day with my family and friends. Also, it's a tradition to have a mother-daughter dance and a father-daughter dance during the quince. When I danced with them that day, there were a lot of tears because it was so meaningful and sentimental. I really am proud to have this tradition in my culture.
Coming to the United States
Anonymous: What I Hope For
I was born and raised in El Salvador. I don't consider my life difficult. In fact, I considered it privileged. I had the opportunity to study in bilingual schools and learn English from a young age. I traveled a lot around the world, and when I was 15, I went to Paris; it was a dream come true. My life was good, but in my country, studying isn't recognized as much as it is in the United States. And the pay isn't great either, so we decided to immigrate to the United States.
We arrived in the United States the day before my birthday, and even though we had visited the United States many times, we set foot in the United States for the first time knowing that it would be our new life. It was hard for everyone. We bought a mobile home that was old and in very bad condition. But that made it even cheaper, so we decided to buy it and start remodeling it. The first day we arrived, it was shocking to see it in such poor condition and to see that what had looked like a dumpster would be our home. It made me regret having come. Seeing my dad crying was something I'd only seen once, but that's what I saw that night. My dad approached me crying and asked for forgiveness, because our new life wasn't what we expected. I wasn't the only one vulnerable to the situation.
We realized that the conditions you live in don't matter. Once you step into this country without documentation, we're all equal; we're all seen as criminals. Coming here hasn't been easy at all, but the opportunities that have been presented to me make it worth it. Yes, my greatest wish is that my family and I can live happily and peacefully one day, and I hope things get better for us.
How I Got Here
My story of how I came to the United States is a very long one. There were four of us: me, my cousin, and another woman were minors, and another man was an adult.
I left my house in December of 2020. We traveled all the way through Guatemala until we reached Mexico. We traveled through Mexico​ in trucks. Each truck carried about 60 people. There were people of all ages. It was divided into metal blocks. About 25 people were supposed to fit in each block. Everyone was crammed into each block. The insides were made of iron, and it had a chair for some men to sleep in. They opened the roof of the van on the empty stretches of road to let air in but it was always hot with so many people.
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That trip in that van was one of the worst moments of my life. At that moment, I regretted having decided to travel to another country, because we spent all night and all day, and we couldn't stand it.
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My companions and I were dropped off at a house. When we arrived, there were people there, but they separated the young people from the adults because we were already close to the border. Then a man said he wanted to pray for us. We knelt and began to pray. At that moment, I felt good because God always protected us the whole way.
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When we crossed into the US, Immigration found us.They took us inside the wall to be searched. Then they took us to a place they called "the icebox." There they took off all our clothes and gave us a gray uniform. They gave us a call to call our relatives, and we were there for two days.
Then they took us to a house called "Casa Moctezuma." Everyone there was very nice, unlike Immigration. It was the pandemic, and we had to be quarantined for ten days. We spent Christmas there. Then, on December 31, they took us to New York to be reunited with my mom. She was very happy.
Coming to the US
When I decided to come to this country, I wanted a better education and a better life for my family, because my country is a bit difficult to live in. I had to leave my family, my parents and siblings, and then I had to travel through other countries I didn't know. It's a huge and unforgettable experience that many Latinos have to go through. All of these people are brave.
Along the road from Guatemala to Mexico were bad people who killed others to steal their money. And when people didn't want to do what they wanted, they killed them. Once, a family that was with me was killed. He didn't want to pay what the bad people wanted and so they killed a family member to make him pay the money. But just as there are bad people, there are also good people, people who, when they see people who need help, help them.