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READING LEVEL 5
Sometimes We Don’t Decide Our Life
Anonymous
As an immigrant, it is difficult. Sometimes, we don’t decide our life. When I was seven, I had to leave my country, Guatemala, because of the civil war. In the early 1980s, the guerrillas took over our village. Then the military came and killed more than half the town, including some members of my family. My parents, a sibling, and I survived. We had to leave the country because we were eyewitnesses, and the government could kill us.
We moved to Mexico to start another life. We moved from state to state until immigration officials arrested us. We were separated, and I didn’t know where my parents went. I grew up alone. I learned to work on farms. I picked tomatoes, cotton, and strawberries. When I was 11, I reached Tijuana, Mexico. I could not pay a “coyote” (to get me across the border). I lived on the streets, and I got food from the garbage. Sometimes, I found nice people who gave me food for work. This is how I survived until December 1988.
I decided to cross the border to the U.S. with some friends. We passed through a huge tunnel. We walked for four or five hours. Somehow, we found a ride to Los Angeles.
We did not have any money when we arrived in LA. We slept in the parks for two months. We did not find jobs because we were teenagers, so we moved on. I moved to San Francisco with two friends. After one month, I found a job in a Chinese restaurant. I worked for 18 hours every day. There was no overtime pay. I got $2.75 per hour.
For one year, I slept under Bayshore Freeway. Even though I suffered without food and a home, I felt free. I learned that in America, I can have both school and work at the same time. I learned how important education is. I attended City College of San Francisco in 1995. I couldn’t read or write in Spanish or English. I felt so frustrated, but I had an excellent teacher who taught me the trades as well as English.
After five years, I learned all about general construction such as plumbing, blueprint, electrical, and framing. Today I have my own business in construction. I have seven employees. As a woman, I have to compete with men. I feel proud because I have been so strong physically and mentally.
In conclusion, life is beautiful. It can be bright, dark, or colorful—depending on how you want to see it. From all these good and bad experiences, we can always learn to be a better human being.
Anonymous is a general contractor; she studies English at City College of San Francisco.