Migrants from North & South America

Published in Le vent vivant des peuples (Créaphis, 2006)
During the two years spent fighting in Guinea-Bissau, he acquired a tattoo on his arm and a scar on his thigh. Hard months. Never going home once. He had always had a contract with the rebels, many bodies lying around him. He got out. Repatriated because he was wounded. When he returned to civilian life, months later, he started working as a builder in Braga. He got married. And decided to leave for France for a better life. He had a (...)

Interview by Barbara Rodriguez, California State University, Dominguez Hills
My name is Rosa Elena Saldana, and I am 50 years old. I was born in Chiclayo, Peru. I realized I wanted to live in America when I was 17 years old. It was always my dream to come to America and this is how I did it.
At the time, the economy in Peru was bad. The president was ruled by the military, and a civil government was going to start. At age 27 I studied at Ricardo Palma University in Lima Peru as a (...)

Interview by Amber Dill, California State University, Dominguez Hills
Many immigrants in America’s history have come in search of a dream. They have come because of persecution in their homeland or political and economic instabilities. Immigrants have braved the journey to the United States in search of a new life for their families. The interview I conducted was with a young immigrant from Brazil, and her experience was one that was quite different from the normal immigrant stories we have (...)

Interview by Fernando Perez, California State University, Dominguez Hills
Throughout my life I have searched for an identity that can draw me back to my roots and at the same time allow me to assimilate into a culture that was not my own as a youth. In route to my immigration to the United States, I have faced many hardships that have created several setbacks in my search for an identity that feels genuine and fulfilling. Despite these hardships, I have come to appreciate the American (...)

Interview by Corinne Valle, California State University Dominguez Hills
I had the pleasure of interviewing a very close family friend by the name of Elsa. Elsa was born on May 6, 1948 in Chota, Peru located in South America. Elsa is married to Juan and has two children, Jose and Christina, all of whom currently reside in Los Angeles, California. Although Elsa has been in the United States for the past 22 years, the struggles that she endured to bring her family to the states is something (...)

Interview by Karen Gonzalez, California State University, Dominguez Hills
I interviewed my co-worker, Marisela Bazalar, who was born in Lima, Peru in 1977. She grew up in Calleo, which she compared to our regional, Watts, Los Angeles. It was an area many were afraid to encounter. Apparently, the closer one lived to the beach and the port, the less expensive and more destitute it became. This was nothing like the town, Trujillo, where her mother and grandmother were raised. This, she said, (...)

Interview by Dora Garcia, California State University Dominguez Hills
Nancy is from Caracas, Venezuela. After moving from place to place, she decided to stay in Los Angeles. Nancy left Caracas on March 30th, 2001 and went to Miami, Florida. She had family there that helped her cope with her homesickness. Her travel to the U.S. was not as hard as she thought because she came when there were a lot of students coming back from Spring Break vacations, and she blended in.
She was (...)

Interview by Shana Anaya, California State University, Dominguez Hills
On Wednesday April 18, 2009, I interviewed a fellow classmate and friend from CSUDH. I asked him about his journey from Mexico to the United States, and if he would mind sharing his experiences with me. His story seemed interesting to me because Brian was born here in the United States. Then, while still an infant, Brian moved back to Jalisco, Mexico and was raised mainly by his grandmother. By the time high school (...)

Interview by Deicy Santos, California State University, Dominguez Hills
Rigoberto Barron was born on July 17, 1984 in Los Angeles, California to immigrant parents from Mexico. When Rigoberto was five months old, his parents decided to head back to their country because they were unable to assimilate to the American lifestyle. As a result, Rigoberto was raised in his parent’s native country with their traditions and culture. But when Rigoberto turned 17 years old, he wanted to explore the (...)