Alejandra Chavez "A Mexican Story of Immigration" by Sarah Chavez

Intro 

 Alejandra Chavez is my aunt. Alejandra Chavez moved to the United States as a child, at the age of seven. She came here with her parents to visit her older brothers for a month, never to return "home" to Mexico and made the United States home for the last 25 years. Although she is not of Filipino background she is an immigrant and shares some similarities with Filipino immigrants, as well as differences. She comes from a large family, where family means everything, she has felt discrimination to some degree, really grasping the new language proved to be a challenge as did making new friends, while becoming a citizen and maintaining her cultural identity did not prove to be as challenging.

Table of Contents 

i: Introduction: Life in Mexico

ii:Me Part 2 Differences between life in the US and life in Mexico

 iii: Part 3 Coming to the US and visiting Mexico

iv: Part 4: "Puerta: Door " and "ESL"

v: Part 5 "Melting Pot"

vi: Part 6 The Good and the Bad

vii: Part 7 All you Need is Family

viii: Part 8 Mexican Immigrant vs. American born Mexican

ix: Part 9 Dual Citizenship

x: Conclusion - Accomplishments

Part 1- Introduction - Life in Mexico

This first part is Alejandra explaining what her life was like in Mexico, including family life and social class. 

Part 2 Differences between life in the US and life in Mexico
Alejandra is from a little town where people really know each other versus here where she did not know her neighbors. This lack of knowing those around the area made it hard for her mom to feel safe letting her outside to play as she normally would have in Mexico.

Part 3 Coming to the US and visiting Mexico
She has been living in the US for 25 years. She has been back for fun to different place in Mexico and has returned once to the town she was born in. Our family is an example of chain migration, common among the Filipino culture as well.

Part 4: "Puerta: Door " and "ESL"
Alejandra did not know English upon her arrival. She did not find ESL classes useful. Learning the new language was her biggest battle as a immigrant child.

 

 

 

Part 5 "Melting Pot"

Unlike what is commonly discussed about Filipinos having a hard time maintain their identity or culture when they move to the US, my Aunt feels that she was able to maintain it because the area is so diverse (it may be necessary to add that she has lived and still lives in Redwood City, CA).

Making friends was difficult as was getting used to living in an apartment and not a house.

 

 

 

Part 6 The Good and the Bad

First impression good :Streets and cars are very different.

Negative impression: Little kids can be mean.

 

 

 

Part 7 All you Need is Family

She did not experience any homesickness because she had her family here with her. What she missed the most was the food and her house. She does not ever plan to move back to Mexico.

 

 

 

Part 8 Mexican Immigrant vs. American born Mexican

The differences given here have a lot to do with the American individualistic mentality, and the sense of responsibility instilled at a young age  in children in the Mexican culture.  

 

 

 

 Part 9 Dual Citizenship

She did not experience any guilt when becoming a US citizen, like some Filipinos do, because she was able to also keep her Mexican citizenship.

 

 

 

Conclusion - Accomplishments

She graduated in 2006 with a B.S. in Business Administration with a focus in Accounting, from San Jose State University. She has had a bright career as an accountant since then. She has also had the opportunity to do some traveling. She seems to feel these accomplishments might not have as easily attainable had she not been moved to the US as a child.