Una Mama Luchadora

As a child, I always found my mother to be extremely tough and impatient. I never quite understood how people could stress themselves so much, they begin to reach their breaking point. I have grown up hearing my mother crying in the bathroom shower from people who criticized and have taken advantage of her. Her story begins in Oaxaca, Mexico. Her mother was a strong and independent woman who had to take care of two children all by herself when her husband was murdered. She spent more hours working than with her own children. At one point, she knew she needed the help of her mother to take care of my mom and uncle. Latinos tend to favor a male son in comparison to a female. My mom was abused physically by her grandmother because she saw her granddaughter as an imbecile compared to her wonderful grandson. Fast forward to the point where my mom (Irma) turned 15 years old, whom immigrated to California with her aunt. Irma had to learn at a young age that she had to work for what she wanted, in order to be able to survive. She was able to do so as a nanny, house keeper, and an assistant. She later on married my dad, who took advantage of her, physically and emotionally. Although I was not born at this time, I’ve grown up hearing horrible stories about the brutal beatings my mom went through, all because she wanted to avoid her children being hurt at such a young age, just like she experienced growing up. For those asking themselves, why didn’t she just leave? I’ve asked her the same question for years, my father followed her wherever she went. He was great friends with the police in the area they lived in. Years of torments and being ridiculed all so she could say that her children had a father, unlike her. Throughout those years, my father never helped her get her papers, he knew that she would escape him, so instead he kept her as his own prisoner whom he enjoyed tormenting mentally. The story till this day is still unclear as to how she was able to separate from him but, she was lucky to work for a family who helped her get her papers, taught her English and how to be able to handle her money in order to buy herself a home. This is where I come to play in the story, she gave birth to me at the age of 40 years old. By this time, her main motive was to start anew and raise a child in the house she bought by herself. Surprise, surprise, she was able to do so, thanks to her bosses who taught her how to save her money responsibly. It’s been over 22 years, we still live in the same house she fought so hard to have. Since then, my mom became one of the first construction workers at her school, while being a caring nanny.

The main reason I am even trying my best in this contest, is to show other women that you are capable of reaching your goals, even if it may seem that life may not always be on your side. Apart from that, it is to be able to give those $5,000 to someone who needs it most in this situation. Over the last 4 years, my mom rented out the house she bought to a family. In two years, they ruined the house my mom worked hard to be able to buy by herself. My mom since then has been in debt because she had to renovate the entire house. This isn’t including the second house she bought during the time she became a real estate agent, in order to make extra money. For awhile, she was making back the money she paid for the house, up until she found tenants who also ruined her house. A family who sold marijuana, they wrecked her walls in order to be able to have proper installation. We are talking about years of having to pay for both families rent all because they weren’t able to do so. My moms debt has since then been worse since she took out money from her first house to be able to find a way to keep both houses without having to go bankrupt.

This isn’t even including how awful her own children have treated her as they have grown up. My brother, much like my father, has grown to ridicule our mother in front of his friends, all for a good laugh. Over the years, he has stolen from her, ruined her house and car, along with offending her on a daily basis. I am barley providing the bare minimum of what I remember right now that my brother has done to my mother. I have also witness my sister hurt her even worse, mentally from all the foul slander and vulgar words that have come out of her mouth. This isn’t even including the exact story about the time my sister stole THOUSANDS of dollars from my moms job (behind her back, of course) which led to my mom working for free in order to pay off what my sister stole, rather than seeing her go to jail. Not once, did she ever thank her for the hard (free) work she had to provide throughout those years. I still remember the day that my older sister attempted to murder her at our favorite restaurant (which she ruined by breaking their windows) by running her over with our car. At this point, the story becomes unbelievable, which I wish it wasn’t true. I grew up seeing all of the chaos and torment my mom has had to put through because she is such a good person. 22 years have passed by and I am still amazed by how much she has gone through. I thank god that she is still alive till this day, I know at points in her life, she has wanted to give up entirely, yet continues to fight.

Out of her three children, I am her youngest child. I am 16 years apart from my older siblings which is why it is a lot more easier for me to see how awful both siblings have treated her over the past 22 years. Out of the three children, I am the closest to her, she has always been my best friend. With that being said, I want to help her by joining this contest, she has done so much for me.

Times have been tough lately, yet my mom continues to fight by working hard day and night. It hurts my heart to see the person I love most, continue to be mistreated in a world she fought so hard to be able to survive throughout, by herself. Although she owes quite a lot to various people, I have been trying different ways to be able to help her financially in order to pay off her debt. She is now, 63 years old, unable to retire because of the two families who took advantage of the home she fought to have. I have always looked up to my mother, still not fully aware of how she managed to do so much throughout her life time. A former hairstylist, house keeper, real estate agent, construction worker, and nanny. I strive to teach my future children of the story their grandmother has experienced, so they know that Latinos are able to achieve what they most desire. Even if times are tough, she has always managed to find a way to fix her problems while keeping the same lovely smile of hers