For the longform essay we were required to interview the person on who we wrote our paper about, I chose to write about my grandmother thus I interviewed her. I was born in San Jose California but when I reached the age of 6 my family decided to pack up and move to Gilroy. Not long after my Grandmother followed along and joined my family in I in small town Gilroy. I chose to write this paper about her story because it is a very interesting and unique story. This interview had to take place over the phone due to the fact that Gilroy is 5 hours away from Northridge, I discovered some new details about my grandmother's story and I hope you find them as interesting as I did. My grandmother does not speak very much english so this interview has been translated.
Interview:
Q: What was it like being forced to man who you did not love?
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A: It was horrible, I didn't think that my parents would actually make me marry him. He had lied to them and they believed him over their own daughter. I was very hurt and because they did that I lived a horrible life for years.
Q: Do you think you could ever forgive your parents?
A: I already have, I invested myself into my church and that helped a lot. I prayed hard every night and day to seek hope and courage. I got what I prayed for and I am now happily married.
Q: What made you finally leave my grandfather?
A: One day after he was done beating me I knew that there had to be something other than this. I refused to accept this life, I did not want it. I did not want this life for my children either.
Q: Can you decribe what it was like crossing the boarder with five?
A: It was an incredible journey, I couldn't to it by myself of course I had to hire a coyote. I dipped into my saving and had just enough money to pay him, I packed up all five of my kids and I left in the middle of the night with only a few things and 3 gallons of water. We began our journey through the night and made our way through the mountain, we walked all night long and were almost caught multiple times. We walked from Tijuana to San Diego to find my sister and when we did we found your Tia waiting to take us to San Jose. I was so releived when we got here, I felt safe adn happy for once.
Q: Do you regret taking so long to leave my grandfather?
A: No I don't. If I had left him earlier I would have any of my five beautiful children.
Q: How do you feel about leaving the rest of your family in Mexico?
A: I feel fine about it, like I said before I have forgiven them but I never possessed the emotion connection that I have with my children than what I had with my parents. My children were more important to me, they deserved a better life.
Q: What was it like being forced to man who you did not love?
-
A: It was horrible, I didn't think that my parents would actually make me marry him. He had lied to them and they believed him over their own daughter. I was very hurt and because they did that I lived a horrible life for years.
Q: Do you think you could ever forgive your parents?
A: I already have, I invested myself into my church and that helped a lot. I prayed hard every night and day to seek hope and courage. I got what I prayed for and I am now happily married.
Q: What made you finally leave my grandfather?
A: One day after he was done beating me I knew that there had to be something other than this. I refused to accept this life, I did not want it. I did not want this life for my children either.
Q: Can you decribe what it was like crossing the boarder with five?
A: It was an incredible journey, I couldn't to it by myself of course I had to hire a coyote. I dipped into my saving and had just enough money to pay him, I packed up all five of my kids and I left in the middle of the night with only a few things and 3 gallons of water. We began our journey through the night and made our way through the mountain, we walked all night long and were almost caught multiple times. We walked from Tijuana to San Diego to find my sister and when we did we found your Tia waiting to take us to San Jose. I was so releived when we got here, I felt safe adn happy for once.
Q: Do you regret taking so long to leave my grandfather?
A: No I don't. If I had left him earlier I would have any of my five beautiful children.
Q: How do you feel about leaving the rest of your family in Mexico?
A: I feel fine about it, like I said before I have forgiven them but I never possessed the emotion connection that I have with my children than what I had with my parents. My children were more important to me, they deserved a better life.
Cynthia Sanchez is a member of the women's soccer team at CSUN and loves to surf adn sing