by Cecilia, San Mateo
I have three inspiring people in my life, my mom, my aunt, and my grandma. My grandma has always been inspiring to me. When I was little she would tell me all kinds of stories about when she was little. My grandma was raised in Campeche, Mexico. When she was young her mom never allowed her to go to school. She would tell my grandma “la escuela para los ricos” (school is for the rich).
My grandma’s older sister was my mom’s biological mother. My grandma had three sisters and a brother. Two of her sisters were older, one was younger, and her brother was the youngest. Her older sisters and brother were allowed to go to school. My grandma’s mom didn’t have to pay for school but she wanted my grandma to work. She started working at the age of seven, helping her mom wash clothes that belonged to the people in her neighborhood and other neighborhoods.
By the time she turned nine she did most of the work by herself, carrying all the clothes on her back. She would go to the houses and pick up the clothes then wash them all by hand, and if she didn’t finish by noon the next day her mom would whip her back with a thick cable or beat her with a stick.
My grandma worked throughout her childhood and married my grandpa when she was 21. When my mom was born in 1983, her bio mom gave her to my grandma two hours after her birth. I don’t consider my mom’s biological mom my grandma. She gave my mom away because her husband ( my mom’s bio dad) didn’t like that my mom was darker than her sisters.
When my mom was six and just finishing kindergarten my grandma and grandpa brought her to the US, where she had to repeat kindergarten. Before they came to California, the year before my grandma was diagnosed with cancer, she was hospitalized for a year. The doctors removed her hip and some fluid from her knee, and ever since one of her legs is bigger than the other.
My mom had to stay with her bio parents and her dad would beat her when he was drunk, which was a lot. One time he threw her against the wall and knocked her unconscious for two hours. When she came here, she lived a better life but still went through her own problems.
When my grandma got here she cleaned houses and worked until her health wouldn’t allow it anymore. My mom helped her clean houses on the weekends. When my mom was 16 she dropped out of school to work. She moved out of her parents’ place, because they were moving and she didn’t want to leave. She had my brother in 2004 when she was 22.
She married my dad in 2005, and had me five months later. In 2008 my little sister was born, in 2011 my little brother was born, and in 2013 my other brother was born. Even when my mom was with my dad she was always independent. My mom has a strong and independent character. She’s always taught me not to rely on anyone.
My mom and my grandma inspire me the most. They are my inspiration to be my own person.