Esaay

New Jersey City University

Beyond boundaries Global History

Professor Oltman

Alicia Rodriguez’s Story

I interviewed Alicia Rodriguez, who was born on 15 January 1960. Alicia was born in a town called Oaxaca in Mexico, where she grew up on a farm. She says she enjoyed her life on the farm and has only fond memories of her life in Oaxaca. Her mother died of pneumonia when Alicia was young, and her father raised her. She went to a school in the region, and her father was the biggest influence in her life, urging her to work hard in school. Although she was good, she ended up dating a narco (a drug trafficker).

Alicia migrated to the US when she was 15 years old, around the year 175. Alicia and her father traveled from Mexico to America using a plane and eventually settled in Texas. Alicia's migration was not chain migration. This is because she left Mexico with her family and without influence from anyone. They followed no one to America. She found that she had some extended family in the area who provided them with accommodation and supported them with the transition. Her first days in the community were smooth because she mostly stayed around people she knew. She could not speak English very well, and before she learned, she preferred to stay home and talk to her family members. She found American food and customs intriguing, and she adapted well to them. She also found and made friends easier.

Alicia had not migrated outside the country before coming to the United States. She grew up in Oaxaca, and she did not travel outside the country before she came to America. This is because her family was not very rich, and she could not travel much. Her father was a single parent, and the reason why she was able to travel to America was that she had extended family living in America.