My Grandfather was born and raised in Mexico or more specifically in the city of Leon, Guanajuato. He was raised and worked on a farm throughout his childhood doing various chores to help his parents grow fruits and vegetables. When he turned 18 years old and became an adult came to the conclusion to migrate to the United States of America. He tried walking across the border but was stopped due to the freezing weather and was forced to retreat. He later tried again and this time successfully moving to the United States and more specifically the San Fernando valley in the year of 1945. The reason he came to America was to gain more chances to have a career or as he said, ”To look for better chance of living.” He came with very little money and was homeless living under bridges at the beginning.When he arrived in the mid 1940s there were a lot of orchards and farms unlike today. Many of the freeways and structure that are currently standing were not built when he first came. He was able to see how Los Angeles grows for example, he saw when the General Motors factory was built and closed. As well as technology advancing such as the introduction to the television. He also was able to visit his home town and see how it has progressed. When he left there was dirt roads compared to when he returned there was paved roads with built buildings. Many people he had grown up with did not recognize him, moved, or passes away. He was able to gain a job in farming as he did in Mexico. He would return to Mexico in order to assist his parents on the farm because they were having a more difficult time getting jobs complete around the farm due to their age. His later job and career would be in construction, hired by the Union. He would work for about 30 years until he retired at the age of 50.

His vision of the American Dream was to come to the United States and gain his legal papers and to become a citizen, which he was able to accomplish but he did not stop there. When he had visited his home town once he was able to convince most of his family members come to the United States safely and gain their legal papers as he did. He believed that everyone would be benefited. Unfortunately sisters of my grandfather stayed in Mexico but they would visit each other. His other thought of his American dream was to gain a job which I mentioned earlier, he did in construction which would become his career until retirement. He did not help his parents gain a job because they had reached the point of their lives when they retired. I was told that he wished to come to the United States due to the fact that America had, “ A better system and with better chances at the time.” Referring to when he came to America and what he had heard while in Mexico.