Borders Separate Us But Cannot Divide us
- Laura Rivas
- Oakland
- UNITED STATES
- 30
I was born in Compton, CA, the first U.S.-born daughter of immigrant parents from Chihuahua, Mexico. The story begins with my father, who crossed the U.S.-Mexico border through Tijuana in 1975, to work and save up money so he could marry my mother, but it also begins with my grandfather and two uncles who worked as braceros in the late 1950's and early 1960's, picking lettuce and onions all over the midwest and the southwest. They didn't like it here, in the U.S., and went back to Mexico. Still a child at the time, my father dreamed of one day making the same journey. Time and time again, we crossed borders. My parents without documents, bearing rough waters and rocky hills, I with my brother and sisters only bearing the piercing look of Border Patrol agents who turned us into automatic suspects because of our brown skin and Spanish accent. We grew up in Lynwood, southeast Los Angeles, where we mistook planes for stars and knew the smell of rain on concrete all too well. Palm trees supplied most of the oxygen we breathed. Struggling, working class family, building a life from scratch- my father working 10-12 hour shifts and sometimes weekends making shingles for rooftops of rich people's masions out of fiberglass material that burned his skin and itched for days even after long showers. My mother's undying commitment to making sure we had the best teachers in school, that we did all our homework, that we stayed out of trouble- is what made it possible for all of us to stay alive, stay in school, graduate and go on to pursue our goals and dreams.. I am the oldest of four siblings. My brother loves airplanes, always has... and now he works at Santa Monica Airport controlling air traffic. My sister loves art and photography, and is pursuing a Master of Arts in Urban Studies at San Francisco Art Institute. My youngest sister is figuring it all out, and is studying and living hard at SF State University. I am fortunate and privileged to be working for change... to be part of a movement fighting for human rights and justice for all immigrant families and communities regardless of immigration status... to work toward a time when borders do not separate us OR divide us... a time when families can be with each other, share a meal, share a lifetime without the worry of separation... a time when children and youth can dream and create beautiful things rather than worry about whether they will have something to eat for dinner or a place to live. This is our story. We have been lucky. Borders only separate us, but cannot divide us.