Editor’s Note: This article was written for Mosaic Vision, an independent journalism training program for high school students who write and photograph stories with the guidance of professional journalists.
Children from immigrant families often see their parents working hard to overcome barriers in their lives and earn a living.
This was the inspiration for three recent Latino high school graduates who began their post-high school programs this fall. These San Jose students share how their parents set an example in their daily lives.
All three attribute their achievements to their immigrant parents and family members who came to this country for a better life.
18-year-old Daniela Flores graduated from Silver Creek High School, attends Stanford University and plans a double major in political science and psychology, and then goes to law school after college.
Flores’ mother is a former elementary and middle school teacher, and her father is a counselor at Silver Creek High School who also teaches high school mathematics.
“They have been such an inspiration because they love what they do,” she said, explaining that this is what motivates her. “I focus on school to get to a higher point, so I can do what I love.”
Both her parents attended college. Her father was born in San Jose, and her mother was born in Piedras Negras, Mexico, and immigrated at a young age.
“They taught me how important education is, and especially with them being teachers, I think they have such a passion for what they do,” Flores said.
Her mother also taught her the importance of being kind to those around her.
“She just wants me to be a nice person, frankly, and be friends with everyone,” she said. “Many people go through things that we are not aware of.”
Daniela’s mother, for example, stopped teaching to take care of her grandparents. Although she loves what she does, she spends her time taking care of her loved ones.
Flores said her high school experience was challenging, because as an athlete, she had to focus on maintaining good grades.
“I used to play at least one sport every season, so learning to balance those two types was a struggle at first,” she said. “But it was something I enjoyed because I think I like to occupy myself.”
Finally, her hard work paid off when she walked across the stage at graduation to her parents’ raucous cheers.
“They were the loudest out there, I promise,” she said. “It was crazy.”
Madeleine Martinez, an 18-year-old graduate of Cristo Rey San Jose Jesuit High School, attended the University of California, Santa Cruz this fall. She plans to major in psychology but is also interested in social work and law.
“My parents did not have the opportunity to pursue higher education in Mexico, so they only went to primary school,” she said.
Her parents were not able to get many of the jobs they applied for because they did not have a higher education or citizenship.
“They were selling strawberries and fruit and flowers and movies — like, on the street,” Perez said. “And it was very hard to watch. I was so sad to see them not get the same opportunities as any other parent who has a desk job and gets paid more.”
She said seeing such struggles led her to be a role model for her younger siblings. “I also learned how to stay really strong for them,” she added.
Perez continued to achieve her goals by always keeping her parents in mind throughout her high school journey.
“I did this for them and I did it because of them,” she said. “I was always thinking of them.”
Perez added, “I’m the first to graduate high school and go to college, so I felt very proud of myself.”
Jaime Zamora, a 17-year-old Latino graduate from Oak Grove High School, said this summer he had been planning to attend the Silicon Valley Vocational Technical Education Program in the fall.
He’s studying electricity and hopes to get an associate’s degree in business, then open his own home remodeling project.
He said that his father, who has his own construction company, motivates him.
“He only went to school until eighth grade, but seeing that he still has his own construction company and is still so successful really inspires me,” Zamora said.
Zamora’s mother was born in Guanajuato, and his father was born in Jalisco. They faced many challenges in coming to the United States from Mexico and knowing only one language.
When he was young, Zamora did not speak English fluently, so he had difficulty translating for his parents. His mother, who attended university in Mexico, inspired him to persevere.
“I graduated from the University of Mexico with a nursing degree,” he said.
Zamora also saw that his father’s perseverance paid off when he obtained his citizenship papers after 18 years of trying.
“I’ve never seen my father cry,” he said, “and this was probably the closest I’ve seen.”
Perseverance and persistence also played a role in Zamora as he walked through the graduation stage, feeling all kinds of emotions.
“It was like a rollercoaster,” he said. “It felt really sweet, but it also felt happy, stressed, stress revealed, all kinds of emotions.”
Perseverance and perseverance continue to motivate Zamora. He said: Work hard for what you want in life, and never give up. “Always trust yourself, because if you don’t, no one will.”
Scarlett Lopez Rodriguez is a student at Cristo Rey San Jose Jesuit High School. I wrote this article for Mosaic Vision, an independent training program for journalism.
Originally published at San Jose News Bulletin
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