Doña Teresa

Doña Teresa in her kitchen. Source: Puentes.

"My name is Teresa. I was born in 1977. My husband died very young and I was a widow with 4 little kids at home before I turned 25. I slept maybe 4-5 hours a night. I got up early to make tortillas for my family and to sell them. I also washed clothes by hand to make ends meet and earned about 15 pesos per dozen pieces. Those were some hard years.

My oldest worked in a bakery and they gave him about 5 loaves of bread because I couldn’t afford to buy it. They all decided to go North to be able to work and make money. They’re now in their 20s and 30s. I feel proud of how I raised my children. I think they think of me, they haven’t fallen into any vice. They’re working hard and now they know how it is to suffer to support your children. They tell me: “Mama, you don’t have to work. Take care of your grandchildren.” They send me money and I don’t work so much anymore. I don’t wake up until 6am now.

It’s important to understand why our children go there [to the United States]. It’s a little sad [to have my children away], but it’s also good. They’re doing their best so that their kids can have something and not suffer like they did as kids."

A Mother

"I took in clothes, washed them and I earned 15 pesos per dozen pieces of clothes. And I had four people to support! They had to study and it costs money to go to school. I only slept 3 to 4 hours per night. And I made tortillas for them in the morning. I got up and made tortillas to sell to buy sugar, beans, corn – so they wouldn’t suffer from hunger. They didn’t study much. They only finished secondary school. Because we couldn’t afford more.

Nicolas, my oldest, started working in a bakery. They’d give him four or five loaves of bread and he would bring them home, because I couldn’t afford to buy bread. So they all decided to go North to be able to work and make money. And now they have families...

...And the truth is, they did it to see their kids grow up, to give them an education, too, because here there’s no money. To build a little house, to have somewhere to live, to buy a little land. Here, the truth is, one suffers a lot to earn one peso. And since they’re there now, well, they’re scared because of the president, who is saying he’ll send them back. If he does, they won’t have any of what they thought to do there."

When they go, it’s so sad. One suffers a lot. You cry when they go. You don’t know how long it will take them, when they’ll arrive, how they’ll be treated, who will give them a little glass of water if they need it?

"I feel proud of my kids. They’re working hard and helping me and helping their families."

A Grandmother

"Yes, that is my story and the truth is my children suffered a lot. But here we are, thank God, here we are. And I think if they give it their best shot there, well, hopefully the president will let them, because when you hear the news it makes you scared. It’s frightening. We get scared here because our children are so far away. My sons are far away – four are there and one of my daughters, the oldest, is there and her daughter is in secondary school. They feel they earn little there [in the US], but for us it's a little more."

"Three grandchildren and two more are living here with me. My son has two and my daughter has three. I stay with the little one so his mom can go to work. And for my daughters in law, too – they’re living as if they were my daughters. I take care of the kids for them I can’t read or write well, but I tell my granddaughter she has to study hard because her mother is suffering so she can study.

Today its different because no I don’t work. I suffered a lot, we didn’t have anything. My sons say, Mama, you don’t have to work, take care of your grandchildren. They send me money so I can buy food. I take care of my grandchildren."

Doña Teresa holding her granddaughter in her kitchen. Source: Puentes.

Listen to the full interview with Doña Teresa here

View from Doña Teresa's home. Source: Doña Teresa.