2008 Woodie Awards
We are all immigrants
Stephanie McKiniey
Issue date: 3/17/06 Section: Opinion
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As we go through our everyday lives we often think that something isn't fair and "why can't my life just be easier?" One hopes we stop and remember that it could be worse. The majority of your peers are probably not immigrants, but it is highly likely that their parents are, and what could be harder on a young adult than relocating your life?
Ligia Estrella was born in Mérida, Yucatán (México) on March 2, 1951. Her father, a doctor, was the first in her family to come to the United States. When Ligia was only 19 years old, her father sent money for her to come to the U.S. Regardless of the fact that she had attended an American institute in México to learn English, when Ligia arrived in San Francisco in 1970 she was scared, confused and unable to speak a single word of the language.
"Even if I had an emergency, there was no way I could communicate with anyone unless my father was around," said Ligia, who adopted the nickname of Lisa when she finally started working and speaking English.
However, it took four years for Lisa to finally get her first job in America. To begin with, she had to get her green card, and to do that she traveled to the border (Tijuana), by herself, and stayed there for a year. When all the legalities were taken care of, Lisa came back to the city and went to a school for immigrants who needed to learn the native language.
"You were not allowed to work while you were going to that particular school in South San Francisco, so from 1970 when I first got here, I did not start working for [Bank of America] until 1974," explained Lisa.
Calmly and in an almost-saddened tone, Ligia recalled feeling like an outsider in the years before becoming a part of the workforce.
Perhaps surprisingly, the language barrier was not what made Ligia feel so different-it was the way she looked.
"First of all, I'm Mexican. I don't look like an American. At that time I didn't know that California had such diversity. . .and I thought I looked different," said Ligia. "People would look at me."
Ligia Estrella was born in Mérida, Yucatán (México) on March 2, 1951. Her father, a doctor, was the first in her family to come to the United States. When Ligia was only 19 years old, her father sent money for her to come to the U.S. Regardless of the fact that she had attended an American institute in México to learn English, when Ligia arrived in San Francisco in 1970 she was scared, confused and unable to speak a single word of the language.
"Even if I had an emergency, there was no way I could communicate with anyone unless my father was around," said Ligia, who adopted the nickname of Lisa when she finally started working and speaking English.
However, it took four years for Lisa to finally get her first job in America. To begin with, she had to get her green card, and to do that she traveled to the border (Tijuana), by herself, and stayed there for a year. When all the legalities were taken care of, Lisa came back to the city and went to a school for immigrants who needed to learn the native language.
"You were not allowed to work while you were going to that particular school in South San Francisco, so from 1970 when I first got here, I did not start working for [Bank of America] until 1974," explained Lisa.
Calmly and in an almost-saddened tone, Ligia recalled feeling like an outsider in the years before becoming a part of the workforce.
Perhaps surprisingly, the language barrier was not what made Ligia feel so different-it was the way she looked.
"First of all, I'm Mexican. I don't look like an American. At that time I didn't know that California had such diversity. . .and I thought I looked different," said Ligia. "People would look at me."