My Success Story

by Rosario Negrete
Published November 27, 2006

Hi, my name is Rosario Negrete. I am from San Luis Postosi, Mexico. My childhood was like every one else’s, I come from poverty where we had only the bare essentials. There were 7 in my family, 2 died for lack of doctors and medicine. At 12 years of age, I started working as a servant running errands, doing light housework, and taking care of a 3 year old baby. At 13 I went to the city to work as a servant, moving away from my family. I could not get an education so I worked there 3 years. At 16 I decided to immigrate to the United States with a friend. At that time they had an open bridge for a time.

I started working in the home of a teacher. She was very good to me but after six months she moved to Mexico City. She wanted me to go with her, but I wanted to stay and work. I stayed with her sister who found me another job as a servant. I worked for 2 years and then I returned to Mexico. That same year I got married and had my baby girl. Three months later my husband and I decided to come to the U.S. separately. I stayed in Nuevo Laredo and he made it to Austin, TX. The bridge was still open at different times. I returned to work with the lady whom I had worked with before. Within a year we returned to Mexico. My husband could not find stable employment and after 5 years he came back to Austin. I stayed home with my 4 children. After 3 months of being in the United States my husband suffered a fatal automobile accident. Upon finding myself alone with my 4 children I went back to the city to work. I left my 4 children under my mother’s care not making enough to clothe, feed, and educate them. The poverty was the same at my mother’s house.

While in San Luis Potosi I worked with a teacher. She gave me the opportunity to study in the afternoons. I completed elementary working during the day and studying at night. I think that these were some of the happiest days of my life and I also felt very proud of myself and grateful with the people that gave me the opportunity. The teacher, upon seeing my need, and the fact that I was also helping my mother, offered to lend me the money to immigrate to the United States. Once again, with a group of people we took off walking 5 or 6 hours in the woods, hiding while the “coyote” signaled for us to continue. When we waited and waited and saw that he wasn’t coming we figured he had been apprehended by the border patrol. We decided to go our separate ways and made a pact that the first to be caught would tell where the others were. We figured it was better to be returned to Mexico than to be lost in the woods. And in that manner I was back in Mexico working to pay the debt I had incurred.

In the next year, I decided to try again with a friend. Once again we climbed a train. The train workers locked us in the cart from the outside. We knocked to no avail. The train took off and we decided to relax and wait. Close to San Antonio, the “coyote” and several of the men decided to try to pry some of the metal off the floor with a pocket knife. They managed to make a small hole so that a small person could get through and open the cart from the outside. We were lucky. They picked us up and left us at our destination after paying the $500.00 fee. I arrived with an American who gave me a roof over my head and food to eat. In a month she found me a job and I started working. I stayed with the person I worked for. Seven months later I received the sad news that my stepfather had passed away. I was left to take care of my 4 children, my 3 siblings and my mother.

A year and a half later I got married again. I left the house and started working in a cleaner’s. My husband worked in lumber. Soon after I got pregnant and lost my job because they did not allow pregnant women at the job. I went back to work with the same lady and then my daughter was born. I went to Mexico to visit my family after seven months. I returned to the U.S. a month later. This time I crossed the river in a little raft. We did not know at the time but the raft was deflating. We found out when we were already close to the river’s edge. God helped us. Once again I was in the United States with my 3 month old daughter.

The next time I went to Mexico, another woman and I came back on a raft once again. Upon getting close to the edge of the river, I lost my equilibrium and was close to ending in the water except that a branch steadied the raft and we were able to get to shore. The coyote was there to pick us up and the woman went in the trunk of the car while I went in the front passenger seat with the two children. After these two big scares I swore never to cross the river again. If I went to Mexico again I would go through the bridge or I would not make the journey.

God is almighty and knowing. I had two divided loves in two countries and in two years amnesty was granted. My bosses helped me obtain my permanent residency. Since then I was able to go back and forth to Mexico through the bridge. A few years after that I petitioned for my children in Mexico, they were approved and are now residents. My mother has a visitor’s visa.

Years went by and I gave birth to another little daughter. Within 2 years they detected uterine cancer. Once again God was taking care of me. I had a hysterectomy and everything went back to normal. I have lived in the United States for 33 years and with much effort on my husband’s part and mine, saving every dollar we could, we now own our house. We are not rich but we are not poor either. We live comfortably. I have all my children with me and now I have 6 grandchildren.

This is my short story, much like everyone else’s. Necessity has made it imperative that we immigrate to other cities or countries. The trick is not to give up and continue fighting for what we want.

Thank you,
Rosario Negrete

Story was written in Spanish by Rosario and translated by teacher Carmen Rodriguez.

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