Mexicanos in Oregon: Their Stories, Their Lives

Testimonio by Marco Antonio Chavez

207 THEIR STORIES, THEIR LIVES Testimonio by Marco Antonio Chávez This testimonio is composed from excerpts of an interview conducted by José Otáñez in English in 2003 in Corvallis, where Marco Antonio was a student at Oregon State University. After his graduation Marco Antonio attended Bowling Green University where he received his Masters degree in Ethnic Studies before moving on to take a job in admissions at Ohio State University. The excerpts were transcribed, selected, and arranged by the authors. My mother arranged for our crossing. She had a friend in Hillsboro who told her to come on over. This friend’s husband crossed us and some other men and their families. Crossing over seemed easy to me. We arrived in Nogales where we stayed in a run-down hotel for a few days. Suddenly, one night, they told us we were going to cross. The man explained to us what was going to happen. We all crossed at night. Mother told us wait in this parking lot. I had no idea what she went to do. While we were waiting we saw some patrolmen—border patrol or whatever. And in the distance I could see a McDonalds, but at that time I had no idea what it was. But I thought it was lovely. We waited there in the open parking lot by the fence. When she returned, she said “Okay, we’re going to cross.” By then the patrols had left. The fence had a hole covered by some fencing. I lifted it and she passed with my small brother. Then she held it while I passed with Juanito. That made me feel really proud, because I liked to carry my little brothers. We walked a few blocks until we saw a pickup where we had agreed to meet. We got in the truck and we laid down. Then the others arrived, and we took off. I remember that it started to rain and I saw a rainbow. I thought it was fabulous. It was the first rainbow I ever saw and it was in the south. When we got to Hillsboro, we stayed with my mother’s friend for three weeks in her apartment. Her friend had five kids and we always fought with them. What could my mom do? There we were while she worked in the fields… . As for family, my mother’s brother is here. He started coming in ’98. He comes and goes from Mexico City where he has a combi (collective taxi) business. He comes and goes. Then he brought my two cousins, his two sons. One of them just left. He just came to learn English because he is studying tourism. The other is working here because there was no space for him in the 208 Mexicanos in Oregon Testimonio: Marco Antonio Chávez university, so he is here. My cousin, my uncle, my aunt, my grandmother. She comes every now and then, just enough to earn her social security. The truth is they are all here because of my mother, because she came and became a resident. Then she made her kids residents and she became a citizen. She is trying to get residency for her brother and his sons. In California, my grandma’s brother lives there with his kids. My grandma’s sister lives in Farmington, New Mexico, with her sons and grandchildren. They come and go to and from Pátzcuaro, Michoacán, in Mexico… . I think if we were in Mexico my brothers wouldn’t be such rebels, they wouldn’t complain so much. They would obey Mother more. The same goes for me. When I was growing up, I was very rebellious. I would sneak out through the window and go with my friends. One time my mother called the cops. They brought me home and she gave me a good slap. The cop didn’t do a thing! Here I think parents are useless. I don’t mean useless, but they have less authority to raise their kids the way they want. Not that the way they want is good or bad. But, for example, here they have no choice but to go [to] work. In Mexico, you still have the possibility of the mother staying home, right? Here things change; the roles of each family member changes. The mother has to work outside the home. The father by force has to work. So while the parents are at work, the kids...