Buenos Dias Diary

Buenos Dias diary, my name is Isabella Conchita Álvarez. Conchita was my grandmother's name. It has been 12 years since my family and I arrived in the United States. We came from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. It took a very long time to cross the border to reach the United States, and to arrive in El Paso, Texas. My family was very poor, and my father was looking to find work and to have a new life for us in the United States. I remembered experiencing much fear and apprehension. We were with several other people also trying to cross the border also to acquire new lives also. We had to be very careful because of ticks and viruses, and diseases.

We had to lie in the fields and watch for the Americans who would arrest us for trying to come to America. I was so happy the night we finally crossed the border. I was not aware at the time, but over one half million immigrants from Mexico arrive legally or illegally in the United States in any given year, joining the estimated 12 million already in the country.

We were discovered by the border patrol and they immediately arrested my father. They questioned him and treated him like a criminal. They accused my father of working as a "drug mule," someone who purposely transports drugs from one country to another for the purpose of selling, or to receive payment for smuggling in for someone else. He was questioned and humiliated for hours. My mother and the rest of my family were detained in a separate room. We were not allowed to see him or speak to him.

Finally, after what seemed like a lifetime, they released my father. They detained us until my aunt, who is my mother's sister could arrive. My aunt has been a United States citizen for many years and has an American husband and family. We were released in her care, and we were given instructions on how to apply for a temporary visa to stay in the United States. This would be temporary until we could apply for our green cards or visa's. We moved in with my aunt and her family. They have a beautiful home. We lived with them for the first 2 years while my parents sought employment, and we began our adjustment to this new country and lifestyle.