English As A Second language ( ESL )

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Above, Antonia Lemus and her teacher Diane Racine

From the November/December 2009 issue

Antonia's story
I am finally a U.S. citizen!

(Editor’s note: The story below was sent to us by Diane Racine. Diane teaches citizenship and ESL at Westside Community Adult School in Los Angeles. Diane wrote to us saying, “This story comes from one of my citizenship students, Antonia Lemus, as told to me. After three tries she has finally become an American citizen. Her story touched me, especially knowing her sweet character and what she has gone through while fighting lupus, as well.”)

I love America! I have a life that I didn’t have in my country. In my country I had only pain and unhappiness.

I was two years old and the third child of four when my mother died. That last baby lived only eight months. My father was mean. He was sad and beat us for everything. I ran away when I was nine. I slept in cemeteries and churches. I knocked on people’s doors asking if could clean their houses for food. Finally, one lady took me in and gave me a very small room where I slept on the floor. I cleaned her house and helped her with her sewing and she gave me four coins a month. I stayed there until I was 12; then I went to a restaurant and they gave me 30 coins a month and food, so I stayed there.

I made my way to Mexico and started cleaning houses. I saved my money and went back to El Salvador and opened a small food store. But the war had started and everyone stole food from me. I was afraid all the time, so I sold my store and went back to Mexico. I wanted to go to the United States but it was very hard to get there. I didn’t trust the coyotes, and the officials all wanted money to “not see me” as I crossed the border. Finally, I made it to Calexico and over to the U.S. I took a train all the way to Los Angeles where I started working as soon as I could. I met really nice people who helped me. The only time I took charity was for medical reasons like when I was giving birth to my daughter at General Hospital. Someone there said I should get food stamps and welfare, but I said, “No! I will work for what I have and pay taxes.” I have worked for everything I have and continue to study English. I am proud of myself.

I have always paid for my daughter and myself. And she is a good girl. She never drinks or smokes or takes drugs. When she is not in school or at work, she paints. In high school she won first prize in a contest given by a bank in West Hollywood. It was a lot of money for us and the bank opened a college fund for her with it. She is now finishing her fourth year at Northridge in nursing and is becoming a dietician. She has worked part-time since she was 17 through school-sponsored jobs. Her last job was at Cedars-Sinai Hospital and they liked her so much they asked her to stay after the school program ended. And even though it’s part-time, they give her insurance. We live simply but we are happy. We work hard, but we meet wonderful people and are lucky. This country has been good to me. This is my country. I love America.

I passed the citizenship test and my teacher came with me to the swearing-in ceremony. I am finally a U.S. citizen!