For as long as I have lived, it’s been drilled into my mind that the family I have here is not all of my family. I can remember, very faintly, a foggy memory of me and my cousin walking down the streets of Mexico. For a minute as a kid I probably thought that this would be forever; that my family and everyone I will ever know would always be in the same place. However, for most people, this unfortunately just isn’t a reality. I, of course, have had the privilege of being born in America, and growing up in Alliance. I’m sure many living in tough situations out of America would love to say the same thing.

Having family in a different country is very difficult according to my parents. My mom still has two brothers living in Mexico,  as well as their wives and children. She has plenty of cousins, aunts, and uncles living in Mexico. My grandmother’s sister is also in a different country. My father had family there at one point, but luckily now most of his family live in South Texas. For my mom, she is glad she has her parents here, but says it’s difficult communicating with her loved ones, this gave me the realization of how lucky some people are. On an everyday basis I don’t think of my family who I don’t see. For some it’s so hard, when all they want to do is give their family a big hug, and that alone costs thousands of dollars.

My dad says that living in Mexico is rough now. When it comes down to it, you don’t get paid as much as some people would like, and family’s want a better future; therefore, the best way out is following the American Dream. Some people in America have to live in the harsh reality of having a family member taken away from them. This leaves a big ache on the family. When holidays or birthdays come around, all they want to do is see that one person who cannot be with you due to rough circumstances.

Samantha Gonzalez, a freshman, has family in a different country and explained that “My dad has his parent’s out of the country and we have to travel. It’s expensive to travel every year, because you never know what will happen to them. At the same time, it’s pretty fun, because you get to travel a lot.”

My mother also added that teaching me the culture of my country is kind of hard when I live in a different country. She says the culture is different, but family comes first. No matter what, family should be a priority in anything. Ripping apart families shouldn’t be an option. Sometimes it’s better to see what’s right, because in the end, if  you’re half way across the world from immediate family, communication is lost, and you can never truly look out for them.