1995.
Hearing all the stories from her children about how the opportunities have been amazing and her grandchildren coming into the world, Maria Isabel knew it was time for her and Maximiliano to come to America. Through her oldest daughter Teresa, they obtained their residency to live in the USA.
They first arrived in California. For a short period of time, they did field work alongside their son, Juan. The amount of rigorous work that needed to be done was taking a toll on their bodies. Wanting to be active in their grandchildren’s lives for as long as possible, they not only left working the fields, but left California entirely.
Not being able to find work in California, their next move was Phoenix, Arizona. Phoenix was where they found jobs at a laundry factory and settled. Moving into a four-bedroom house in West Phoenix alongside her two youngest kids Juan and Francisco and their growing families. It was only a short time at that house, but it was there where some of the best years of Maria Isabel’s life were spent.
“I got to see my family grow. We were only there for 12 years, but we were able to get so many opportunities and got to experience so much within our family that I couldn’t have asked for more.”
“Seeing what God has done for my family and I, I’m so happy that we made the decision to go.”
After five years of living in the USA with their residency and not leaving, Maria Isabel and Maximiliano became dual citizens of México and USA. Something she says she never could have imagined.
“I thank God every day for the blessings he has given and continues to give me. Becoming a citizen of the USA is one of the biggest blessings I’ve gotten, and it has allowed me to stay connected to my family here at home and in the USA in so many ways.”
Maria Isabel was there for all the births of her grandchildren. Something she says she’s truly blessed for and was a contributing factor to why she moved to the USA.
“I was there for all three births of Salvador’s (her oldest of five) children, the joy it brought me, I wanted to feel that joy as much as possible. Moving to the USA was going to help with that.”
12 years and 12 grandchildren later, it was time for Maria Isabel and Maximiliano to go home. Becoming citizens allowed them to wreak the full benefits of retirement, and in 2007, they went back home to Tepic, Nayarit, México.
“I wanted to do as much as I could for my family for as long as I could, and when it was time for us to leave, it was one of the hardest things we had to do.”
Though her time in the United States was just over a decade, she made sure every second of it was worthwhile. From working the fields, to helping raise 12 grandchildren, working in a laundry factory, becoming citizens in only her fifth year living in the states, and being able to go home and come back whenever she wanted. Maria Isabel was truly able to live the “American Dream”.
Maria Isabel is my grandmother on my father’s side and one of the people that helped raise me. A lot of the memories and stories she shared with me are stories that I’m a part of and hearing for the first time in a long time. Her stories, even though knowing them beforehand, have always and continue to impact me in the way I treat my family. To always try and stay connected and make sure that the love and care is always there. My Mama Isabel has always been one of the most impactful people in my life and continues to be.
