“Where I’m From”

     I was born to two immigrants from Mexico in the year of 1996. I form part of a hardworking Mexican American family. I was born in the city of Torrance, California but later moved to Compton, California. I attend Dominguez high school and I am part of the varsity football team. I play many roles and as far for dreams and aspirations go for a Mexican teenager, I am trying to go from nothing to something.

   I was born on January 24, 1996 in the city of Torrance, California at Harbor UCLA Medical Center which is the name of the hospital. As my parents had emigrated from Mexico to the United States, I came to the world to a hardworking family. My father taught my siblings and I that if you wanted something you will have to work for it. My father is a licensed landscaper in the state of California and owns his own business which he builds from the ground up. This gave me a very big opportunity to start working at a young age even though I was very young working numerous hours under the hot burning sun it was a hassle. Hard labor work is what I am used to, but I think it’s only normal knowing this is how the business runs. Coming from a family with good wills that you have to work, has made me who I am and only makes me work twice as harder towards success.

     Living in a small two bedroom apartment with my parents and 3 siblings which is located in the city of Torrance, California, my father then bought his very own house in the city of Compton, California. At a very young age of only nine years old I had to move schools and meet new friends in this new place I’ve never seen before. I went from being the kid that gets home to watch cartoons on TV, to going home and hearing the range of gunshots echo throughout the streets, as being the kid that seems to see side deals as your walking home from school. Fights going on in school it was just chaos kids were out of control something never seen before. I quickly adapted to this new environment it was more of a survival thing all u did was try to survive in this city but it just seemed as if it was a normal thing to everyone. I took all this in and made it my motivation and have dedicated myself to one day getting out the so called “hood”.

   Middle school days soon came to an end as graduation approached and it was time for high school. I was given the option to choose high schools between Narbonne high school located in Harbor City, California or Dominguez high school located in Compton, California which by the way is my home school. I chose Dominguez the struggles being fought and Dominguez having a bad reputation in the city, I took a chance. Well here I am in my senior year of high school ready to graduate, playing football played a major role as I am now one of the varsity captains. I just want to be the one to graduate from this so called bad school and tell everybody “I made it”.

   Despite the struggles and problems there is in the city that I am from, knowing that all the hard work I put in will one day payoff only makes me work even harder every day. My devotion to do well and make it to do better things in life is only right. Coming from the bottom knowing the feeling of living in a ruthless city makes you say enough is enough. In all it comes down to what my parents, and city only make me strive for the best.