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Juana Lopez

Professor Wheatley

Eng 101

16th May, 2017

Making Sacrifices

A dream doesn’t become a reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination, and

hard work -Colin Powell. Jose Lopez is 48 years old. He is a tall, chubby man with small hazel

eyes that grab your attention when he is in front of you. Jose has a black mustache and thick

brows. As the oldest child of his family, he took responsibility with his dad to go to different

states in Mexico and sell shoes. Later after not finding ways of finding money, Jose decided to

come into the United States in search of a job and a better future. At the age of 17, he was

working in the fields in California to send money to his parents to help out his family. He had to

make sacrifices to see others happy. He wanted that his four little brothers have everything he

didn't have. He continues to make sacrifices. He wakes up every morning at 4 AM, and goes to

work to give a better future to his family. I admire this because he does not have a easy job. His

job is one of the hardest in the world as he has to work outside in hot temperatures and

sometimes with arm and back pain. That's why I admired him and believe he is a role model.

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"I remember one time when my dad and I were traveling in Mexico. We were driving late

at night and out of nowhere a dead body was in the middle of the road. My dad rapidly drove

faster as this was one of the techniques sneak thieves usually used during this time, at that

moment I was scared but later got used to it, I knew the risk we were getting into," Said Jose as I

was interviewing him at the dining table in our house. I could not concentrate on what he was

trying to say my three years old sister continued dancing, running and singing "Let it Go" from

Frozen. OH NOO!! I hate listening every time the same song over and over again. I asked him

why he kept moving from place to place. He responded "My family used to make shoes, but

Guanajuato is the city of shoes, so most of the people who live there make shoes, which made it

hard for my family to establish a business. We decided to go out of town and sell them around

Mexico." I could see Jose, making serious faces and also smiling when he remembered a funny

memory. I asked him about his favorite place and he told me about Los Cabos, every time he

went there he took advantage and went to parties. I kept thinking about how I wanted to someday

in a future I could go to the places my dad had adventures, and also make my own memories.

"Selling shoes around Mexico was going well but not as we wanted so I decided to come

into the United States in search for a job that could help my parents and me," Jose said. I felt

how hard it may had been for him to leave the people he loved to have a better life, as I heard his

serious voice and he took a deep breath. "When I was in California, I was around seventeen

working in the fields it was not easy at the beginning getting used on working hard. I was used to

be seated all day for hours, coming into the USA was a big change." As I heard him, I

appreciated my life. I have not gone through hard stuff like my dad. My life has been easy

compared to him. My sister had already calmed down, as we decided to put her favorite show.

Now I was getting annoyed by the song of Sofia the First.

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My dad is a serious person that does not talk about his past, at that moment he was

talking a deep tone. Most of the time he talks and share his memories he tries to be funny, but in

this interview it was different. By now I decided to asked him if he liked his job, but I already

knew the answer. He doesn't actually like working in the fields every day, especially on the

sunny days in high temperatures. He has received better job opportunities, but he has rejected

them. Working in the fields is better than his last job, he used to work in a packing plant that

gave him more responsibilities and fewer hours of sleep as he worked at night. He left this job, as

the company closed around four years ago. Most of the job offers he has received, required him

to move from San Luis to Salinas, and he does not want to leave us. He has tried moving away

from us two times but returns in a few days because he can't be away from his family.

His brothers continued making shoes in Mexico, and their business was going great. They

now have a shoe factory. I asked him if he had the opportunity to go and work with them would

he do it. He replied with "yeah, I would like to take the opportunity, but not now, right now I'm

still here in the United States because of you guys." He referred to my little sisters and I. "I want

you guys to have a better future than I had. I may have to work in the fields for you guys to

become my dream come true, but I know it would be worth it." As he was telling me these

words, I started to feel emotional. My dad has made so many sacrifices through his life for his

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family to be happy. He has always seen others before himself. He may not have the best job in

the world, but he has made sacrifices to make others happy. Ever since little, Jose had to work

hard in fields and selling shoes. He had to made sacrifices leaving his hometown and loved ones

in search of a better life for a better future. He still makes those sacrifices. He wakes up every

morning at 4 AM and works all day In the sun to provide his family a better life. "se que algun

dia todo valdra la pena"

Work cited

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"Colin Powell." BrainyQuote.com. Xplore Inc, 2017. 17 May 2017.

https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/c/colinpowel385927.html

Lopez, Jose. Personal Interview. 23 February, 2017

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