Sonia Alvarez - U.S. Born of Puerto Rican parents
Posted: Oct. 25, 2005
Describe your experience as an immigrant in the United States.
Although technically, I am not an immigrant of the U.S., I am the daughter of immigrants. My parents migrated from Puerto Rico to New York City in the mid-forties or early-fifties.
Describe your experience with people here in the United States.
My experience has mostly been a positive one. I learned early in life (during the sixties) to respect those of other countries and cultures. I went to school with students from different parts of the world and was taught by teachers who were from Russia, Poland, Ireland, and Israel to name a few.
What is your dream for you and your family in the United States?
My ideal dream for my family and me is to live a life filled with good health, free of discrimination, full of opportunities, and of course financial freedom.
What did you learn that might help other new immigrants?
For many years I worked for a local parish were I lived, there I had the opportunity to do some community outreach, where it allowed me to help recent immigrants with social and immigration hardships. I understood their hardships because I understood the hardships my parents went through while I was growing up. My mother had to clean and maintain at least seven apartment buildings in order to provide my family with food, clothing, etc. And my father had to work odd jobs other than the regular job he held in order to provide us with basic needs. As you can see my father's job was not enough.
Can you share a personal story about your life that is important to you?
I survived the World Trade Center tragedy on 9/11 and I am currently the caregiver for my mother who is diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, as if that isn't enough I am currently being monitored for early detection of breast cancer. What is important to me is to share my upbringing and the struggles of my parents and those people who chose to migrate to the U.S. (some are now friends, class-mates at school, or are just people I have come in contact with through work or people I assisted in their time of need). It is through their experiences in life that I have become the strong person I am today.
Any additional comments about your life you would like to share?
I do not know what my life will be like in the future or even where I will be but I do know that life is what you make it out to be. I choose to live life to its fullest and I hope that all the people who decide to migrate to this country find the happiness and success they desire.