- The conversation surrounding undocumented immigrants
always gets people going, even amongst Latinos.
However, it's an important part of so many of our stories,
including my own.
In the late 70s and throughout the 80s,
my family fled El Salvador,
undocumented because of poverty and the civil war.
People act like immigrants want to leave their educations,
their homes, their families and everything they know,
just because they want to.
Immigrants leave their homes out of necessity,
out of the need for a better life.
After all, we were all immigrants once.
This is my Abuelita Gladys' story,
the matriarch of our family,
and I'm so proud and I wouldn't have it any other way.
(gentle music)
What's up guys, my name is Curly
and this is my grandmother, Gladys.
Say hi.
- Hello!
How are you?
- Today we're gonna talk about where you're from.
We'll talk about when you came here,
you came here to the United States
right before the civil war.
How old were you when you came?
- [Gladys] 29.
(Curly speaking Spanish)
(Gladys speaking Spanish)
(Curly speaking Spanish)
(Gladys speaking Spanish)
We come in with the finger.
- Like you hitchhiked, this is hitchhiking.
- Oh.
(Curly speaking Spanish)
- He hyche. - Hitchhike.
- Heache hyche.
- Now I don't know how to say it.
(Gladys speaking Spanish)
(Curly speaking Spanish)
(Gladys speaking Spanish)
(Curly speaking Spanish)
(Gladys speaking Spanish)
(Curly speaking Spanish)
(Gladys speaking Spanish)
(Curly speaking Spanish)
(Gladys speaking Spanish)
- [Curly] You hitchhiked where?
(Gladys speaking Spanish)
(Curly speaking Spanish)
(Gladys speaking Spanish)
(Curly speaking Spanish)
(Gladys speaking Spanish)
(Curly speaking Spanish)
(Gladys speaking Spanish)
(Curly speaking Spanish)
(Gladys speaking Spanish)
(Curly speaking Spanish)
(Gladys speaking Spanish)
(Curly speaking Spanish)
(Gladys speaking Spanish)
(Curly speaking Spanish)
(Gladys speaking Spanish)
- [Curly] That's a big decision to make.
(Curly speaking Spanish)
(Gladys speaking Spanish)
(Curly speaking Spanish)
(Gladys speaking Spanish)
(Curly speaking Spanish)
(Gladys speaking Spanish)
(Curly speaking Spanish)
(Gladys speaking Spanish)
- All right, I love you.
- I love you too.
- Thank you for coming to hang out.
(Gladys speaking Spanish)
- That's it!
(Gladys speaking Spanish)
- Hold on, wait.
(Gladys speaking Spanish)
(Curly laughing)
(upbeat music)