Efren Palomares | Teen Ink

Efren Palomares

April 15, 2014
By Anonymous

This is the story of the young Efren Palomares. Efren was born as a child not of America, but as a Mexican Hispanic child. Efren… lived a very sad childhood, he never went to school, he did day in and day out carry water and feed cattle in order to keep his family afloat. One day whilst he was arguing with his mother he said “I don’t even want to be here, one day I am going to America.” So on the day of his 18th year in Mexico he had left his family behind and drove forty hours to get to the beloved country of America, or so he thought. He had realized more and more that the longer and further he drove into America he had been getting pulled over constantly over and over again being asked the same question “Do you know why I pulled you over?” he spoke no English at the time so he didn’t understand a word that was being said to him. All he could respond with was “no sey” which means I don’t know In Spanish. He kept going on and on as the cops pulled him over one after the other and act as if they were just taking turns. Really they were just taking his stuff and treating him as if he were lesser because he was not from here. Soon enough it stopped and he was in the town of Colorado Springs. His first goal was to get a job here in his new found home of Colorado. He had applied to many placed and only a few had accepted him for interview, but sure enough still shot him down. He got a job at a nearby chipotle and started making less than minimum wage. He thought this wasn’t bad compared to Mexico but life for him was still hard. He now lives a good life as my step dad and can finally be happy but he will never forget what he went through just to get here. One day he told me that man can accomplish anything that is desirable enough for him to want; long as they work and try no matter the race or culture you can still have dreams and desires.


The author's comments:
My step dad was the inspiration for this text.

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