Karina Barillas - Diverse Collaborations

Latina Immigrants
Gloria Gutiérrez (Nena)

Gloria Gutiérrez (Nena), Seamstress. Age: 38. I emigrated from Guadalajara, Mexico when I was 22. Something I love to do is spend time with my friends. My dream is to have a career. We are a migrant worker family, we are honest, and are anxious to improve our lives. The hardest things about being an immigrant mother are the language barrier and the customs. What I like the most about living in this country is the cultural diversity and the employment opportunities.

Latina Immigrants
Claudia Peralta-Mudd

Claudia Peralta-Mudd, 48. Emigrated from Buenos Aires, Argentina when I was 30.I love traveling, listening to music, taking pictures, and art. Mi dream is to be a good person who does things for others and looks to better the common good instead of personal good. We are a newly formed family. Our goal of having children was realized in 2010 through adoption. I wish that many other families would be open to the idea of adoption! The hardest thing about being an immigrant mother is to portray your culture and language by different means than you are used to. I think that for children it can be tough to accept parents who look or speak different than the rest. I also believe that the other problem may be a miscommunication problem in which the parent does not understand the culture that the child is faced with and thus this can lead to friction. What I like the most about living in this country is the comfort that one can reach.

Latina Immigrants
Hilda

Hilda, 58. Early childhood educator. Emigrated from Huancayo – Peru. I love to bake, knitting, painting, being on the computer and playing with my grandchildren. My dream is to own my own bakery. I am down to earth, sociable, and I like to share whatever is asked of me. What limits me is the language barrier. I feel very proud of my two daughters and the their professional and personal accomplishments. What more could one ask for other than to have my daughters and watch them follow their own paths. The hardest thing about having immigrant daughters was knowing that I had to return to my home country without knowing when I would get to see them and living in my country alone. Now that I have also emigrated the hardest thing for me is not knowing the language although I am trying very hard to learn it. What I like the most about living in this country is being with my daughter and my grandchildren and knowing that my whole family is close by. I also enjoy the order and friendliness of the people I know here, both from my English classes as well as from the church that I attend. In general this city is very attractive and I feel quite comfortable in it.

Latina Immigrants
Jeraldin A. González

Jeraldin A. González, 28. Housewife. Emigrated from San Miguel el Alto, Jalisco, Mexico when I was 18. Something I love to do is to chat with friends. My dream is to learn English. My family, I have two princesses one who is eight and another who is five. They are the source of my happiness. The hardest thing about being an immigrant mother is the difference in language and the culture taught to our children, which makes it difficult for us to communicate with them. What I like the most about living in this country is that my children can have better opportunities since they are bilingual.

Latina Immigrants
Nora Lara

Nora Lara, 53. Housewife. Emigrated from Guatemala when I was 48. My dream is to help more women feel empowered. Something I'd like to say about me and my family is that we are a very tight knit family, so much so that we make an excellent team to confront life and enjoy family relaxation. The hardest thing about being an immigrant mother is not knowing English. What I like the most about living in this country is that I have the opportunity to make this space my own paradise. Ana Lara, 19. Antigua, Student. Emigrated from Antigua, Guatemala when I was 14. I love to dance. My dream is to work with kids. My family in unique. My family invites me to share my light with the world. The hardest things about being an immigrant is the gender-based obstacles that one may confront and, on some occasions, the color of my skin. What I like the most about living in this country is the opportunities that the country has to offer. After overcoming the language barrier, the doors to opportunity open wide, the likes of which are hard to obtain in our native countries.

Latina Immigrants
Estoy orgullosa de ser Latina

Estoy orgullosa de ser Latina y tengo tres hijos Soy muy felis con mi esposo nos queremos nos amamos. Y nuestro sueño es tener nuestra casa en mi pais para mis hijos y verlos crecer mis tres hijos! I am proud to be Latina and I have three children. I am very happy with my husband. We love each other. And our dream is to have our own home in my country for my children and to see them grow up there, our three children! Immigrant C, I emigrated from Guatemala when I was 18. I love to Cook. My biggest dream is to obtain citizenship. My family has suffered but thankfully we have had the help and support of others. The hardest thing about being an immigrant mother is the fear of taking my children to the doctors and being turned away due to lack of insurance. Also living alone as a single parent because your husband is a bad man is very difficult. What I like the most about living in this country is the ability to earn a bit more money because in Guatemala you only make enough money to buy food.

Latina Immigrants
Mara Mender Mariátegui

Mara Mender Mariátegui, 41. Spanish teacher, housewife I emigrated from Buenos Aires, Argentina when I was 29. I love to paint. My biggest dream is that my daughter grows into a healthy and happy person. We are 100% Latina household: foods, music, language and customs. We build our family with the best of both cultures. The hardest thing about being an immigrant mother is to be far away from my family and to raise my children without grandparents, aunts and uncles and cousins. What I like the most about living in this country is the safety and opportunities that exist here.

Latina Immigrants
Ana Nouri

Ana Nouri, 41. Architect. Emigrated from La Plata, Argentina when I was 29. I love spending time with my family and friends, taking pictures, reading, Touring, making music, painting, and learning new things. Mi dream is to live until I am 90 with my husband, seeing my son happy, and surrounded by grandkids. My family is very eclectic with different cultures and personalities. SInce I was a child I learned to understand be open and adjust to different people and ideas. The nuclear family I have now is equally eclectic. Each of us comes from a different culture and we are never bored! The hardest thing about being an immigrant mother is not being able to share the daily growth of the family as well as the good times and bad times with the family. Also getting used to not having them in person and getting there support through other means such as the internet. What I like the most about living in this country is the that we have Jobs that we enjoy, a beautiful house, and that my son goes to an excelente school, but overall there is nothing that I like more about this country versus other countries.

Latina Immigrants
Laine Lopez

Laine Lopez, 32, Program Coordinator, UofL Cultural Center. Emigrated from Cuba when I was 17. I love to help others. My biggest dream is to be able to continue doing what I love to do, to support our Hispanic/Latino students who want to continue to improve themselves for a better future. I emigrated with my parents when they decided to come to the US and I did not have another option. My family is my greatest treasure, we are very tight and we always support each other. If I did not have them I don’t know what my life would be. Thanks to their unconditional support I have achieved a great deal since I arrived in this country. I love my parents, my sister, my nephew, my husband and my son with all my heart. What is hardest about being an immigrant woman is learning to live in two different cultures where there are very different customs, traditions and expectations. What I like the most about living here is the opportunities that this country brings. In the US one has to work really hard but one sees the fruit of one’s labor, especially if you have a university degree to back you up. Legna Ortega Díaz, 37 Dentist (Cuba) / Dental Assistant (EEUU). Emigrated following my parents and sister, when I was 24 years old. I love to spend time with my family. We left Camagüey, Cuba, in search of OUR AMERICAN DREAM. My greatest dream is to see my son grow up to be a man of good and benefiting from the opportunities this country brings. My family is very tight, and even though we try to adjust and adopt the way of life and traditions of this country while we struggle to maintain those of our dear Cuba and to pass them on to our children. What is most difficult about being an immigrant woman is to overcome the obstacles that arise, especially during the adjusting phase in a new country. The woman is the EMOTIONAL STABILITY of the family and the process of adjusting is very hard. What I like the most about living in the US is the opportunities this country brings. But I don’t forget my homeland nor my origins and I am grateful to God and to life for giving us the chance to live here with my loved ones.

Latina Immigrants
Es Dificil Salir Adelante

Es dificil salir adelante en este pais pero creo que no hay imposibles. El miedo más grande que he tenido es no poder comunicarme – pero gracias a mis esfuerzos dia a dia he tratado de superar ese miedo no solo por mí sino por mis hijos. Porque soy latina creo que puedo dar más de mí con esfuerzo y dedicación. Por mi familia. Se puede romper “BARRERAS” It is difficult to move ahead in this country but I believe there are no impossibles. The biggest fear I’ve had is not to be able to communicate—but thanks to my efforts day after day I have tried to overcome that fear, not only for me, but for my children. Because I am Latina I think I can give more of myself with effort and dedication for my family. It is possible to break ‘BARRIERS’ Xxxxxx Xxxxxx, 30. I emigrated from México when I was 22. I love to learn from my children and to grow each day. My biggest dream is to give the best to my children. I emigrated to move ahead, finish my GED and build a better future for my children. I am proud of them because so far I have been able to lead them through a good path and to give them the best education. What is hardest about being an immigrant mother is to have to work hard while also taking care of them which is not easy, to try to be there for them at every moment and at the happiest moments of their lives. What I like the most about living in this country is that I can give them everything that in my country is oftentimes very impossible.

Latina Immigrants
Guadalupe

Guadalupe, 23. I emigrated from Michoacán, Mexico when I was 10. I love to read. My biggest dream is to see my children grow up. The main reason I emigrated was to have a better life. Something I’d like to say about my family is that I love them and miss them. My parents are in Mexico and my sisters in Michoacán, and that my children are beautiful. What is hardest about being an immigrant woman is not to be able to work and not to be able to drive. I’d like to tell the women in the Latina Women’s Movement: Women: Go forward with your children and do not be afraid for being immigrants! {loadnavigation}

Latina Immigrants
Alexandra Nieto

Alexandra Nieto, 29. I emigrated from Guayaquil, Ecuador when I was 26. I love to have fun among friends and family, to do sports and to share my knowledge. My biggest dream is to have my family all together. In terms of work I would like to have my own swimming academy. My family, my father and mother are the best example I can have to move forward. They are my heroes, my reason to keep going and struggling in this country. As a Latina, I think there are many obstacles. I like to speak in positive terms so I do not use the word difficult. What I like to talk about is effort, perseverance and determination because these can win over many barriers and can make many dreams true. I’d say that as immigrant women we are faced with many challenges and that we are capable of adjusting to the new situation and circumstances we have to face in this country. What I like the most about living in this country is the sense of safety although I see violence in various ways. I also like how organized the system is.

Latina Immigrants
“Mi Mensaje”

Mi mensaje es que todas las personas nos traten sin indiferencias y que nos apoyen a salir adelante. Nosotros venimos en busca de nuevas oportunidades y el futuro de nuestras familias. No los vamos a defraudar. My message to every person is to treat us without indifference and to support us to move forward. We come in search of new opportunities and a future for our families. We shall not disappoint you. Xxxxx Xxxx, 56. Security Officer. I emigrated from Lima, Peru when I was 23. I love to help others. My biggest aspiration is that all my children become professionals. I emigrated so that my children would have a better future, education, work, that they have what I was not able to have. Since we arrived in the US we learned to value what this country offers us and we are very grateful. The most difficult about being an immigrant woman is the beginning, the language, when we arrived we were illegal, this is a major obstacle to overcome but it can be solved. One has to work, and take charge of the education of our children. What I like the most about living in this country is that here everything is well organized and that the laws are respected.

Latina Immigrants
Gabriela Alcalde

Gabriela Alcalde, 37. I emigrated from Lima, Peru, when I was 10. I love to travel. My biggest dream is to live with attention to what happens in the moment, especially with my children. When I think of my family, I think not only of my children but also of my parents and siblings. In moving to another country when we were young we created a kind of miniature-world of our own… everything changed year after year, but the constant was us.. that’s how we had more that the usual influence over each other. I hope my children will be as close to each other and that they grow to be as supportive of each other as we were. I also hope my children see me as their ally, just the way I see my parents. The hardest about being an immigrant mother is to be able to continue those things that I value and that are not common here –the language, the food, our way of celebrating Christmas, etc. These traditions have an emotional vlue that connect us to the past, to the family, and is difficult to preserve sometimes because “nobody does it this way” and children sometimes resist. Also, to teach the children that to be an immigrant is something to be proud of and not to loose one’s identity is difficult when in this country there is currently such an anti-immigrant sentiment. Children are aware of that and they internalize it and perhaps are afraid of being “different”… it would be terrible for me if my children were not to recognize their Peruvian roots… it would cause me much pain. What I like the most about living in this country is that even though there is much prjudice, one can live in the manner that one chooses and one can believe in the things that one wants. M. Cristina Alcalde, 35. Atntropologist/ university professor. I emigrated from Lima, Peru when I was 7. I love to cook, to write, and to plan trips. My biggest dream is to have all my family close enough to visit each other often and without worry of long distance travel. Something I’d like to say about me and my family is that we are rather close despite that, and maybe because we undersatnd the difficulties of living far away from each other. The hardest thing about being an immigrant mother is to create an atmosphere where my children value and understand not only what is great but also what is problematic about their culture(s). What I like the most about living in this country is knowing that I have access to resources to take care of my family, and thinking that it is possible to find ways of changing that which contributes to discrimination in this society.

Latina Immigrants
Karina Barillas

Karina Barillas, 41. Activist. Emigrated from Ciudad de Guatemala, Guatemala, when I was 24. Something I love to do is to sing, dance, eat, and dream out loud about gender equity and love. My biggest dream is to be the best mother I can be for my children and to live in joy everyday. We are a feminist family with three cultures (Latina, Arabic, and North American) and 3 religions/spiritual beliefs (Christianity of the liberation theology, Islam, and Social Justice). The hardest thing about being an immigrant mother is the feeling of being alone and without guidance, being torn between what I want to change about my culture of origin and refraining from adopting those things about my new culture that I find not useful nor healthy.

Latina Immigrants
Depression

Como muchas mujeres, Latinas o no, mi vida es un camino. Con cada paso que doy intento crecer como ser humano. Como muchas immigrantes latinas he tenido que enfrentar algunos retos y algunos demonios. Uno de ellos, quizas el mas dfíicil de todos para mi, es la depresión Like many women, Latinas or not, my life is a path. With each step I take I attempt to grow as a human being. Like many Latina immigrants I have had to facing some challenges and a few demons. One of these, the hardest for me, has been overcoming depression Xxxx Xxxxxx, 55. I emigrated from Peru when I was 25. I love taking pictures and finding beauty in everything. My dream is to have a retreat center and contribute to social and individual health through creativity and mindfulness. I left Peru newly married for one year. The economic crisis delayed our return and here we are 31 years later. The worse part of being an immigrant is to raise children without the family you grew up with. It is sad not to be able to share everyday life and special occasions with family, but we have learned to compensate and everywhere we go we build a “family”. What I like the most about living in this country is that in being an immigrant I had to humbly accept that my children understood some aspects of the culture in which we lived, more than I even could. This has been an equalizer, has contributed to a more egalitarian and close relationship, and has allowed me to learn much from them.

Latina Immigrants
El miedo

El miedo es que al buscar un trabajo no sabes si esa persona te va a ayudar o te va a entregar a migración otro es el miedo porque no puedes leer ni escribir. Entonces, ese es el miedo que tenemos The fear is that in looking for a job one doesn't know if the person is going to help you or give you to immigration. The other fear is because you do not know how to read or write. Those are the fears that we have. Immigrant D, Emigrated from Guatemala when I was 24. Something I love to do is helping people. My dream is to be able to bring my other children to this country so that my family will be complete and I can come out ahead with my daughters. Although I am happy to have the opportunities provided to me and my family in this country, it is still difficult being a single parent and being both mother and father to my children. The hardest thing about being an immigrant mother is not being able to work because you don't have documents, nor can you read, write, or speak English. I am happy that I live in this country because I have received lots of help and now I am able to help others. Before, I did not know this, that I could make a difference by helping others.

Latina Immigrants
Haydee M. Hernandez

Haydee M. Hernandez de Cánovas, 75. Retired. I emigrated from Pinar del Río, Cuba, when I was 25. I love to read, make rosaries. My greatest hope is to see my children on a good path in life. The main reason I emigrated was that I was in prison for being anti-revolutionary and they were giving me 25 years. My Lord Jesus Christ has blessed me with a very beautiful family. What is hardest about being an immigrant is to find oneself alone in a foreign language country, even though I married here, I arrived alone and without family here… What I like the most about living in this country is that everyone here is welcomed the same and the opportunity to better ourselves.

Latina Immigrants
Shaky P

Shaky P, 20. University Student, Sister, Daughter, Voluntary and Immigrant. I emigrated from Mexico City when I was 2. I love to dance, dream, learn, inspire, and understand. My biggest dream is to be a successful family lawyer and to raise people’s consciousness. Birds fly freely from one continent to another and without borders. I am not a bird but I am a human being and a free spirit. My family inspires me, encourages me, supports me and loves me. My family means the world to me. What is most difficult about being an immigrant woman is that no matter how much I work there will always be someone with nine digits two steps ahead of me looking at me as if I was an alien. What I like the most about living in this country is that it has taught me to be self-sufficient and that no matter how difficult it is shown to me, I will seek the door to success. Iván Muchos me ven como una persona comun, y piensan que lo que he logrado se me a sido otorgado. La realidad es que soy simplemente un chamaquito trabajador de media clase. Tengo el privilegio de saber lo que vale y o lo que cuesta soñar. Que nunca dejare que la sociedad me tumbe por no ser documentado. Que al igual que yo hay mas personas que son subestimadas y no les dan oportunidad de demostrar lo que son capaz de lograr. Que cuando miro en las noticias sobre familias siendo deportadas y fivididas solo espero que no me pase a mi mañana. Many see me like a common person and think that what I have accomplished has been given to me. The truth is that I am simply a hard worker middle class chap. I have the privilege of knowing what it is worth to dream and not what it costs. I will never let society crash me because I am undocumented. There are many like me who are undervalued and to whom opportunities to show what they are able to achieve are not granted. When I watch the news about families being deported and divided I just hope that that will not happen to me tomorrow. Iván R, 20. Cook. I emigrated from Mexico City when I was 10. I love to dance, to help people. My life dream is to someday become a successful architect and to make a difference in my country. The main reason I emigrated is a better life, an education. I do not have the support of my family because I am the only one who is doing something different but that itself motivates me to continue. The hardest about being an immigrant is that I have to think “today I have what to eat, tomorrow who knows”. To see my documented friends grow and me not having the same opportunities. What I like the most about living in this country is to have the privilege of a flexible education.

Latina Immigrants
tengo sueños pero tu no los vez

Soy una mujer, soy una immigrante Como tu, tengo sueños Pero tu no los vez Porque para ti yo no existo I'm a woman. I'm an immigrant like you I have dreams, but you don't see them because for you I don't exist. Immigrant A, 40 I love to eat, to walk in the park, and to dance. Something I'd like to say about my family and me is that I'd like to have them all together. The hardest thing about being an immigrant woman is that you have to work twice as hard to show that you are capable and dependable. What I like the most about living in this country is that here I discovered the strong independent, and intelligent woman that I am.

Latina Immigrants
Karina C. Cruz

Karina C. Cruz, I emigrated from Mexico when I was 31. I love to swim, to read, to see my daughter’s mind grow. My vision is to have a stable life in this country with my family but that my descendants keep their Hispanic values. Something I’d like to say about my family is that we are my daughter and I, two human beings like you or anyone else and that we have the pleasure of being Latinas, with dreams, sorrows and joys the same as you, we are just a small grain of sand for a better world. What is most difficult about being an immigrant mother is definitely to be away from home and family. Sometimes it is also hard not to speak the language, but above it all to be able to raise my daughter so that she knows her value as a woman but without loosing our identity as Hispanic women. What I like the most about living in this country is the opportunities that exist for economic improvement, the value that the law gives women. In Mexico at 28 you are already considered “too old” to be productive.

Latina Immigrants
Elia

Elia, 41. Housewife. I emigrated from Oaxaca when I was 30. I love to work and dedicate myself to my children. My dream is to work hard and earn money to take to Oaxaca because there is no work there. The main reason I emigrated is because there is no work in Mexico. I’d like to be together with my family all the time here is the US. What is most difficult about being an immigrant mother is earn enough money to provide food for the children and also for their health and for the health of us the adults as well because we do not Medicaid. What I like the most about living in this country is that here there is work and one can eat well. I like the Latina women’s movement group in Louisville very much because sometimes we talk about our health and we share with our friends and other people I have not met. We learn to share and I am grateful to Jeannine who comes to give us talks.

Latina Immigrants
Sueños y Barreras

Orgullosa tengo una cultura, Soy una mujer inmigrante Como mujer tengo sueños Como immigrante tengo barreras Sigo siendo una mujer aunque Lleve conmigo la palabra immigrante Proud to have a culture. I am an immigrant woman. As a woman I have dreams. As an immigrant I have barriers. I am still a woman even though I carry with me the word immigrant. Immigrant B, 29. I emigrated from Mexico when I was 17. I love to read. My dream is for my children to study and grow up to be good people. Something I'd like to say about me and my family is that we are still together even though we have suffered some bad experiences. The hardest thing about being an immigrant mother are the few job opportunities, spousal abuse, and discrimination. What I like the most about living in this country is that here your rights as a woman are respected. {loadnavigation}

Latina Immigrants
Ser madre

Es muy dificil ser mujer Latina en este pais. No solo tengo que probar que soy una mujer capaz e inteligente pero también tengo que probar que no soy un estereotipo y este ciclo nunca termina, me gusta el reto pero tarde o temprano se llega al limite!!! It is very difficult to be a Latina woman in this country. Not only I have to prove that I am a capable and smart woman but I also have to prove that I am not a stereotype and this cycle never ends, I like the challenge but sooner or later one reaches the limit!!! Xxxxxx Xxxxxx, 38. I emigrated from Ciudad Juarez, México when I was 28. I love to read and watch political programs. My biggest dream is to be and feel at peace. Something I’d like to say about my family is that we are all very close but we respect each other’s individuality and independence. The hardest thing about being an immigrant woman is to prove that I am not the Latino stereotype. What I like the most about living in this country is the peacefulness as long as they don’t start with racist laws.

Latina Immigrants
Paty Robles

Paty Robles, Employee, 58. I emigrated from Guadalajara, Jalisco, México when I was 48 so that I could find better opportunities for a life with integrity with my autist son. Something I love doing is to help and to give out peace. My biggest dream is the freedom to travel without borders. Something I’d like to say about my family is that I give thanks to God for the opportunity I have been given to live here and now with my loved ones. I am also grateful to my family and friends who have grown with me and have supported my projects and achievements. What I find hardest about being an immigrant mother is to be able to transform the fears of my life into STRENGTH, PATIENCE AND LOVE to be able to face the new culture and overcome the challenges I have had to confront throughout my daily life in a different country. Wht I like the most about living in this country is the freedom of being myself Paty and to discover that you are able to make your dreams into reality.

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