TRANSCRIPTION
What was your childhood like?
"I was a happy fat little girl, always wanted to be eating and playing , but that was only when i was not working."
How much were you paid when you worked at a young age?
"The people I worked for would pay me $1 a day, sometimes even less."
Do you regret not finishing school? Why or why not?
"Of course I do, I wish I had finished because I could of been payed more at my jobs in Mexico."
Why did you get married after you had all your kids?
"Well...... now that I think about it, I don't even know why I did, but I wonder if it was because I wanted a perfect family."
![Maria De Jesus Perez (nee Gonzalez)- 2000](img_6221.jpg)
Did you have a good marriage? Why or why not?
"No, my husband was abusive and not only my husband, but my children disrespected me a lot."
Did your kids go to school?
"They did but they only went up to middle school because they wouldn't listen to me, as much as i wanted them to finish school unlike me, they rebelled out and my husband always let then do whatever they wanted."
Why did you decide to immigrate to the US?
"I had to many problems with my family, especially my husband and I wanted to get away from it."
How was it that you crossed to the US?
"I crossed through the border, the Border Patrol just asked me where I was going and what I was carrying and they let me pass, I crossed with a bag of tortillas, it was a miracle."
Was is hard finding a job here in the US?
"No, not really because I already knew where to go and where they were hiring people with no papers."
![Maria De Jesus Perez with Teresa Lopez and Miriam Guzman, Antonio, and Valentino (2013)](img_2446.jpg)
How is your life now in the US?
"Very good, I have a good job, met people which treat me as family that I love with all my heart."
![Maria De Jesus Perez with Selena Cisneros and Giovanni](img_1746.jpg)
How do you like life here in the US?
"I really like living here, I have a better life here than when I lived in Mexico."
![Maria De Jesus Perez (nee Gonzalez) at Sea World- Halloween (2013)](img_6216.jpg)
Do you have other family living here too?
"Yes, I have a brother and sister who live in Missouri with their families."