BUILD YOUR OWN SLAM BUILDING A LIFE IN THE U.S.
On Our Own My grandfather returned home to Honduras in 1995. He was in a different stage of his life, and the United States could never replace his wife and hometown. The United States was a means to an end, escaping poverty and building a better life in Honduras. He had made more money than a simple farmer from Magdalena would ever hope to gain in a matter of five years. In an unexpected turn of events, he would leave behind his children as he did in 1990. Be that as it may, the onus 30
was now on each of them to grow into successful adults in the United States. The five siblings had each other, and my grandfather knew that counted for something. Each sibling worked in varying roles in the food industry. Celeo and Franklin worked in the kitchen of the restaurant that initially brought in their father. Marleny worked as a host in that same restaurant as well. Gloria operated the restaurant’s subsidiary bakery. Then came my mother, who decided instead to work at McDonald’s.
