The Man Who Made it All Possible

Cayetano A. Espinal was my father who unfortunately passed away in the year 2001. My father was an illegal immigrant who came from the Dominican Republic to the U.S. from a ship. He came to this country to help out his family in the Dominican Republic. He got married in the U.S. and made his papers which he later used to bring my mother, brother, and sister to the U.S.. He worked very hard in this country owned a couple of stores of his own as well as worked in many other stores. He was able to provide for his family here and to his family back home by sending money to get a house builted for them to live in. He was a great man who everyone loved and respected for his hard work and kindness. My father was an immigrant who helped better this country by increasing its economy and creating five chidren who are going to school to give back to the community. Cayetano was responsible for the wonderful life my family and I are living in today and to him we give thanks.

Joanna's Immigrant Story

Joanna Espinal is my second older sister. She is 21 years old and is an immigrant from the Dominican Republic. Joanna came to this country at the age of five months along side my mother and brother. Although Joanna was young and one might think that she should have not struggled as much as her parents and brother, when it comes down to learning the language, she did. Since both of her parents spoke Spanish, that was the only language she understood. When going to school she was placed in an ESL class in which they helped her learn english and soon was was placed in normal classes for english speaking students. Like her parents, Joanna became a U.S. citizen and continued going to school. Not forgetting of her Spanish heritage, Joanna also entered a pageant representing the Dominican culture and won first runner up. Joanna is now married and the mother of two beautiful children and no longer struggles with discrimination since she has dominated the language very well and has gotten well acquianted to this country.

My Family

Here is a picture of my family. We are five brothers and sisters and besides my sister Ana A. and I, everyone else including my mother migrated from the Dominican Republic. My brother Fransisco and my sister Joanna(standing on my right side) came to the U.S. with my mother and then after six years when I was born my father and mother brought my sister Damary (standing next to Joanna) form the Dominican Republic over here. They all struggled at first to to accomodate themselves to this weather and the language like my brother Fransisco said in his video, but after awhile Joanna and Fransisco got the hang of things and were able to go to school and learn not only the English language but other languaes as well. And My mother and my sister Damary both work as House Aids taking care of the elderly. As for my sister Ana A. and I we did not go through as many struggles as our family did because we were born her. Yet we did feel the same pain and fustrations that our family members wee going through when being discriminated and having a hard time finding a job.

Th Immigrant story of Crescencia Reyes

Crescencia Reyes is a 52 year old woman who has been living in the United States for 21 years. She is the hard working mother of five children. Crescencia came form the Dominican Republic in the search of a better future for her family. She was married to Cayetano Espinal for 24 years until he passed away in the year 2001 of a heart attack. Since then, Crescencia has been struggling and working hard to take care and provide for her family. This woman is my mother and she has struggled in this country for not knowing the language and although she is a U.S. citizen, she is still facing the acts of discrimination done to her for being of hispanic descent. She has put her childrens needs before hers and has given us the life in which we live in today.

Being placed in a Life or Death situation

Being raised in a family full of immgrants who came to the United States from the Dominican Republic, I was introduced to these movies "60 Miles East" and Under the Same Moon" and I was moved by the situations the people go through when attempting to cross the border. Without hesitation they make decisions that they consider best for the well being of their family.

"60 Miles East"

60 Miles East is a movie that documents the real-life journey of 27 Dominican immigrants efforts to cross the shark-infested waters of the Mona to get to Puerto Rico. The subjects in the film are real and the event itself proceeds before the camera unscripted and unplanned. The filmmakers, risking their lives in the process, capture the hope and despair of the immigrants who risk all to find a better life. A harrowing film about corruption, desperate courage and the will to live. This movie is in Spanish and contains English sub-titles.

"Movie Clip"







"Under the Same Moon"

The story of a mother-son and their fight against a reality that they do not wish, but that nevertheless it happens. The mom of Carlitos has been in the United States for four years working illegally try to make money to send her son and the boy of nine years desires to be with her. Carlitos is being taken care of by his grandmother, but when she passes away, he decides to undertake the trip in search of his mother. For this, his must arrive at L.A. where his mother is before Sunday in the morning that is when Rosary (the mother) usually gives him a phone call. And thus we watch all the struggles which the young boys goes through, suffering by the situations that any person whom wishes to arrive with the gringos can suffer; but even so, the young boy leans on friends who he meets on his journey, he demonstrates to everyone his bravery and determination that characterize him in the search to be
with his mother.

Movie Clip

Immigrants share struggles, dreams on journey across America

When doing research on the life of immigrants and the struggles that they go through in the United States, I came across this article based on a trip that a group of immigrants made to try and get their message across of wanting to create a better future for themselves and their family.


By Andrea Slivka

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After traveling together by train for five days, a group of immigrants and their supporters representing more than 40 countries arrived in Washington June 19 to join an interfaith march to the White House.

The Dreams Across America Tour included more than 100 immigrants and citizens who traveled across the country to bring a human face to the immigration issue. A group of Catholic parishioners and clergy from the Los Angeles Archdiocese participated in the journey.

"I want to share our dreams and to be able to change the minds of the people who see us as criminals, and for them to know that we are hardworking people, and with our work we have contributed to the greatness of this country," said Doris Castaneda through an interpreter. She is originally from Guatemala and currently attends Our Lady Queen of the Angels Church in Los Angeles.

The group arrived in Washington just as the Senate was going to reconsider a bill that had been shelved about two weeks earlier.

During the trip, the Dreams Across America participants shared both their frustrations with the current immigration system and their dreams of building better lives in the United States.

Cathy Gurney, a commercial landscape owner from the Los Angeles Archdiocese, was struck by the story of a mother and daughter who emigrated from China. The mother's immigration papers came through easily, but the 16-year-old daughter's background check was not processed for five years. The daughter is now 21 and must start the process over again, facing the possibility of being deported.

"And these are the stories people don't realize," Gurney said in an interview with Catholic News Service.

Fransisco's Immigrant Story

Below is a video consisting the immigrant story of Fransisco Espinal. Like many other immigrants Fransisco entered the United States in the hope of a better futer. I encourage you to watch the video and leave any comments and or if you can relate and or have have an immigrant story feel free to share it below.