The Great Mexican Migration of Dreams
By Brandon Lopez
Concepcion Hirales was born in the small coastal town of Ensenada, Baja California where life flows with the wind and fisherman prepare their daily catches for the markets that wreak of fish.
My grandmother’s story begins from humble beginnings where her upbringing was not as glamorous as her son’s life would turn out to be. She grew up in the slums with her parents and had to begin working at the early age of 14 to help her family support her and three sisters.
This story dives deep into the roots of my grandmother’s family history where her grandparents migrated from the south of Mexico and eventually made their way up to the very north of Mexico. It intertwines with my grandfather’s migration into the same city where they eventually birthed my father, aunt, and uncle.
My family’s migration stemming from Guadalajara, Jalisco to Ensenada, Baja California would lead them to pursue better opportunities in the United States where my father would meet my mother and plant the seed of future generations to start life within the “American Dream.”
The purpose of this family biography would bring to light why my ancestors made their migrations up north and how those steps allowed us the opportunities to succeed in the U.S.
Uncovering the history of my family and where they originated from will allow me to do investigative journalism to explain how I came to be the first generation of Lopez in the United States and what it means going forward for future generations as we adapt to life in the new world.
The format I will be taking will be using Medium to provide a brief summary and explanation of my grandmother and father’s story that will include pictures, podcasts, data charts, and memoirs through newspapers and journals.
