The story’s main character is Soledad Castillo, a strong and goal-oriented woman who was born and lived in Honduras until the age of 14. She had to go through various difficulties with her family; her biological father abandoned her and her mother when Soledad was a small girl. Her family was impoverished, and her mom found a new husband, who was abusing the girl, so she realized that she had nothing to lose at that moment. Soledad Castillo’s story about immigration to the USA is fundamental to know; it is highly challenging and impressive, making us ponder how we must respect and help such people.
At the age of 14, Soledad decided to move to the US to seek a better life. Her biological father was living in the country, so she asked him to take her there. It took them more than a month to finally reach America. During their trip, a group of gangsters put a gun to the girl’s head and demanded money, which she did not have, took her pants off, and touched her everywhere (Castillo, 2019). Such type of situations scares me severely and evokes sympathy for the victim. To reach the USA at that time, the group of people Soledad was with had to stay invisible and quiet because the actions they took were illegal. It was highly inconvenient, and the girl felt weak and almost got sick. Although Soledad was 14 years old when she got to America, she could not attend school because she had to work. She received fake papers where it stated that she was 21 and started working at a laundry in two shifts (Castillo, 2019). Soledad was depressed at that time due to the situation she was in.
Afterward, she was put in a foster care system, and her foster mother treated her horribly. The teenager was constantly starving and wearing clothes with holes (Castillo, 2019). Her new mother made her do all the house chores, so the girl worked for her for free. She visited summer school then, and when she reached 18, she continued her education (Castillo, 2019). She was working a full-time job cleaning floors and studying at a college. Many Americans assume that immigrants come to the USA to take their jobs and bother them. However, the real reason why they immigrate to the country is to survive and find a better life. All of them struggle to learn a new language and try to adjust to the new conditions.
To be frank, I did not expect immigration to be that hard for people, and I could not imagine the challenges people faced. The process appears to be much more complicated than I thought, and the individuals who managed to adjust to life in the United States are real heroes. A tremendous amount of challenges and struggles impact how I view the situation. Immigrants must fight for the right to be happy and have decent lives, and their strength makes me proud of them. I really disliked Soledad Castillo’s foster mother and how she treated her. Social Care should have noticed that and changed the situation. The law states that adopted children must receive emotional and financial support from their foster parents (Guide to the rights of an adopted child, 2021). Moreover, I did not like how difficult it was to reach the country and how much suffering it caused the story’s main character at that time.
However, I adored the strength Soledad has and how goal-oriented she is: this inspires me and makes me want to reach my personal goals more. Due to this story, I have learned and realized that situations I experience could not compare to the ones like Soledad’s. This opens my eyes and teaches me to be grateful for what I have and enjoy every moment of my life. The woman’s story relates to my life goals in a way that I aim to make this world a better place. The situation shows me how people fight for a good life and how we must be proud of them. To help such individuals as her, we can talk about them, respect them, and provide services in difficult situations (Ten things you can do to support immigrants and refugees, 2019). Taking such actions will definitely let me fulfill my goals. My view of immigration has changed, especially my attitude to people who come to the country from abroad. I know that not every immigrant faces such challenges, but most of them do. This makes me look at such people differently and adore their strengths.
In conclusion, Soledad Castillo’s story is challenging and impressive; it affected my view of the world in a way that now I realize how it is to fight for a good life for some people. The world challenges us on a daily basis, and we have to respect, understand, and care for one another. I will apply this insight in my life and make conclusions from it. I aim to alleviate such people’s struggles, show them empathy, and help as much as possible because my contribution may be crucial and life-changing for them. I would like to learn more about people who immigrate to the USA, what challenges they experience, and how we can help them. In my opinion, this is fundamental to know for every American.
References
Castillo, S. (2019). At 14, I walked through the desert to reach the US. My story didn’t end there. The Guardian.
Guide to the rights of an adopted child. (2021). RPB.
Ten things you can do to support immigrants and refugees. (2019). Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota. Web.