Family History Project: Part 3

Marina Gonzalez

Immigration

• Grandfather originally from Zacatecas, Mexico

• Came to America as an immigrant at 15 years old

Waves of Immigration

• Grandfather came to America in the fifth wave of immigration

• 15 years old

Pull Factors

• Main pull factor was to provide a living for his mother and two brothers

• Traveled across the Sonoran Dessert at 15 years old

• Settled down in East Los Angeles

Education

• Grandfather made enough money to put one of his brothers through school

• His brothers education was another pull factor

Poverty

• Poverty was a push factor for both my grandparents

• Both grandparents came to America to provide for their families

Ethnic Neighborhood

• Grandfather first lived in an ethnic neighborhood in East Los Angeles

• Met my grandmother there

• Later lived in La Puente

Climate

• Climate in Mexico is usually very warm and humid

• Climate in California was warm but not as humid

• Climate in California was another pull factor

Port of Entry

• Mexican border was the port of entry where my grandfather entered America

Assimilation

• After my grandfather came to America his lifestyle changed

• More Americanized

Religion

• My grandparents were both Catholic

• Religion is what made my father and his brothers bond

Internal Migration

• Grandparents migrated internally all throughout East LA

• Father remembers moving to many different homes and schools

Language Barrier

• My father had a difficult time in school at first

• Both his parents only spoke Spanish

• He had to learn English on his own

• Often struggled with homework until he learned to speak English

Thank You!

• Geography 10

• Schmidt