What would you do for your family? How far would you go for them?

Would you give up

everything that you own? Or move to an unfamiliar and alien environment to ensure that your
children had an education? Would you leave everything to ensure that your family didn't have to
live in fear of extortion or death? Would you do all of this to insure they could have a better life
in a country built by immigrants? Ask yourself truthfully if you would be able to do this. Only
the strongest people can. So, why should these people be persecuted for the same yearning that
carried many immigrants here in the early 19th century. Over the next few pages in this paper
these issues will be addressed; focussing mainly on hispanic immigration to the United states.
Brieanna (Leon) Stratton was born in the United States but, she was raised by Mexican
immigrants. At a very young age she learned to speak Spanish, cook Mexican food, and work
hard for anything she needed. Brieannas Family, very much like any other lower middle class
family in America, didnt own a summer house in San Diego California. They have struggled
through blood, sweat, and tears for every bit of the American dream. These have been the values
that have brought her and her family much closer together. Her parents instilled these values
within her. Later in life, these values were coupled with those of her adopted parents that she
received when she raised her hand to the square and swore an oath to defend the constitution of
the United States of America against all enemies both foreign and domestic.
Brieannas story is moving to say the very least. Brieanna was born the youngest child in
a family of 5. Her mother (Caucasian/Navajo) and Father( Mexican) conceived Brieanna and her
2 brothers out of wedlock. Her mother was never attentive and it wasn't very long after Brieanna
was conceived that her father was expelled from the house by her mother. Her mother went as
far as to get a protective order put against him so he couldn't be anywhere near his own children.
Her mother, being a drinker and party animal, never did quite fit the motherly roll. Many
nights were spent out with boyfriends while hungry children were left at home. Her mother even
allowed Brieanna to eat, in her most famished state, almost a whole bottle of ibuprofen. She was
only 2 years old at the time and almost died from overdose. She sill carries marks of the incident
to this day. Brieannas father was notified of this by Child Protective Services and he arrived at
the house to investigate further.

BRYAN STRATTON HISPANIC IMMIGRATION 1

 Upon entering he found his 3 small children lying in their own filth. The oldest (5 years
old) trying to make a bottle for young Brieanna who was only two years, while cooking an egg
for himself. The mother was out with a boyfriend and was nowhere to be seen. Upset by these
circumstances, he changed, cleaned, fed the children, packed their things, and took them to the
bus stop. I didnt know why but I knew that God would prepare the way for me and my
children.- Javier Leon. Upon arrival to the bus stop he was prompted to buy a ticket to Las
Cruces, New Mexico; a small town twenty-five miles outside of Juarez, Mexico. After traveling
all night he arrived with the children. In desperate need he called the only person in town that he
knew, his sister and her husband. Mr. and Mrs. Flores being righteous Godly people were only
able to raise two children of their own. Due to previous years and medical complications they
were not able to have the large family that they had always wanted. Brieanna was raised by
these good people and grew up calling them mom and dad. They shared their culture with their
three new children. They were those that taught her to speak Spanish and cook traditional
Mexican food from scratch. They even went as far as to take them across the border of the
United States into Mexico so they could experience the culture there.
Would you have the strength to leave your children to save their lives? Javier left his
children and while this had to be the hardest decision of his natural life, little did he know that
years later Brieanna and her husband will find her biological father in Southern Texas working in
an oil field. The man that did so much to give her and her siblings a better life, is brought to
tears when he learns his daughter is happily married and he is a grandfather.
People immigrate for varying reasons around the world. When asked, Brieanna stated that
her family moved here for political reasons, a financially secured future, and a higher standard of
living. Think about it, if a country is offering better jobs, a higher standard of living, and a safer
environment for your children; why not immigrate there? - Brieanna Leon. Not only is this
country the land of the free because of the brave, but it is also the land of opportunity. Part of
that opportunity being a financially secured future for immigrants and their families. Why Settle
for dirty Mexico when I can live in The United States, free from tyranny and the hardships of a
decaying country?- Sergio Flores
Its been said that life in Juarez, Mexico is to say in the least part unfulfilling. Brieanna
states, Its like living in filth, I mean, they do have flushing toilets but only just. Its been told
that it is hard to get anywhere in the city because the city street are not organized. You have to

BRYAN STRATTON HISPANIC IMMIGRATION 2

live and work in the city just to know where you are going. The first impression of the city from
afar is that the majority live at or near the poverty line. The city has an odor all its own, the cartel
has a definite and absolute presence over the city, and even in this majorly Roman Catholic
community shootings and kidnappings are not an abnormal occurance.
The Roman Catholic church is the largest Christian church in the world with 1.27 billion
members worldwide. This church is also one of the oldest religious institutions in the world.
Roman Catholics gather in local community centers called parishes and they are governed by a
priest. Currently in the United States of America there are 17,651 local catholic parishes. The
head of this church is known as the pope. He resides in the churchs central administration
building in Rome, Italy. The basis of the religion teaches that it is the one true church and the
only founded by Christ. Roman Catholics believe that their bishops are successors of Christs
apostles and the pope is the successor to St. Peter.
The first Roman Catholics to come to the new world were from Spain and France. When
the conquistadors came from across the seas they were in search of gold. They used guns.
germs, and steel to overwhelm the native population. Though there numbers were few, these
tactics proved to be fatal to many. One of the many changes the conquistadors wished to make
to this newly found society was their faith. Aztecs believed in many gods and sacrifice. No one
knows for sure how the conquistadors converted the Aztecs but there are many theories. Some
of which include, the Aztecs belief that the conquistadors were gods, forced conversion, and
conversion by osmosis.
By any theory the conquistadors converted the Aztecs to their faith. Many of their beliefs
are based around the leaders of their faith. They believe that in order to achieve true repentance
each member of the church must confess their sins committed after baptism. Although not
mandatory, most will sit in a confession box and talk to their priest. The priest will help them
overcome their sins and become whole again. For a Roman Catholic baptism comes at or near
birth. It is the parents responsibility to bring their child to be baptized and through this ritual
they are believed to become children of God. It is also considered death of a former life and new
life for the candidate. Baptism is performed by splashing or sprinkling water on the head of the
member. But before baptism you must meet the requirements. First you must locate and contact
a parish, let the priest know that you wish to convert. The priest will first ask you many
questions, and once you have been deemed worthy and honest about your intentions, you will be

BRYAN STRATTON HISPANIC IMMIGRATION 3

lead to RCIA classes also known as Right of Christian Initiation for Adults. In order to be
baptized you must first attend these classes, however before you start the classes you must first
complete the precatechumenate process. This process, in essence, is talking to a priest, reflecting
upon yourself, and attending mass regularly.
As you are now Catholic, you follow the Pope, who lives at the Vatican. The Pope appoints
cardinals, there are thirteen cardinals worldwide. These cardinals advise the Pope and help him
with church wide decisions they also elect a new Pope when he dies. Archbishops come next in
the hierarchy. Currently in the United States we forty-five archbishops. Below this are Bishops,
we have 290 active bishops, these bishops teach church doctrine. Priests are ordained ministers,
who have the ability to administer sacraments including, euchrest. A priest can be committed to
a congregations or serve a single person. At the bottom of the hierarchy is the deacon. A deacon
can either be training to receive the preisthood, or can be married and may assist the priest by
performing the sacrament.
A Mexican corrido is a song or ballad. They are very similar to American country music
in that the lyrics all sing about women leaving, drinking, or hard times. A well known corrido
artist is Vicente Fernandez. Hes not only a singer but an actor in several Mexican movies. He
has done several music tours in the United States. He has won seven latin grammy awards for
best corrido/mariaci music.
Brieanna thinks the song is humorous because of the wording and jokes within it. The
use of uniformity and instrumentation are intriguing and the movements of such keep your
attention. This specific corrido or Mexican ballad is very politicly orientated. The ballad has
lyrics about the beat of the election ad and the events leading up to the final vote. Beginning
near the middle of the song there are many rude comments on the presidential candidates. The
first of which being, Hiliary Clinton is our only hope! They even go as far as stating that
Donald Trumps wife herself is a wetback. The song on a whole reflects the supposed character
of Donald Trump from the artists point of view. Nearing the end of the video the musician is
sure to add, Make sure to register pronto. To vote el November ocho. Make your voice is heard
with your ballet.
The band, Banda La Maravillosa performed El Corrido de La Hillary y el Trump. On Oct
6, 2016 they released it on youtube for the american populace to see. This song is indeed a
political statement, shown by their creative choice to start their song inside what looks to be the

BRYAN STRATTON HISPANIC IMMIGRATION 4

oval office. Many times you will see dopplegangers of Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump
dancing with each other. They insult Donald Trump Many times in this song calling him a,
toupee on a cheeto", pinnochio, and attacking his wife calling by her a wetback. At the end
of the song they have a call to arms in the form of asking the people to use their ballads and vote
pronto!
This song was created in a strophic form which means same music, different text. This
definition fits this corrido or ballad perfectly. The harmony was consonant or pleasing to hear.
The texture in this piece is without a doubt polyphony, polyphony being two or more melodies
heard at the same time. The rhythm in this song is duple meter, simple time, non metric. The
songs instrumentation blended perfectly with the words to the ballad. I liked this song because it
is humorous to me, it kept me interested. The gritos in the song made it interesting to listen to
and harkens back to original mariachi music.
Beginning in the 1930s latin music was already becoming popular in the United States.
The first latin influence in music came into the United States by dance. This dance was the
tango, it was closely followed by pasodoble, samba, mambo, and rhumba. These dances were
common in dance halls in 1930s to the 1940s. You could find records with these popular songs
everywhere around the world. One of the most popular songs was, La Cucaracha, by the
Gumm Sisters. Years later, in the mid-1960s latin music was mixed with jazz music, this was
called Latin jazz, and actually people enjoyed it. Since then, America has seen many stars with
latin influence come into the spotlight. Famous singers like Gloria Estefan, Enrique Iglesias, and
Shakira all have shown us how beautiful latin American music can be.
From as far back as anyone can remember Brieannas family has been Roman Catholic. It
might be said that they were converts themselves, enticed by the first Spanish monk immigrants
from Spain. They have a long standing, proud tradition of catholicism in their family. These
factors and more made her decision to convert to be a Latter-day Saint in The Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints even more difficult. Her family was not thrilled by this choice in the
slightest. With this breaking of tradition her children would not longer learn what every cousin,
aunt, uncle, and grandparent had learned before them, but instead would learn the teachings of
the Mormon faith. This fact was a difficult reality to swallow for her family. To this day, the
family blames her husband for the sudden change of heart and conversion of faiths. The familys
relationship is strained to this day over the subject.

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 In conclusion, there are many things that we owe to hispanic immigration. Through trials,
disease, gold, and even death we have come here. We have a worldwide church, the Roman
Catholic church. We have been given many opportunities that our ancestors didnt have in the
past because of immigration. If the conquistadors would have never immigrated to America who
knows what life would be like. So much comes through immigration. Diversity, opportunities,
and for many people like Brieanna, immigration means hope. Not only for her siblings and
herself but also for her culture and the many generations to come.

1. Knowles, M. D. (2016, November 27). Roman Catholicism | Britannica.com. Retrieved from

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Roman-Catholicism

2. Scaruffi, P. (2002). A History of Latin-American Popular Music. Retrieved from

http://www.scaruffi.com/history/latin.html

3. Chavez, P. (2016, February 16). Traditional Mexican Music [Web log post]. Retrieved from
http://www.haciendatresrios.com/culture-and-tradition/traditional-mexican-music/

4. INS | US Citizenship and Immigration Services Online. (2017, March 25). Retrieved from
https://www.uscitizenship.info/?r=bing-cpc-28197982-ins
%20immigration~25189335283$m=be-e$g=2820230047-
15857338890&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=USC%3A%20INS%20-
%20US%20-%20Search&utm_term=ins%20immigration&utm_content=ins%20immigration

5. US Student Visa Process Explained | US Immigration News. (2011, September 12). Retrieved
from https://www.us-immigration.com/us-immigration-news/us-visas/us-student-visa-process-
explained/

6. Ilich, T. (2016, August 28). Mexico - Overview of Mexican Traditional Music. Retrieved from
https://www.thoughtco.com/music-of-mexico-son-ranchera-mariachi-2141530

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7. FORTESCUE, A. (2017, March 25). Roman Rite | Catholic Answers. Retrieved from
https://www.catholic.com/encyclopedia/Roman-Rite

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