Raul Jose Delgado

He is my hero, my inspiration, but most importantly, he is my dad. When my father first came to America, he was not sure what was going to happen. He left his family behind, including my mom and sister, not knowing when he would see them again. He left because he knew Mexico was a bad place to raise and support a family, with its limited jobs and its poor opportunities to get an education. Although he loved his country, his family would suffer otherwise, so he made up his mind and went to America.

My dad at my birthday party.

The land of opportunities was not so kind to him. He went through really hard times trying to adapt to a new world. He had to change everything he knew, including his language and his customs. There may have been more jobs than in Mexico, but getting one without speaking English was almost impossible. The fear of not being able to provide for himself and his family filled him with stress and frustration every day. Although times were tough, he still never gave up, just like he encourages us to never give up when life gets hard today.

He is not only an inspiration to me and my family, but also to those around him. He has always been the one to turn to for help or advice. Even today, he never gives up and encourages us to do the same. He is not only my dad, or my inspiration, he is my hero.