Gregory came to the United States in 1979. Having a difficult and deprived childhood in El Salvador made him realize that he wanted a better life. At the age of 17, he arrived in New York with his best friend, Marco. Nothing was easy for them. They found many barriers, including finding shelter and learning a totally new language, but their hopes of a better life and opportunities never stopped them from overcoming the challenges they encountered.
Category: Volume 19
Having Coffee in NYC
Since I arrived in New York City, I have enjoyed having coffee outside. What a nice array of wonderful coffee places! My husband and I immediately embraced the NYC coffee culture. Every year, we would go to the New York Coffee Festival, and we would buy the new edition of The New York Coffee Guide. We were always strolling the city to discover a new coffee spot.
Sincerely, from the Future
Dear Past Self,
Let me tell you about the excitement I felt when I looked down at the extravagant city lights from an airplane window on the day I arrived in New York. I was all by myself and felt relieved after the nerve-racking immigration inspection in Minneapolis and catching my connecting flight to LaGuardia. I broke into a smile once I saw that my husband had come to pick me up. I could hardly speak English at that time, so I have no idea how I got through everything.
City Shadow
New York City,
my university of life
where friends are hard to find
in the midst of dark solitude
I Asked . . .
I asked my husband to make me a simple cup of tea.
He said to me, “Woman, where could the tea bags be?”
My Dad Wanted to See Me Happy
My father was my best friend through my whole life. We had a tradition of sharing dinner and wine every Friday or Saturday from the time I was 13. We kept this tradition until he passed away.
The Journey
Dear Mom,
I miss you so badly. I haven’t forgotten you, and I hope you can hear me. I remember it clearly, the day you slipped away. I didn’t get to kiss you goodbye on the hand. I wish that I could see you again, but I know that I can’t.
My Aunt Plays the Piano
I see my aunt, Josephine Coward
She sits at the piano with her back straight
The lovely thin fingers of her hands moving quickly
Back and forth against the white keys
Ask My Mother to Sing
It was a hot summer day in the valley.
Me and my brother went to the pond to catch fish,
but it was too hot. We caught no fish, so we decided to go home.
On the way, my brother started us singing
a song Mom loved to sing.
My Uncle’s Story
Have you heard the word “kamikaze”? In Japanese, this word means “the wind of god.” In older times, Japanese people believed that the wind of god would suddenly blow in and help us when we needed it. But kamikaze is more well-known as the name of a Japanese special-attack unit in the closing stages of World War II. The kamikaze pilots flew suicide attacks against the enemy’s naval vessels. My uncle, Misao, volunteered for this unit when he was just 16 years old.
Clearance Sale
Before you criticize my plan, take time to listen
because only then will you understand what’s going on in my prison.
I spent my days locked up at home, taking care of small kids.
I can’t remember the last time I rested or the last peaceful thing that I did.
A Precious Gift
I was born in Sogamoso, nicknamed “City of the Sun,” based on the Colombian indigenous Muisca people’s tradition of adoring their sun god, Sué.
“Toi et Moi” with Love and Hope
It was on a radiant afternoon in the summer of 2003 that my grandmother offered me her engagement ring because she knew I was getting married. We were sitting together on the terrace of our family’s house, perched in the Corsican mountains, silently admiring the view of our valley. Some rare clouds were casting moving shadows over the forest, while in the distance, the Mediterranean Sea was glittering in the sun.
Lost Memories
That day, the date with my boyfriend was at a fancy restaurant on top of a mountain. The sunset alone was beautiful enough, but seeing my boyfriend on his knee, asking me if I wanted to marry him, was even better. Crying, I said yes and decided to marry my beloved. My heart beat fast and loudly, and I couldn’t wait to tell my mother about my new fiancé.
My Little Angel
The loss that I felt that day
I could not shake with a “sorry.”
I did not want to, anyway,
for the sorrow, my heart will always carry.