Ruben Bautista
Every time I have a chance to talk to my parents, which is not very often, they tell me “Hechale ganas para que no trabajes como nosotros” which translates to the following “work hard now so you won’t have to work as hard as we do.” My family consists of three younger sisters and brother. I have grown up being the older brother and parent figure in the household due to the long working hours my parents put in to be able to provide us with our basic needs. I have grown up knowing that both of my parents have left everything behind in their hometown Taxco, Guerrero to give my siblings and me an opportunity to better our future through education. It is difficult to see one’s parents coming home everyday too tired to have a conversation with you but I understand that it is “all for our own good.” I try to understand why they decided to leave their whole lives behind and work as hard in a foreign country that has no respect for them. Thinking about this makes me feel sad but then again motivated to take the opportunities that I have. I can never repay them for what they have done for me and my siblings, all I can do is work as hard in school and get an education they never had a chance to get.
The Butterfly postcard campaign was developed by the UIC Latino Cultural Center in collaboration with student organizations Fearless Undocumented Alliance and Heritage Garden Student Group that highlights the parallels between the migration of people and Monarch butterflies across national borders.