Living in East Los Angeles

I was born and raised in East LA. My mother struggled with raising eight children, and providing financial and mental support for us.

Whether my mother would be working or running her errands, I would be home taking care of my younger siblings. This has been one of my major responsibilities since I was 10. Of course my other responsibilities include house work and other errands around the house, but my mother would always have me babysitting my younger siblings.

One of the many things I would do with my younger siblings is to go to the park. Through our little adventure of walking down the streets of Commerce, we would see people around their mid-40s selling ice cream, elotes (corn), and other things either in a truck or on a cart. These people are very kind and they interact with others in the community.

One of the many reasons I am proud to say I was born in East L.A. is because of the community and the environment that surrounds me. It has influenced me to be the person I am today. I am a strong-willed, and a resilient person who will, most likely, help a friend in need.

The people from my community are very open with others and that has been a huge impact on my personality. I want others to feel relaxed when talking to me. I believe the feeling that the other person who is listening to you as you talk about your personal problems or events are engaged and show that they really are willing to listen properly and care about what you have to say.