The World We Share: Meet Yajaira

Yajaira left her native Guadalajara when she was just eight years of age. She left behind many of her siblings, her dad, and the rest of her extended family whom she never saw again for over 25 years. While she was excited to join her mom in California, there were many challenges she’d have to face, from learning a new language to finding ways to live far from her loved ones.

When she closes her eyes and thinks of home, the smell of wet soil comes to mind. She remembers the people, the food. “My hometown is a quiet place with my family, people I love so much, and I can only describe it as peace,” shares Yajaira.

Today, she works in Sales Support at Ria, taking care of our agents’ needs and helping them succeed. We meet her at our Buena Park offices, where she’s ready to tell us her story. Though timid, Yajaira has an infectious smile, and her eyes are prone to lighting up at the mention of her home country. But as with every migration story, not everything was easy.

Leaving Mexico, journey to California and early challenges

When Yajaira was just six years old, her mom left for California in search of a better life. “I remember she told me we were going on a trip with my aunts where she left me. I was very excited about the trip, but I started noticing something strange,” recalls Yajaira. “They told me to go play at a park that was behind the house, and when I came around to ask my mom something, I saw how she was being driven away in a truck.”

Yajaira didn’t see her mom again for two years until it was her turn, along with one of her brothers, to make the journey to California. While today she feels at home in the city of Watsonville, her first days there were hard. With no bilingual curriculums, Yajaira had to jump right into English classes without speaking a single word of it. She didn’t know anyone in her class and had to cope with the newfound distance between her and the majority of her family.

Her mom also had to work a lot to support her, her brother, and their family in Mexico. Yajaira remembers spending a lot of time alone as a child even though she had traveled to be reunited with her mom. However, despite the difficulties, Yajaira is nothing but thankful. “I’m thankful to my mom for having brought me to this country with so many opportunities. I wouldn’t change anything,” she says.

Motherhood and life in California

Yajaira became pregnant with her first child when she was still a high school student. She moved in with her son’s father at the time who wasn’t very supportive of her desire to finish her education despite the pregnancy. Still, Yajaira was determined to become a high school graduate and stuck to it despite the lack of support. She not only succeeded but walked with her three-month-old son at graduation.

Today, she is a single mother of two and believes her children are her greatest motivators. “Having kids changed my life for the better, despite being a single mom. It’s like my strength, by inner drive to wake up every day and do what I need to do,” she says. Through raising her children, she finds ways to stay connected to her roots so that her kids can also develop that bond with their motherland. For example, the family observes Día de los Muertos and Christmas as they would in Mexico.

Raising the next generation in Watsonville

For Yajaira, one of the greatest culture shocks when arriving to the States was that people ate at whichever time and usually by themselves. Back home, there was always a designated mealtime, and families came together to eat. She tries to have breakfast and dinner together with her children every day, even if it’s hard. On Sundays, she even gives it a special twist as they all go out to have breakfast together.

“I don’t want to say I want to give my children a better life than mine. I like my life even if it hasn’t been easy sometimes. But I would like for them to feel more secure than I did. To have stability,” says Yajaira.

Her dream is to buy a house for the three of them, preferably in Watsonville, so the children can grow up in one city without needing to move. Today, Yajaira’s kids are teenagers and they are already reflecting their mom’s humility and kindness. For example, Yajaira’s daughter is always mindful of any new students from Mexico at her school. She reaches out to them and makes sure they feel welcome, knowing the type of support they need from hearing her mom’s stories.

Looking ahead: new people, cultures, and support

Yajaira has been working at Ria for nearly three years now, and she’s enjoyed meeting new people and learning about their cultures. One of the most pivotal moments in her Ria career came one day when she visited an agent whose family member had just passed away. “The agent was sad because he had lost a loved one, and I was able to support him, be there for him. Maybe I didn’t do too much to help, but one thing I’ve learned through this job is that we are all fighting our own battles every day. I like that, while I can’t solve their problems, I can help lighten their load through my work.”

Outside of work, she likes singing and is a fan of traditional Mexican music. She’d like to improve her voice through training or classes. At a personal level, she’s been working on her emotions. “Since I went through a lot of changes as a child, I’ve always been fearful of how my life could change tomorrow. But I think I’ve learned to be calm and not worry so much about the future. They say 90% of the things we imagine never happen as we thought, so I try not to overthink it and live in the present. Whatever happens, happens.”

Need to support your loved ones in Mexico? Send money through our web, app or at your nearest Ria location.