Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Enedina Manríquez, Enedina Manríquez

Coming to the Plains Oral Histories/ Llenando las Llanuras Historias Orales

Enedina Manríquez was born in Guanajuato, Mexico. Her family moved to the United States when Manríquez was ten months old. Manríquez and her family have lived in many places in the United States, moving to find work. They finally settled in Scottsbluff, Nebraska where her parents could work at a restaurant that Enedina’s uncle owned. Manríquez’s parents now own the restaurant. Manríquez is a part of DACA, which allows her to attend school and work in the United States as an undocumented immigrant. She discusses how being undocumented has impacted her life. Manríquez attended the University of Nebraska at Kearney …

Esthefany López Cruz, Esthefany López Cruz

Coming to the Plains Oral Histories/ Llenando las Llanuras Historias Orales

Esthefany López Cruz is the daughter of Honduran immigrants. In 1998, her parents decided to embark on the dangerous journey to the United States to escape the devastation of Hurricane Mitch. López Cruz was only one and half at the time. The family settled down in Hastings, Nebraska to be close to López’s Cruz grandmother. Because of debates around Temporary Protected Status, López Cruz fears that the government will send Hurricane Mitch survivors like her back to Honduras. López Cruz faced many challenges growing up in a Spanish-speaking household while attending a school that taught subjects in English. Despite that, …

Lorena Vázquez De La Torre, Lorena Vázquez De La Torre

Coming to the Plains Oral Histories/ Llenando las Llanuras Historias Orales

Lorena Vázquez de la Torre es de la ciudad de México. Creció en un hogar con mucha violencia doméstica y ella mismo terminó en una relación abusiva. Vázquez de la Torres y su hija inmigraron a los Estados Unidos; ella relata que cruza la frontera con documentos falsos. Eventualmente, Vázquez de la Torre se mudó a Kearney, Nebraska con sus hijas. Ella discute cómo sus vidas cambiaron para bien cuando fueron libres de abuso. Vázquez de la Torre primero trabajó en un hotel y en un restaurante, pero ahora tiene un trabajo en la YMCA.

Lorena Vázquez de la Torre …