Running head: PERSONA DOLL

Persona Doll
Raquel Munoz
Pacific Oaks College

Author Note
This assignment is being submitted on Tuesday 3/03/15 for Susan Bernheimer's HD 400
Working With Children In A Diverse World course.

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Personal Doll
Parents
My parents are from a small ranch called El Moral, 20 minutes away from the closest town
Jerez in the state of Zacatecas, Mexico. My father was an immigrant for 17 years. He was the
oldest sibling of 12 children. At the age of 7 years old, he had to work; taking the cows, sheeps,
and goats to the dessert to get feed. He would stay there for days than return back just to get
more animals. Because he raised animals throughout his childhood life, he doesnt like animals
now. At the age of 15, he illegally crossed the border and came to California to work. He would
work orange picking in the fields of Bakersfield, making a little bit of money and would return
back to Mexico to provide for his mother and siblings. My mother, attend school up until third
grade level. That was the highest level there was at that time. She than, left the ranch to live in
D.F. (Distrito Federal, Mexico) at the age of 15 years old. Where, she would have better
opportunities. She started working for the airport, were a visa was given to her and short after,
she moved to California. Even though my parents were from the same ranch, they had never met
until they were both here in the state. They were introduced by other relatives, which also lived
in the ranch. While living here, they got married and had my brother (George). Five years later,
they had Me.
Infancy
My maiden name is Raquel Alvarez; and my story begins in September 11, 1980. I was born in
Santa Monica, California. I was named after my mother and was told by my father that he picked
to have that name because in case my mother ever got ill and would leave this world, he would at
least have her daughter named after her. I also have a younger sister five years apart. When I was

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born, they had a hard time looking and finding an apartment because the tenants rather have pets
in the apartment than children. So they moved in with other relatives. When I was about 8
months old, my parents managed to gather a little bit of money and decided to move back to
Mexico to open a business there. My dad opened an Abarotes meaning a convenient store. My
mother was there all the time managing it. My father also had a bus where he transported people
from different ranches to the closest town. He worked all the time.
Childhood
When I was five years old, my mother had my sister. I remember that day that my older cousins
took me and my brother out of my house and we all went to their house. My grandmother
delivered my sister in our house. I remember my aunt telling me that my parents went to the
store to buy me a little sister. In the ranch where I lived, it was very open and free of danger.
There were about 25- 30 homes and we all knew each other. Some way or somehow we were all
relatives. We didnt have toys to play with but somehow manage to make toys from materials we
found at home and outdoors. Much of our time was spend playing with the rocks and the dirt.
Water was an issue. Every time we didnt have water in the ranch, the mothers and daughters
would go walking to the river and wash the cloths and after we would bath there. The ranch
frequently didnt have water. While the woman did house chores, the men went to work in the
field cropping beans, corn, and peaches. My father was always very firm and strict with us. If we
ask for something, and he said no, we couldnt ask again or we would get hit. My mother never
argued nor disagreed with him. If we ask our mother for something, she would direct us to my
father. I never liked to stay home; I liked to go to other families home to hang out with cousins.
One day, my father was looking for me and could not find me. He as my brother to go get me,
after searching for me, my brother told me that my dad was very upset that I was wondering in

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the ranch. When I got home, he was waiting for me with a rope in his hand. That day I had it real
good. He left me marks in my legs and tied me from my bed telling me Thats what I get for
leaving and jumping from house to house without asking for permission. I cried until my
grandmother heard me and went to safe me. My dad couldnt dare to talk back to my grandma so
he let her take me. I remember my grandma putting ice in my legs and caring for me. I
NEVER disobeyed my dad again. I lived a happy life in the ranch, didnt know any other
place. At around 7 years old, my father decided that Mexico was not the place for my siblings
and me. He wanted a Better Future for us and decided to move back to California. I remember
that being very difficult as to I had to say goodbye to my family. Since my brother and I were
born here, we had no problem crossing the border. My aunt and uncle had residency and went to
Mexico to get us along with my sister. My sister crossed with my cousins birth certificate while
she was asleep. At the time, she was only about one year old.

Teens

Adulthood

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