This is an I-Heart podcast.

And we're back with our American stories. Up next, we have a classic American story,

a classic immigrant story.

Aaron Marquez was born in a small town in northern Mexico, Ohi Naga.

Here's Aaron to tell us his story.

My dad worked in the United States, most of my childhood, and mom had two jobs.

You know, she'll work in a local factory sewing Levi's.

Mom worked during the morning, and she'll come and pick us up from school and fed us and then went back to work and worked in the double shift.

And she did that for as long as I could remember.

And my grandmother would come and babysit us until mom got back from work and that's what she did every day.

Growing up, my mom was such an incredible figure for us, and it was very motivating to me

to see my mom, you know, work two jobs and have four kids.

And I mean, it was very difficult.

And I would always tell her, I said, Mom, you know, when I grow up, you're not going to have to work, Mom.

You're not going to have to work, I promise you that. And my mom would always just grab my cheek and she's like, I know you will.

I said, but there's nothing wrong with working hard, she would always tell me.

There's nothing wrong with working hard.

But whenever you see your parents do that, the stuff that they sacrifice,

it makes you appreciate the little things in life,

you know, that kind of shape the way you look at things.

We all had a conversation as a family and they decided to move to the United States.

It was never explained to me like a level of opportunity.

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