CNN iReport

I am the child of Mexican immigrants who came to this country to give us a better way of life. They struggled both working trying to keep from seeking assistance. It was really strange growing up and kind of scary. Scary because we got dirty looks comments like bean eaters what have you. I was even surprised to find out that Mexican kids with American born parents treated us badly because our parents were immigrants; they considered us to be on a lower level. The other confusing issue was our language; of course at home we all spoke Spanish for my parents didn’t want us to forget our heritage. Then in school we had to learn English which in my case became a huge struggle. I could not depend on my parents for assistance with my homework for they were struggling to learn English themselves. My parents worked for years trying to provide us with the best quality of life. We as children struggled for we had working parents and of course no resources for child care we had to watch after each other. My parents were able to assist one of my siblings later on with college he went on to become a registered nurse (RN). My other siblings also lucky enough to go to college and now one is an LPN and the other owns her own business. Now my parents have a house that is worth $250,000.00 and they are able to live off their retirement but still have to struggle with Medicare issues. You are probably wondering about me. Well I came from a very rigid Catholic home and I believe I was my parent’s biggest struggle. I have been a transgender my whole life and unfortunately it was something my parents couldn’t deal with which caused me to have to leave my house at the age of fifteen trying to find a place where I fit. Of course my life living on the streets soon led to illegal activities (prostitution, etc.), drug addiction, incarceration and of course abuse both sexual and emotional. I was able to overcome this life thanks to God and those He placed in my life. My relationship with my parents and siblings is now great! I am now an activist for HIV/AIDS and transgender health and well being and for all those lost souls out there.  You are probably wondering why I took this spin on trangenders. Well I’ll tell you we are part of this society and there are many of us and we all share many of the same issues. There needs to be more recognition, especially in media. If we are not recognized we will remain in the outside world and never be able to live a good life. You never hear a story of a transgender unless one is killed and even that sometimes is in the back pages. We need to be recognized as a community and embraced.