My journey from the cotton fields to the floor of Congress
An immigrant’s journey to the United States is one that countless generations have done before me and countless will do after me. My journey from Burgos, Tamaulipas, Mexico, to the cotton fields of South Texas was not a journey that was long in distance, but a journey that marked the beginning of a new life for me and my family.
When I was six, my father told us we would be moving to “el otro lado” with the promise that we would have a better life. This idea is a driving force that has shaped the country we live in today and one that is especially tangible in South Texas, where generations of people decided to leave their homes and settle in the southernmost part of the Lone Star State.
In South Texas, this mix of cultures is what makes our region so unique. Folks hold onto their Hispanic roots through their food, music and language, yet also fully embrace and respect the culture and values of the country they now call home. Here, everyone strives to reach the coveted American Dream.
What does it mean to truly achieve the American Dream? My answer to that question has changed drastically throughout the years, but my 6-year-old self would have never dreamed that the answer to that question now is claiming the title: first Mexican-born congresswoman in United States history.
As a kid, my life revolved around my family, my community and my work, a way of life familiar to Hispanics. I learned early on that honest and hard work is the key to success and it was a trait that everyone in my family and my community emulated from sunup to sundown.
Being the child of migrant workers meant we were constantly on the road, constantly meeting new people and constantly adapting to new surroundings, but one thing that always stayed the same in my family was the ambition to succeed. I knew that succeeding in school and succeeding in life went hand in hand. My days consisted of working in the cotton fields to make sure I had enough money to buy my school supplies for the year.
For me, work, both in school and out, was the source of my integrity and was a trait that I saw drove my family and my community every single day and one that always paid dividends.
But today, achieving success has never been harder.
Our country is in dire straits. We have remained near 40-year high inflation, gas prices have broken historic records and the Bureau of Economic Analysis declared that the U.S. economy shrank two quarters in a row, indicating the country has officially entered into a recession while our leaders have resorted to blog posts with ambiguous explanations of a recession to confuse the American people.
On top of the abysmal state of the economy, the low morale and enthusiasm for our country is palpable as we continue to see our nation’s leaders abandon Americans at every turn.
During their botched withdrawal from Afghanistan, the Biden administration left Americans and many of our allies behind. In eastern Europe, they created a crisis in Ukraine that has cost the lives of thousands and in our very own backyard they deserted our border communities.
Now, we are seeing a former president of the United States be villainized and targeted as a result of political motives. Washington liberals continually weaponize our democratic institutions against Republicans and their actions have assaulted the morale and trust of the American people in our institutions and in their leaders.
But neither Joe Biden nor his administration care. They continue to insult us by using derogatory words to describe us, they compare us to tacos and undermine our culture and they continue to peddle a woke agenda that suits coastal white liberals instead of working to alleviate the pressure and pain that so many American families are feeling.
Joe Biden’s failure as president is an important reminder that elections have consequences and turning out to vote in November to halt his leftist agenda has never been more important.
Congresswoman Mayra Flores represents Texas’ 34th congressional district.
Source: TEST FEED1
