Seven Hills student Sophia Schuermeyer writes of her abuela's journey to the United States
Maria Garcia Estrada grew up in Tenerife, a Spanish island off the coast of Africa. For
the duration of her childhood, Francisco Franco, a fascist dictator, ruled over her country,
suppressing Spaniards’ voices, quelling small rebellions, and sometimes threatening innocent people. In fact, Maria’s father once came home in a rush, telling her how an officer had pulled him over and put a gun to his head.
As Maria grew up, she decided she couldn’t continue living in a society where she was
not allowed to share her opinion. She had studied English for years, and had practiced by
reading translations of books. One day, she decided to make the choice to move to the United States of America.
Maria got a job at a University, where she taught Spanish. She faced many obstacles,
including xenophobia, but she refused to live under a dictatorship again. Eventually, she met an immigrant from Germany named Fritz, and the two got married.
Maria continued to persevere, and over time, she found the balance between her life in
the United States and her Canarian culture.
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