Know your History, Shape your Future
Every immigrant story began with Sacrifice, Hard Work, Vision & Passion for the end game of the future of family. The children of immigrants are testaments to each and every pillar that defines the immigrant struggle.
Immigrant kids are the product of the valor that their parents, grandparents and families had and have in order to pursue the American dream. We carry the torch in the race forward, to fulfill the promises that our antecedents embarked on. Ours is the story of FUTURE.
The children of immigrants are testaments to each and every pillar that defines the immigrant struggle.
Marco, California, 1990
Marco and cousins, California, 1990s
Suegro’s Vision
Arquimedes left a promising engineering career back home in Mexico at 25. With nothing more than a few dollars in his pocket and a vision for a successful future, he knew he had to pursue the American dream for his children. Arquimedes did everything possible to get ahead and within a few years went from busboy to the chief of operations for a Silicon Valley technology firm. His vision did not end there, Arquimedes followed his passions and moved into the healthcare industry and real estate investment. After years of striving for more, he has gone back to his roots and has pursued agricultural investments, in Mexico, for his retirement. Arquimedes’ story is the story of VISION.
With nothing more than a few dollars in his pocket and a vision for a successful future, he knew he had to pursue the American dream for his children.
Arquimedes, Carmen and baby Marco, Mexico, 1989
Family lands, Mexico, early 1990s
Hard Work & Passion: Mama Oksana and Papa Dima
Oksana was 17 and pregnant when she came to America on a refugee visa. With little to no money she would walk miles in the San Bernardino heat to find food to eat. At an early age, Oksana worked many odd jobs to get ahead, from housekeeping to cleaning offices, but she pushed on. She was determined to achieve more, for her and her children. While working and raising two children, she taught herself English and how to code and thus began a successful career in the technology sector without any formal education. She climbed the ladder of hard work and is now a senior software engineer for a national corporation. She never gave up or gave into the many obstacles encountered along the way. Oksana’s story is the story of HARD WORK.
Dmitry escaped from the former USSR, at 23, to avoid religious persecution. After making the tough decision of leaving a life as a design artist in Ukraine, in order to unify his family in America, Dmitry turned his creative passion into manual work in various auto body shops in California. He has the heart and passion of an artist and in order to provide for his family, found various ways to put his creative skills to use in his new country. The work he does now is a different type of art but each and every one of his projects is still a masterpiece. Dmitry’s story is the story of PASSION.
She never gave up or gave into the many obstacles encountered along the way.
Dmitry and Oksana, Rome, 1989 (in transit to America)
Oksana, Dmitry, and Lyudmir, Dmitry’s father, first weeks in America, SoCal, 1990
Dmitry, Ukraine, 1970s
Babushka Valentina’s Sacrifice
Valentina came to the United States, when she was 38 years old. Having a fully established life back in the USSR, she left her career, her mother, her twin sisters, friends and family all behind in pursuit of the American dream for her children. Like many immigrants, unable to travel back to her home country, Valentina went years without seeing her family and as her life continued in America, she missed out on the happenings back home. Because of her commitments to family and her humble job at a discount store, she missed her mother’s funeral, celebrations and important milestones of her family and friends. Valentina’s story is the story of SACRIFICE.
She left her career, her mother, her twin sisters, friends and family all behind in pursuit of the American dream for her children.
Valentina with her husband, mother, mother in law, and children, USSR, late 1970s
Valentina and daughter, 1972
