The worst situation I find is Hector's. Hector was a music teacher and dedicated his whole life to teach music. Even though he dedicated his life teaching music his opera work was not appreciated by the Mexican people. He blamed the Mexican people for not appreciating his work and this made his life bitter. His own bitterness caused him his health and he died in loneliness.
Hector 's life remind me of an old saying " Laugh and the whole world laugh with you, weep you weep alone". It is up to an individual how to handle a situation. if you have a positive attitude there is always a positive outcome. Hector did not have a positive attitude, and it had a negative effect on his life , his health . Eventually, he died in loneliness. In contrast to Hector, accomplishment of Mercedes Quinonez was amazing. At the age of 42 years she started studying music all over again. Her determination was very well rewarded, and she performed for the first time in Tijuana's premier soprano at the age of 51 years.
The immigrant of Atolinga was ambitious and I don't see any harm in going to other countries that have better opportunities. The opportunities do not come knocking at our door . It is up to us to put some effort and find them. That is what people of Atolinga have done. they migrated to the land of opportunities , and made best out of it. If we don't try to succeed in the life , we end up like Hector.Raul Briseno and his family migrated to Chicago, Nebraska, Indiana etc and worked to make their life better. Normally this whole process of migration happens just like Raul Briseno's family. One person in the family leaves his hometown and others follow him. That was the situation of Raul's family. The immigration not only make their life prosperous, but it changes the community and the life of the family members in his hometown. There are other negative aspects of this prosperity. Family members who are in hometown starts spending lavishly and shows off and make other people envious.
As for the talk of going back home, the first generation who migrate to new countries always talk about going back to their home country. It is the kids who are born here are reluctant to go back . The kids get so used to the comfort and luxury here , when they see they would not get those luxuries in their parents' hometown they refuse to go back. That is the case of Chon Salinas.
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Excellent post, thoughts, and reflections. Yes, the first generation to immigrate does usually express feelings of lonliness and longing for the "old country." My grandparents were always telling stories of how it was in their native countries and how much the missed being away from their country and culture. My brothers and sisters just listened, but never thought about living anywhere else.
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