Hello! My name is Yesenia Martínez. I am 28 years old. I was born in Guanajuato in 1987. My father, Adolfo Martinez is also from Guanajuato. My mother, Bertha M. Vargas is from Mexico City. They met at school in Mexico City.
I come from a large family. I have one older brother and five beautiful sisters, six counting myself. We are nine total.
My parents came to the United States in 1987 looking for a better future. When they brought me, I was a couple of months old, I was a baby. Arvin is the name of the city where I grew up and where, even after 27 years, I still live, thank god.
“I come from a low-income family. My parents are farmworkers. Once, in December, I remember my mother saying she wished she had money to buy me a nice gift. So I told her, “Mamá, there is no better gift that having the beautiful family that I have now. I am grateful, mom.” I still remember she started crying, and the truth is that those were happy moments with our family, which money cannot buy.”
I got together with my boyfriend when I was 15 years old. I had my first child at 16 and my other daughter at 18; they are two and ten years apart, respectively. It is an interesting fact that my son was born on September 21, 2003 and my daughter on September 22, 2005.
In 2006, I separated from the father of my children. Our relationship did not work out because he got into drugs, which was very difficult for me. I was a single parent for nine years; but, even though those nine years were difficult, they were happy years also.
We all have a purpose in life, and one of mine was being “a single mother.” I am grateful that I lived firsthand what it means to be a single mother. Having to be father and mother to my two children was not easy. I cried many times, but I also laughed a lot with them. After those nine years, I met a great person: my husband. I don’t know, I always believed that God sent him to me – and I still think that. Now, I have more than two children, I have three. Another girl, 2 years old. She is a very naughty girl, but I love her. I love my three angels with all my heart.
I was able to finish high school with my mother’s support. After that, I went to college and finished a course as a Medical Assistant. I have worked in clinics. One clinic I worked at was a very nice experience because I was able to work with people with disabilities. I’ve also worked in the fields, cherry fields, apple fields, shaking down almonds, and other types of work. Now, I am a proud apprentice of the Lideres Campesinas organization. I like working with the community. I like to help other people. I am a very friendly person. A bit serious, but people like me when they get to know me.
I am 28 years old now, and I never knew about my abilities until I came here and began exploring my skills and helping people. I still have many goals and dreams to fulfill.
This is my story.
Storyteller Yesenia Martínez is 28 years old and the mother of a boy and two girls. She was born in Guanajuato, but was brought to Arvin, California when she was 4 months old.
