Jimmy Villalta
Artwork
In honor of my past and my future / En honor a mi pasado y mi futuro.
Where I come from!
I'm from coffee and sugar, from rivers and volcanoes, from diana mouths and cola champagne, I'm from where every night we meet to play with friends.
I am from a happy tropical climate where every morning with the joyful crowing of the roosters we get up and enjoy a hot chocolate and some delicious pupusas, I am from metalio and puerto de acajutla where you will find crafts and minutes covered with tasty flavors and full of color.
I am of cliffs, of mountains with impressive views lined with different shades of green, of many volcanoes, many of them active, where every Christmas is a great joy, the family gets together and the little ones burst rockets.
I'm from where with chibolas and tronpos we fought and had fun where with legends we scared the little ones. In my country we are not gueros or white, we are chelitos, nor are we rizados or curly hair, we are colochitos.
I am from a very beautiful country, but over time it has become dangerous because gangs take over the streets trying to gain territory, they put innocent people in high fear and extortion increases, the streets are filled with danger and custom and fun have become an illusion
Just as there are bad people, there are good people who have changed our history, a new president has arrived to do good things and has earned the trust of every Salvadoran, my country is moving towards a great future.
I am from a very small place but with a big heart.
I am from a happy tropical climate where every morning with the joyful crowing of the roosters we get up and enjoy a hot chocolate and some delicious pupusas, I am from metalio and puerto de acajutla where you will find crafts and minutes covered with tasty flavors and full of color.
I am of cliffs, of mountains with impressive views lined with different shades of green, of many volcanoes, many of them active, where every Christmas is a great joy, the family gets together and the little ones burst rockets.
I'm from where with chibolas and tronpos we fought and had fun where with legends we scared the little ones. In my country we are not gueros or white, we are chelitos, nor are we rizados or curly hair, we are colochitos.
I am from a very beautiful country, but over time it has become dangerous because gangs take over the streets trying to gain territory, they put innocent people in high fear and extortion increases, the streets are filled with danger and custom and fun have become an illusion
Just as there are bad people, there are good people who have changed our history, a new president has arrived to do good things and has earned the trust of every Salvadoran, my country is moving towards a great future.
I am from a very small place but with a big heart.
Why I moved to USA
My name is Jimmy V, I was born in Santa Ana, El Salvador on November 27, 2002. When I was 15 years old, I migrated to the United States due to problems in my country since the gangs threatened to recruit young people to be part of them. I was their victim. They wanted me to join their gang and they threatened that if they didn't join they would kill me or my family.
For a long time I lived in fear, and it was difficult for me to leave my house after an incident that happened. I went to the church one day and I heard some shots. One of the bullets passed near me. I believed that the shots were meant for me. Thank God it was not like that.
When my father and I decided to migrate to the USA, the trip was very long and tiring because we rode on buses and by car to get to Texas. The trip took 22 days. On the way we had to sleep in isolated mostly abandoned hotels. Some were in good condition, but there were a few that were not and we spent many days there and I was worried.
One day a heavy rain hit us while we rode in a truck and most of us got sick. Sometimes we only ate one or two times a day and that affected my stomach a lot. When we got to the Texas border, some police officers saw us. They stopped and we told them that we were fleeing our country. They kindly received us. They filled the paperwork and then let us go. We stayed in a church and we slept there for two days. We contacted our family in Orange and they sent us money to go by bus from Texas to LA. I am here with my father and my brothers, but my mother is still in El Salvador and that complicates things a lot.
Moving here to the United States calmed my fear that one day something bad would happen to me. I feel safe, although it has not been easy at all. Sometimes I have come to think that I was better off in my country because here I have responsibilities that exceed my capacity as a young person. I think it is affecting me psychologically, but thanks to the fact that I have faith in God I know that one day all this will pass and that my life will change for the better since here with my effort I can have a better future.
For a long time I lived in fear, and it was difficult for me to leave my house after an incident that happened. I went to the church one day and I heard some shots. One of the bullets passed near me. I believed that the shots were meant for me. Thank God it was not like that.
When my father and I decided to migrate to the USA, the trip was very long and tiring because we rode on buses and by car to get to Texas. The trip took 22 days. On the way we had to sleep in isolated mostly abandoned hotels. Some were in good condition, but there were a few that were not and we spent many days there and I was worried.
One day a heavy rain hit us while we rode in a truck and most of us got sick. Sometimes we only ate one or two times a day and that affected my stomach a lot. When we got to the Texas border, some police officers saw us. They stopped and we told them that we were fleeing our country. They kindly received us. They filled the paperwork and then let us go. We stayed in a church and we slept there for two days. We contacted our family in Orange and they sent us money to go by bus from Texas to LA. I am here with my father and my brothers, but my mother is still in El Salvador and that complicates things a lot.
Moving here to the United States calmed my fear that one day something bad would happen to me. I feel safe, although it has not been easy at all. Sometimes I have come to think that I was better off in my country because here I have responsibilities that exceed my capacity as a young person. I think it is affecting me psychologically, but thanks to the fact that I have faith in God I know that one day all this will pass and that my life will change for the better since here with my effort I can have a better future.
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