Maria de Lourdes Bailon Chavez was born in Mexico 49 years ago. She is the oldest of 5. At age 15, Maria de Lourdes and her 4 younger siblings came to the United States to join their mother. Her English was very limited, and she had to quit school at 16 to help raise her 4 siblings while her single mother worked to support the family. By age 16, she was able to become a lawful permanent resident. As a young adult, Maria de Lourdes worked in winery production for a few years before starting a family of her own. She first applied for United States citizenship 21 years ago but was not able to complete the process because the death of her grandfather required her to go to Mexico. Two years ago in 2019, she decided to apply again for citizenship. By now her English had improved and she studied the civics questions through YouTube videos and one of her daughters helped her with flashcards. On the day of her exam, she got lost for over one hour in the immigration building in San Francisco. The place was new to her, and she finally got the courage to ask for assistance to locate the office where her exam would take place. All her hard work studying and encouragement from her children resulted in passing the exam on the first try and she was sworn in as United States citizen the same day. She is extremely thankful to CHD for helping her become a United States citizen. She tells all her family and friends about the CHD Immigration program that helped her realize her life-long dream.
Angela Chavez Sanchez was born in Michoacan Mexico 68 years ago. As a child and young adult, she worked in the fields. She was married at age 16 and had 6 children. In 1983, her brother brought her to the United States. She had to leave her children behind but knew she would soon have them with her. One year later, she was able to bring 5 of her 6 children to the United States. Angela struggled as a single parent to support and raise her 5 children. Her oldest daughter had to quit school to stay home and help raise her younger siblings while Angela worked to provide for all of them. Angela worked in factories, laundromats, canning and in poultry production. In 1986, Angela and her 5 children received their legal permanent residence. Angela had worked from the moment she arrived in the United States, so she was able to show that she worked and supported her family without government assistance. In 1996, Angela was diagnosed with leukemia and bravely fought the cancer. The cancer has been in remission for one year and she is very hopeful her health will continue to improve. In January 2020, Angela, through the encouragement of her children, applied for citizenship. She knew CHD offered help and she was able to apply for citizenship at no cost thanks to a grant CHD receives from the California Department of Social Services. Her gratitude to CHD is never-ending and she directs everyone who needs immigration assistance to CHD. She beat cancer and is the proud grandmother of 18 and great-grandmother of 10. Angela can now add United States citizen to her many life accomplishments. She is excited to vote in the next presidential election