A Woman Fighting For A Better Future

 Jessica Jimenez, 39, has been fighting for a better future since she was young. Her determination and commitment to make things happen is what keeps her going. 

 It has been well over 20 years since she first came to New York. She was only 17 at the time and afraid of what the world had in store for her. 

“Yo no sabía que iba a pasar.” (I didn’t know what was going to happen.) she said when asked about how her experience was, as it was only her and her brother on this journey. He was only 13 at the time. She knew she had to be brave, but what she didn’t know was how much her life was going to change in the years to come. 

Jessica’s life in Mexico doesn’t even begin to compare to her life right now. “I lived in poverty my entire childhood.” There were times in her life where she didn’t even know if she and her family would make it. When she turned 15, her mother made the difficult decision to come to New York. Jessica never planned on leaving her home, Mexico City. That was where she had made her fondest memories. Where she had her entire support system. But as they always say, life never goes the way one expects it to. 

It was December 2003 when her life took a turn for what she considered at the moment “the worst.” She got on a plane and made her way to The Big Apple. 

“Todo era muy diferente e inesperado para mí.” (Everything was very different and unexpected for me.) Looking back on her arrival here, she’s astounded at how she was able to even navigate her way around all those years ago. Upon her arrival, with the help of her sister-in-law, she got to explore the city and even experienced her first snowstorm. Twenty-two years later and she is now living life as a native New Yorker. 

When asked about her thoughts on her life living here, she expresses feelings of sadness and frustration. But also feelings of gratefulness for all that it has taught her. Throughout the years, Jessica has learned the meaning of saving and knows how to properly invest her money in aspects of her life that she knows will help her future. 

Being in New York, a fast-paced city that has now become very expensive to live in, has taught her ways to live life while also being aware of her soul purpose of even coming here in the first place. From the beginning, she had always looked for jobs to try to earn her own money no matter what. Ranging from babysitting to making desserts for people, she always knew how to earn her money. 

She is a mom of three children ages 20, 18, and 15. Nothing about raising them, while also trying to navigate a strange unknown was easy for her. She may have had to do a couple of part-time jobs in the beginning, but now she has stabilized herself at her current job of housekeeping. 

Throughout all her hard work and dedication, Jessica managed to even get her own house back in Mexico back in 2024. 

“Por mis hijos, yo daría mi todo para sacarlos adelante.” (I’d do whatever it takes to get my kids ahead.) expresses the mother of three. 

Not knowing the language well has been a struggle for her. Her frustration builds from not knowing it perfectly. But so does the frustration of not being able to see her family that she left back in Mexico. Those whom she loves dearly. Although, now that she has a house back in her homeland, she plans on going back to Mexico when the time is right. 

In these times, living in New York is not easy, but she has made it work. Jessica has made a name for herself here, and she has achieved what she had always wanted, which was to have that life that she always dreamt of having as a child. 

Jessica expresses tears of joy knowing that she has made her younger self proud for all that she has accomplished.

She may not have been born and raised in New York, but to her, the Big Apple will always be her second home because it has been the place she’s grown up in for the past two decades. She had lived in New York longer than she had lived in Mexico. It has been the place that has seen her struggle and pick herself back up. The place in which she managed to pull herself through. 

Her journey from being a scared little girl to a beautiful and courageous woman not only entails her willingness to take risks but to have hope and perseverance. Jessica is proof that no matter one’s background and struggles, everything turns out to be worth it in the end.