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Consuela Montoyas Immigration Timeline
A timeline of the life of Consuela Montoya, a single mother with six kids -
War in Mexico
Lost house in war, street is now a battlefield which means we my family of seven people needed to move to a new location. Mexico wasn't an option with war raging we needed to move to America but not East, that was overcrowded, we thought we could get land in the newly founded west -
Crossing the border
Horrible conditions, white men working treated all of us like trash, they really wanted to kill us. We waited for a long before we got past first gate. We had to sleep over night, got seperated from my two sons for the night, the beds were very uncomfortable. -
Two of my kids get lynched
A white man on a horse just outside the other side of the border excuses my daughter Rosa and my son Ricko of trying to steal from him. Guards from the border office arrive and take my daughter and son away to be lynched. -
Hard to find jobs
There are barely any jobs avaliable in the west. I wanted to go for a job at being a seamstress but no one accepts mexicans. They treated us like outcasts and we didn't belong. They didn' realize they are immigrants just like us -
California Gold Rush
The word of gold found in California was roaming the air on the streets. This was my chance to get a job and get off the slums of the streets and make a profit. I got a pickaxe and head of with my kids. It wss a long journey but we made it. I was starting to make a profit until a new law was made -
Foreigners Miner Tax
The new comers grew jealous of the experienced Mexican-Californio miners, and In 1850, the new legislature (with the might of the Federal U.S. Government) enacted a burdensome "Foreigner Miner's Tax" of $20.00 per month. This new tax was aimed at the American Hispanics and the Spanish speaking Californios, enforced by volunteer armed new comers. -
Measles
A horrible disease called measles infects the west causing many deaths. My son, Roman got the disease really bad and dies, this is a sad time for the family. Also many miners around me become ill and weak -
Mining Incident
During a mining day, I decide to stay a bit longer hoping I could find some extra gold to pay of the taxes that were getting thrown at me. But after I smashed a little part of a rock, I start hearing a rumblr noise, this is bad i thought. Suddenly rocks started to fall from the roof, I prayed for hope, I couldn't leave my kids on me. I was then knocked out -
Reviving
I have been in a coma for a while now after a rock hit my head. I didn't know how I got out and how I'm alive but it doesnt matter anymore. Im with my kids and I'm done with mining, We later moved back to Mexico in a nice house by the sea that was bought with the remaining gold. Life was finally at peace
