From The Integration of Dominican, Chinese, Russian and Mexican Immigrants in NYC
My name is Natasha Lopez. In 1966, the first member of my family, Bienvenida Isabel Hidalgo, my grandmother on my father’s side, made the decision to move to New York. Here, she saw the opportunity to expand economically and build a better life for her three young children. My father, Ramon Lopez, was 14 years old when he immigrated to Queens. At the time there were very few Hispanics to help adjust to this new life style. However, my father worked hard to make a better life for himself and his family. My mother, Angela Lopez, immigrated to NYC in 1989, after marrying my father. She too worked very hard to get a good job and adjust to this different culture. We now live in Yonkers, NY, a suburb just above NYC. My parents are proof that hard work can achieve the American dream.
