For over two centuries, the Serrano family had originated from and had continually resided in a small, overpopulated town named La Reina, in El Salvador. In this town, houses, though structurally unstable in the 1800s, were closely grouped together and therefore called barrios. To the east of La Reina there was mountainous terrain, or terreno, on which harvesters would grow crops under the scorching and unforgiving sun. In addition, due to the disastrous conditions of the roads, cars were uncommon in the town, while horses served as the main source of transportation. Though the community itself suffered economically due to the limited amount of jobs besides farming, the families were closely banded together and it was common for one family
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My grandfather, Antonio Serrano Sr, would perfect an irrigation system to make the growing and maintenance of crops simpler, consequently increasing profits. Antonio, being an intelligent, respectable, and hard-working man, would eventually raise enough money to afford a new house. After buying a new piece of land in the same city in 1893, he would hand-build a structurally sound and ornate house that still remains in the family to this current day. He received help in constructing the house from his son, Antonio Serrano Jr, who would later become my father. The house they constructed would eventually become the house in which all the following generations of the family would live in. Above the front door there still remains the iron tag which states: “Familia de Serrano”, “The Serrano Family”. Although all of the Serrano family lived exclusively in El Salvador, my father, Antonio Serrano Jr, would eventually express an interest in migrating to the United States. Although he faced opposition whenever discussing his plans, he made the decision in 1898 to migrate, bringing his wife, Catalina Alas de Serrano, and his son, Elder Serrano Alas, who would later become my brother, with him on the journey. Before leaving, Antonio Serrano Jr had the following conversation with his father, in Spanish,
My grandfather, Antonio Serrano Sr, would perfect an irrigation system to make the growing and maintenance of crops simpler, consequently increasing profits. Antonio, being an intelligent, respectable, and hard-working man, would eventually raise enough money to afford a new house. After buying a new piece of land in the same city in 1893, he would hand-build a structurally sound and ornate house that still remains in the family to this current day. He received help in constructing the house from his son, Antonio Serrano Jr, who would later become my father. The house they constructed would eventually become the house in which all the following generations of the family would live in. Above the front door there still remains the iron tag which states: “Familia de Serrano”, “The Serrano Family”. Although all of the Serrano family lived exclusively in El Salvador, my father, Antonio Serrano Jr, would eventually express an interest in migrating to the United States. Although he faced opposition whenever discussing his plans, he made the decision in 1898 to migrate, bringing his wife, Catalina Alas de Serrano, and his son, Elder Serrano Alas, who would later become my brother, with him on the journey. Before leaving, Antonio Serrano Jr had the following conversation with his father, in Spanish,