“I was three when my mom had to come to the U.S because she didn’t have any money,” says 18-year-old Diana Catalan, a DACA student at Omaha South High School. “She was a single mom, she was only 18 and so she didn’t have any money, her plan was to work for some time and come back to Mexico,” she adds.
Catalan says that she was affected by medical problems since the day she was born and her village in Guerrero Mexico didn’t have any good medical care. If services were available, they were too expensive for her mom to be able to afford. “My mom sent money to me so I could come over to the United States, I arrived in Omaha the day after I turned seven,” says Catalan.
According to Catalan her mother said life was better in the United States and although she would have better opportunities in Omaha, the transition proved to be difficult. “The hardest thing about coming to the U.S was having to be with a stranger, my mom was a stranger and I felt like I hated her at that time,” says Catalan, adding “ my uncles told me that she left me and didn’t love me and that’s what I believed.” Catalan says that when her mother left her with her grandparents and immigrated to the United States she was free. “My grandparents had other kids to worry about, I was there and no one would ever notice me, I did whatever I wanted, I wouldn’t even go to school,” explains Catalan. Once in the U.S Catalan says her mom kept a close eye on her and she had to attend school regularly.
Catalan, who currently resides with her mother, stepfather and two younger sisters, says she loves Omaha South High School. “I’m first generation, being in high school is a whole new thing for me because my parents haven’t gone to high school, the road has been a little iffy,” says Catalan.
Catalan points out that during her freshmen year at Omaha South her teachers encouraged her to join clubs and volunteer in the community so she could build her resume. “All I could think about was that I wanted to go to college and I should do that,” she says, adding “I did, I got into clubs, those clubs got us volunteer jobs, I ended up forgetting about the hours and just started to love volunteering.”
Catalan says she has worked with the Omaha Police Department during the holiday season frequently giving out toys to low-income children around Christmas and she also volunteers with them during Halloween where the South Omaha precinct hosts a safe Halloween night for children. “I help give out candy and decorate the precinct,” she says. Catalan says she has also tried her hand at gardening. The teacher that took care of the school garden passed away during her sophomore year and a fellow colleague rounded up students and together have worked in the garden to keep it alive. “It was a new experience for me, it was nice and I really liked it,” says Catalan.
Catalan points out that she also volunteers for a free community health fair. “It’s my favorite because I meet so many people. They tell me their stories and it is so amazing, I get really emotional at times,” says Catalan.
The bright high school student says that it is her top priority to give back to her community because they have been there for her in times of need. “When I was in fourth grade I had a really expensive surgery, my mom put donation boxes at businesses in South Omaha, they explained that we needed financial help because we didn’t have any money. I don’t know how many people donated but we got about $600 dollars and it really helped us,” says Catalan.
“South Omaha is full of poverty and the fact that they are struggling themselves but still have change to give back is amazing,” says Catalan. Since her surgery Catalan has vowed to make her community better because it is her home and the place where her sisters are being raised. “I want the best for them and for my school too. This is my home,” says Catalan.
With plans to attend UNK after her high school graduation, Catalan says it is time for her to create change. “My stepdads side of the family, they were all drinkers and did drugs, their kids have done that too, I want to break that cycle,” says Catalan.
Catalan says that although she has always been a person that has kept things to herself and it has been difficult asking for help she finally started talking to counselors and teachers that are going to help her get into college. “They are the only reason I am going to get into college, I don’t have anyone else to back me up in my family and I know my teachers and counselors are the best,” she says.
Catalan says she wants to represent the immigrant community and break stereotypes of immigrants once she gets to college and encourages others to do the same. “Find the motivation, find something that gets to you. My motivation is my family and my community,” she says.
To read this story in Spanish, click here.