I remember people’s looks because I did not understand enough English or could not express myself. Once in the U.S., I began working at a grocery store in North Sacramento. My parents worked extremely hard but there were few opportunities around. Those were uncertain times, and when you are so young it really stays with you. My early years in El Salvador encompassed a life of limitations and an ongoing brutal civil war, which meant poverty, insecurity, scarcity, and political unrest. I had not been exposed to other languages or cultures.
Back in those days, the internet was not what it is today. I emigrated from El Salvador and arrived in California fresh out of high school in 2003. 'ARC served as a buffer to the shock of being a newcomer on so many levels.'Ĭlarissa Laguardia Alumni / 2012 / Liberal Arts / American River College
