Name of interviewer: Enrique Alvear Date of interview: August 8, 2016 Location: Chicago, IL Interview Language: Spanish
Married in 1981, Bertha Arroyo and her husband arrived in Chicago, Illinois, with the goal of working, saving money, and then going back to Mexico but they ended up staying and became legal permanent residents. Bertha declares that the main reason for leaving Amealco, Guerrero, was the “lack of future” for their family. Upon finishing elementary school in Amealco, Bertha worked at the family farm during her adolescence. In Chicago, Bertha and her husband worked at a Baby Toy Factory and in a few other similar jobs. Bertha is the mother of 12 children, all of them born in the United States. She regularized her family´s immigration status after the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) of 1986 and ever since, Bertha and her family began returning to Amealco every April, year after year. According to Bertha, the vast majority of Amealco residents have emigrated to the United States. She is a member of Club Amealco and she has been a champion of women inclusion in leadership positions in hometown associations. She is a founding member of the committee of Amealco´s women. In the past six years, this women committee has been mainly dedicated to collecting funds for new social projects for Amealco and to finishing some inconclusive projects started by male members of Club Amealco.
