The Life of Federico
Ramirez
By Federico Ramirez
I was born on 11-16-73 in Guerrero Mexico.
When I was six years old I began Elementary School at
Niños Eroes School. I studied there until the
fifth grade. Then I went to Arcelia to finish Elementary
School. Afterwards I came back to my home town and I
stayed there for a year.
When I moved again I went to Acapulco for three years.
When I arrived there I started high school La Cima as
well as began working as a cash collector for the bus
driver. (In Acapulco bus riders don't put their money in
a farebox like we do in America.) When I left beautiful
Acapulco I returned to my home town and began helping out
my Father. My job was like an animal caretaker until
turned nineteen years old. At twenty years of age I
started driving a produce truck until I decided to leave
Mexico and come to the United States. That was in 1996.
Back then I could not understand or speak a word of
English. I felt that everything in America was difficult
because I didn't know English.
I became bothered enough that I decide to take English
classes as a Second language at Cañada College in
Redwood City.
While there I decided to get a tutor. At first she had
to speak to me in Spanish. After about four months I was
ready to be spoken to in English. The same tutor offered
to continue helping me here at the Menlo Park library. We
have been working together here for about six months. I
think I'm at an intermediate level now and she hardly has
to speak to me in Spanish anymore.
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