Living in Mexico is not easy, especially when you are 14 and pregnant. Rosa R. was 14 years old when her life was about to change she lived in Atecucario Michoacán with her mother and father along with her older and younger brothers. According to Rosa, there were a lot of bails (parties/dances) where she lived. So one day she was invited to go to a bail, and as she got ready and was on her way to the bail she had come across Enrique R. who was 21 years old at the time. She said “He asked me if I wanted to dance and I said yes,” at the end of the bail, Enrique walked Rosa back home safely and exchanged socials where they started contacting each other. As they got to know one another, they each started getting closer to each other and things led to other things. Rosa’s mother never talked to her about being safe on having anything sexual with anyone and therefore Rosa was just an innocent teen. 

After three months, Rosa realized and noticed that she hasn’t gotten her period which is the biggest fear for every girl. Rosa has a regular period cycle which makes her question and overthink if she was pregnant or not. Throughout the days, she herself admitted that she was pregnant and proceeded to tell Enrique who agreed to be with her throughout anything. The biggest fear was telling her parents, which she did. Afterward, it seemed as if everything was okay. The only bad thing was that her parents didn’t have enough money to maintain her and her baby. From that on they didn’t really say much, with that being said Rosa and Enrique both decided to move to the U.S. Even though Rosa was 6 months pregnant, she still decided to work with Enrique in the strawberry fields which was not easy, but they had to pay for their $400 rented room somehow. Throughout the months, Rosa and Enrique both went to the clinic and got an ultrasound. 

On August 21, 1999, her first child was born. They named him after his father. Before anything else happened once Rosa turned 15 years old Enrique and Rosa both decided to get married in Mexico since they were building a family together. Once they both got married they both decided to go back to the U.S. Two years later, Rosa had her second child, on April 19, 200 Jamie R. was born. Two more years later Nancy R. was born on March 3, 2003. 

A year later while working in the fields Rosa came across Celso Castillo. As they worked together in the fields they seemed to get along very well and Rosa then decided to leave Enrique for Celso. They then both moved to Salinas in order to go to a better company to work in the fields. After the strawberry season was over, they both decided to move back to Mexico but instead of Atecucario, they went to Celso’s hometown which was Hidalgo. While living together for a few months, Rosa found out that she was pregnant with her fourth child. On May 24, 2005 Dulce C. was born. After some months, Rosa went back to Enrique and her three children including Dulce. Enrique found out that Rosa had Dulce with another man, but in Enrique’s eyes, he took Dulce as if she was his own. “He really loved and cared for you and you would even call him dad.” That didn’t last very long. Rosa decided to go back with Celso and took all her four children to Oxnard, California. While trying to have another child, Rosa finally got pregnant with her fifth child. Once Rosa was ready to give birth, she unfortunately had a miscarriage. After a few years, Rosa was scared to get pregnant again but then in 2011, she found out that she was pregnant with her fifth and last child. On August 16, 2012 Rosaura C was born healthy. 

Unfortunately, in 2013, Enrique was drunk and driving a motorcycle when he had a horrible crash and passed away. After that things are difficult physically and mentally in our family. Now in 2020 Rosa and Celso went separate ways. Rosa’s now working in a bakery with her younger brother. She started going to the gym and going for runs as well as attending an adult school to get her education. Although times have gotten rough she still has her three girls and two boys to be by her side and protect her.