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Alma Rivera

What would provoke a mother to uproot her family from Mexico to make a new home in

the United States? Patzcuaro, Mexico was once home to Alma and Arturo Rivera and their

teenage daughter, Maribel. In Mexico, the Rivera family was surrounded with friends and

family. Arturo was in construction and they lived a relatively comfortable life. Life drastically

changed for the Rivera family in a quick moment of time when Maribel had a tragic accident.

The accident took place at her father’s construction worksite. Eager to assist her father, Maribel

climbed a ladder to bring a needed supply of clay. Arturo warned that it was too heavy to carry

up the ladder but, Alma gave her permission and held the ladder for support. Unfortunately,

Alma’s distraction caused her to shift the ladder which in turn caused Maribel to loose footing.

Maribel’s two-story fall to the ground left her almost lifeless. The traumatic brain injury required

emergency surgery. She survived however, her brain function was not the same. Maribel’s

cognitive function was altered. She was often in a state of confusion. Her memory was impaired

and learning was a challenge. Maribel’s life changed and so did the life of her mother. As the

story unfolds, so does the character of Alma.

As a result of Maribel’s accident, Alma was tormented by guilt. When Maribel regained

consciousness after surgery, Alma revealed, “It wasn't an earthquake or a gust of wind that

knocked her to the ground. It was me” (Henriquez, p104). Alma was a devoted and caring

mother. She had pride in her family and responsibility as a mother. She had a vision of what life

would be for Maribel, She envisioned Maribel graduating from high school and having an active

social life. She envisioned that one day Maribel would get married and have children. She
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welcomed the prospect of an extended family and frequent family times together. This was her

dream. Although her dream was shattered, she found strength to make change.

Alma can be seen as a character of strength. Maribel’s accident was traumatizing yet,

Alma was able to direct her despair to hope. Despite the doctors’ prognosis for her daughter,

Alma continued to believe there was hope. She went from caring mother to active advocate. She

proved that the first step to advocacy begins at home. Parents need to educate themselves about

their child’s disability and take action. This may be difficult for some parents because they are in

denial about their child’s situation. Alma, on the other hand, took all the necessary steps needed

to help her daughter. Education was important to Alma and she took these steps to ensure that

her daughter would receive appropriate education. She searched for the right school and learned

that the Evers School could provide the services her daughter needed. It took an incredible

amount of strength to move beyond despair. She needed to put emotions aside to investigate and

search for an appropriate school in Delaware. Furthermore, she needed to organize her move to

the United States. Her goal was not about becoming an American citizen, it was to provide for

her daughter. Remaining focused, she completed the necessary documentations for a visa to the

United States. Her physical and emotional strength is further demonstrated by leaving the

familiarity of home in Mexico to move to the United States. Her expectations were met with a

lack of comforts, food and support and the Redwood Apartments. It was the place she would call

home, yet, was very different than home in Mexico. She could not work because the visa only

allowed Arturo to have a job. As he went to work at a mushroom farm in Pennsylvania and

Maribel attended school, she was left alone for most of the time. It takes strength and courage to

deal with isolation.

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Driven by guilt, Alma’s fear became more evident. She had an overwhelming need to

protect her daughter. She believed she failed by causing the accident. Fear lead her to be

suspicious of people who looked at her daughter especially, Garrett Miller. He was considered

the “trouble-maker” that lived in nearby Capitol Oaks. She believed she had to physically

protect her from people who would take advantage of her because of her disability. Internally,

Alma was tormented by this guilt. She was unable to forgive herself. This affected the way she

dealt with Maribel as well as her husband. She isolated herself from Arturo by not being honest

with him. She was afraid to tell him about the time she found Garrett physically assaulting their

daughter. She was afraid because she thought her husband would remind her that she failed to

protect their daughter the first time. Her guilt paralyzed her judgment and distorted her view.

Eventually she reported the incident to police but did not receive the support she expected. This

fueled her fear and suspicion of others. Alma’s internal barrier was her inability to forgive

herself. Alma states, “So I prayed for forgiveness and for God to bring her back to us”

(Henriquez p.104). Alma clearly did not forgive herself. This led her to be overwhelmingly

protective of her daughter. This ultimately was not helping her daughter in becoming

independent and eventually self-sufficient.

Additional barriers included her lack of communication. Like many immigrants, language

barriers add to the isolation. She feels misunderstood and different than those around her. This

would lead to more isolation and a feeling of no support. Alma’s psychological state was also a

barrier. The traumatizing experience of seeing her daughter fall 2 stories to her near death would

lead to anxiety and post- traumatic stress. Lack of appropriate counseling was a barrier for Alma.

She needed counseling to sort out the experience so she could find emotional health.
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Alma’s barriers could be addressed by the Health and Social Service Agency in her area.

These agencies provide bilingual assistance. Counseling could be provided to Alma regardless of

her financial situation or lack of insurance. Alma needed counseling to deal with her daughter’s

accident as well as her husband’s tragic death later on. As a victim of violence, Alma needed the

resources for emotional health. Programs specifically geared to the Latino community are also

available to foster a sense of community and support. Programs designed to assist individuals

with disabilities and their caretakers also provide assistance with educational needs as well as

outreach programs for community involvement. Assistance with immigration related policies

could provide Alma with assistance in obtaining a job. This would give her additional income

she needs for necessities especially, since her husband was going to be out of work.

Overall, Alma faced tremendous barriers. These barriers could be addressed by Human

Service Programs. Alma’s decision to return to Mexico leaves the question as to her mental

health. She did not fully utilize the services that are available. Perhaps, she was not aware of

them. This reinforces the idea that Human Service programs need to continue to educate the

public and reach out to those in need. Alma appears to resolve and accept her daughter’s

disability. This was probably the greatest turning point for her. Ultimately she had to face her

own stigma against individuals with disabilities and accept that her daughter can be a functioning

member of society.