Texas: Beautiful and Beloved

Imagine this — at thirteen years of age, your parents tell you you're moving from Mexico to Texas. As a fifteen-year-old immigrant you're told that you have to drop out of school to get a job. At forty-three years of age you finally graduate with a Bachelors of Applied Science from St. Mary's University. That doesn't sound like a typical Texan's life path, does it? Well, it's not. This is a story of a boy who knew Texas as a true love, but Mexico as his first.

My grandfather, Francisco E. Sanchez, moved to San Antonio, TX from Monterrey, Nuevo Leon when he was just thirteen years old. Not only was he uprooted from his homeland at a very formative point in his adolescence, but he was forced to make the transition without his entire family. As if moving to a new country wasn't scary enough, his family had to make the difficult decision to not move all at once. At the time, it was too expensive and would have been too risky. So, without his mother and six of his eleven siblings, he arrived in San Antonio with his father, one sister, and three brothers.

Once settled in San Antonio, Francisco—or Panchito, as his family often lovingly called him—became a student at Brackenridge High School, and the transition seemed to be going great. However, at the ripe age of fifteen he was forced to drop out of school and find work. Why, you ask? The answer is simple—there was not enough money to make ends meet. Even back then, finding work as an immigrant was no easy task. So, he and his siblings had no choice but to find jobs that would give them checks sufficient enough to help their father. Frank found a job at Western Union, where he worked for about two years as a telegram delivery boy.

He served in the U.S. Army for four years and, despite having to move around a bit, he found his heart and home back in San Antonio where he settled with his wife Janie to raise their family of seven. He worked as a laboratory technician for about fifteen years until he found work that became his passion.

In 1972, Frank and Janie opened Frank's Grocery Store on the east side of San Antonio. The store was a hot spot for neighbors of the east side community and he and his wife became known around the area for helping whoever they could, whenever they could, with whatever they could. The store was open for more than twenty years.

Finally, after years of struggle and sacrifice, he made one of his dreams a reality. Frank became a proud Rattler, and graduated from St. Mary's University in 1976 at the age of forty-three with a Bachelors of Applied Science. Once acquiring the degree, he found work at Kelly Air Force Base as a jet engine mechanic; he held the job for nearly ten years before retiring.

While I'm sure he left a piece of his heart in Monterrey when he moved, he became a beloved citizen and successful business owner in San Antonio, TX. His story, although filled with twists and turns, shows the dedication he had to make his life as an immigrant in Texas, a life he loved, successful and fruitful.

Victoria Sanchez is a student at St. Mary's University studying history, secondary education, and Spanish. Her passion for history motivates her to continue learning more about her roots, her heritage, and the stories of her family members and friends. 

Posted March 22, 2018

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