South Gate, CA

My mother arrived in the United States in 1986, and three days after her arrival, she began her 30-year career as a seamstress in a variety of sweatshops and furniture factories. Her experience of working 13 to 16-hour days eventually left her with a botched carpal tunnel surgery and permanent tendinitis, rendering her unable to return to her lifelong profession. The sacrifices she made in this country for her family have taken a mental, emotional and physical toll on her, and her story is very similar to that of many immigrant families living in the United States today. “La Ofrenda” is an ode to my mother’s sacrifice, her faith and her humanity.