Mamacita is titled after my father’s nickname for my mother. What started two years ago as a project to immortalize the recipes I grew up eating became a way to reconnect with my Mexican heritage. As I learned how to navigate the immigration system, a pivotal chapter emerged: to keep my family together.

My deportation felt imminent in the midst of a pandemic. In six months, however, I became a citizen. This would not have been possible without the privilege of a legal team and $10,000. As an American citizen, my new status provides my parents with the opportunity to begin their own path towards citizenship. 

Mi familia has two lives. The life we left behind in Mexico and the life we created in Washington. No matter where we stand, there is always a loss despite everything we have gained. Without status, my parents would have to leave their home and their daughters behind to be with their family in Mexico.

For my parents, citizenship means they could finally live without fear in a country they have embraced as home for over 16 years. It would grant them the freedom to visit Mexico again, reuniting them with my grandmothers, who we have not seen in over a decade.

This cookbook is dedicated to my parents and all of the immigrant parents who have sacrificed their lives in order to provide for their children. 100% of the proceeds from my original self-published edition of this cookbook directly aided my parents in financing their immigration costs. That total cost was around $20,000. Your support provided the greatest gift you could give a son and a daughter—a chance to kiss and a moment to hold their mother in their arms again.