My name is Karla Castro and I originally come
from Lima, Peru. I do not have any pictures of my house or neighborhood, but I
hope my descriptions are clear enough to paint a picture. What I can remember
about my childhood neighbor were the parks and my friends. The houses around
were constructed with cement and made earthquake-proof. My house was in the
middle if three parks. Parks were significant in my neighborhood because it
represented nature and unity among neighbors. After school, my friends and I used
to play ball, tag, climbing trees, push each other on the swings, which our
parents hung, etc. The parks were always clean and the city would take care of
it very well. Someone would cleaning them by picking up the trash, planting new
trees or upgrading its features
I knew everyone is my neighborhood because we
would always go out instead of staying at home. My kindergarten school was a
block away from my house. I still remember walking with my dad who dropped me
off every day before work. We would walk in the gray asphalt, say hi Ms. Betty
every morning, who would water her plants and pass the “Bodega” (a small local
store). The security guy would always say hi to me and give me a hi-five. He
would always drive around with his truck making sure everything was running smooth.
I never asked his name, but he was a very amicable person.
It is nice to think about those times because
it reminds me how much it means to me and the way I was raised. I loved the
neighborhood I grew up with and perhaps one day, whenever I go back, I will
show my kids where I am from so they can see how proud I am of my ethnic background.
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