Blanca Alvarez, originally from Nogales, Mexico, recounts the story of her crossing the border to join her family in Los Angeles, California, more than thirty years prior. She and her daughter, Connie, go on to remember their early years in the United States. Those days were full of challenges for the Alvarez family. But now Blanca, 53, and Connie, 33, can look back and smile at things like a phase of eating only bean tacos and spending the nights working. Connie, who went on to graduate from UCLA, says her mother's life back then -- raising kids and working, even as she went to school herself -- has been an inspiration to her. It's a reminder, she says, that challenges can be overcome.

Blanca Alvarez, originally from Nogales, Mexico, recounts the story of her crossing the border to join her family in Los Angeles, California, more than thirty years prior. She and her daughter, Connie, go on to remember their early years in the United States. Those days were full of challenges for the Alvarez family. But now Blanca, 53, and Connie, 33, can look back and smile at things like a phase of eating only bean tacos and spending the nights working. Connie, who went on to graduate from UCLA, says her mother's life back then -- raising kids and working, even as she went to school herself -- has been an inspiration to her. It's a reminder, she says, that challenges can be overcome.