“I won’t let being first-generation disappear from me. It is important to accept that I come from this.”

Story #45, Alexis Flores Pineda, Hispanic First-Generation 

Interview conducted and story written by Selene Ho

Edited by Margharita Marras

As a first-generation student and second-generation immigrant, Alexis Flores Pineda lives differently from many people he knows. Pineda was born in Boston, Massachusetts and grew up in Central Falls, Rhode Island. He is currently a freshman at Boston University studying Political Science and Economics on a pre-law track.

Pineda’s mom and dad each came to the United States in the early 1990s from El Salvador. Both came by foot. “My dad would tell me crazy stories about how he had to float down a river with a bag of his stuff. And [he and other refugees] would be on tires,”

While Pineda’s dad arrived in New Jersey, his mom arrived in California: “[my mom and dad] were the first ones in their families to emigrate. It was easier for them to try to make it out on their own than be another mouth to feed,” Pineda explained. 

The stories of Pineda’s parents continuously inspire him to do well in school, even when it is stressful. “When I get tired [in school], I think about what my parents did to get here. I think about the opportunity that I am given. I can’t just waste it because I am tired.” Yet Pineda feels a great amount of pressure to succeed academically. “Being first in the family–it means something.” 

“In high school, I was surrounded by other first-gen students. We all came from the same background. We all had similar stories” Pineda said. But at Boston University, Pineda found it challenging to find people like him. “I started meeting people and hearing their stories of where they traveled to and where they lived–all these crazy stories that made me feel bad about where I come from. It made me feel like I wasn’t good enough,” he explained. 

Being a QuestBridge Scholar also placed a lot of pressure on Pineda. “Everytime I would tell someone I am on a scholarship, they would think I’m insanely smart.” But Pineda believes that is a skewed perspective: “I am smart, but I just don’t have money.” 

Though it was difficult for Pineda to find community at BU, joining the Latin Dance Team introduced him to other Hispanic and first-generation students. “Talking to them and becoming friends with them makes me feel heard. It helps to know there are other people who are also struggling,” Pineda said. 

Moreover, being a first-generation student has allowed Pineda to appreciate others more In the dining hall at BU, Pineda always greets the workers, as he explained, “they are all Hispanic or P.O.C. so I always think about my parents–they had to work those jobs.” In general, Pineda believes “the first-generation perspective is very unique because it makes you grow up faster.”

To stay connected to his family and Hispanic culture, Pineda enjoys visiting Hispanic restaurants to “get a taste of home food,” and talking to his parents over the phone in Spanish. He also feels proud to play Spanish music on his speaker. “I don’t get scared of playing it too loud because this is part of me. I can play whatever music I want to and I shouldn’t feel judged by it.” 

For the future, “my first goal is to graduate college. In my family, it is huge to be a college graduate,” Pineda said. Pineda further expresses his hope to attend law school after and then “become an immigration lawyer to help out people who are in the same situation as [his] parents were and give people the opportunity that [he] was given.” 

Pineda further shared his advice to other first-generation students: “Keep going. You’re not at the end. I know it is hard today, but it’s for you, it’s for your family, and everything will work out with time.” 

While Pineda faced the challenge of “accepting society and understanding that what [he] was used to was not how the world is,” he fully heartedly embraces his background and experiences of being a first-generation student. “I won’t let being first-generation disappear from me. It is important to accept that I come from this and I have to be proud of that.”