Building a wall along the border with Mexico was a topic President Donald Trump campaigned on in the final months of the 2016 presidential election campaign as he sought to bring a reduction in the number of illegal immigrants in the United States.

Although Mexicans still make up a little more than half of the nations 11.1 million illegal immigrants, the Pew Research Center reports that the number of Mexican immigrants illegally living in the U.S. has declined by more than 1 million since 2007.

But for some Mexicans living in the U.S, such as senior Abigail Barron, simply being from Mexico makes one guilty by association.

“Once somebody hears that you’re Mexican, they have automatic assumptions about you,” Abigail said. “There’s a lot of talk about the wall that Trump is going to build across the border and that’s all that people see.”

But the Barron family is doing its best to make a new life for themselves in Texas. Alfonso and Alicia Barron moved to the United States from Mexico with their three children Abigail, Desire, and Yamilet when Alfonso received a better job opportunity with Coca-Cola.

Overcoming obstacles such as language barriers and culture shock, there is still a longing for what was left behind.  

“People are so closed off and less accepting here in the U.S,” Abigail said. “I miss having my close friends and family to talk to all the time.”

Moving to the United States for their father’s job has given the Barron children a better opportunity, especially in the area of education.

“Public schools here are much more organized and nicer than in Mexico,” Abigail said. “There, in order to go to a good school, you would need to pay for a private school, which can be very expensive.”

But not everything is cheaper in the United States.

“We pay twice as much for health care here, than in Mexico, which is supposed to be the struggling and financially unstable country out of the two,” Alicia said.

Although there are many differences and adaptations that are often needed to be made moving from one country to another, Alicia and her family are confident that everything will be alright in the end.

“I am getting myself situated, and I will start looking for jobs soon,” Alicia said. “It’s difficult, and I understand that, but we are slowly adapting to our new lifestyle. We know it’s all for the better.”

One of the main difficulties for the family is the language barrier, but while Abigail is still working on her English skills, taking a high level Spanish class has helped her feel more at ease.  

“I’m taking the AP Spanish 4 class, and seeing the other students having difficulty trying to communicate what they’re trying to say makes me feel a little bit better about myself,” Abigail said. “I feel that I’m not the only one struggling with a foreign language.”

Moving to a new country can be an overwhelming adventure filled with twists and turns. However, moving at a younger age can give students a broader opportunity on what the new country has to offer.  

“I’m preparing and studying for the SAT, and I plan to go to medical school here,” Abigail said. “I am so glad that we moved to the United States for better opportunities, I am excited to see what this country has to offer.”