Lewiston, Maine, U.S.A. – The gift of education came from Camila Cateriano’s parents after she finished school in her native Peru. It was a plane ticket for a vacation in the United States.
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That vacation turned into a new life for her whole family.
After arriving, she had a powerful realization: her family belonged in America, where there were more opportunities for Cateriano and her little sisters.
Born in Arequipa, Peru, Cateriano, 19, moved to Maine three years ago to attend high school and pursue a college degree.
“It was best for me and my family to come here again, not only me, but my parents and my two little sisters.”
In Peru, there were threats that she and her sisters would be kidnapped, Cateriano said. The family is currently in the process of seeking asylum in the United States.
She made the case to her parents to leave Peru and move to America and they changed their entire lives for her, Cateriano said. In deciding to immigrate to the U.S., the family chose Maine because they already had relatives in the area, she said, making the transition much easier.
It was like the family already had a home here, she said.
When she first spoke with Youth Journalism International about her immigration story, Cateriano was a sophomore at Central Maine Community College, majoring in psychology.
She’s now at the University of Maine in Orono, pursing her bachelor’s degree. She said she became interested in the field after seeing the need for mental health awareness in her own communities. Feeling deeply privileged to have these educational opportunities, she said she hopes to eventually use her knowledge to help others with their mental health.
To support herself, Cateriano works multiple jobs, sometimes balancing as many as three at a time. She worked as a substitute teacher for the Lewiston public elementary schools for over a year, and she also worked retail jobs at a local mall.
Cateriano’s roots are multicultural. Her father’s family is originally from Italy, and her mother’s side is from China, though both of her parents were also born in Arequipa.
After moving initially to Livermore, Maine, Cateriano studied for a semester at Spruce Mountain High School because not all of her credits transferred from her school in Peru.
At high school in Maine, Cateriano struggled because she wasn’t yet completely fluent in English. Even though she took English classes back in Peru which helped her understand America, it was still a challenge at first.
The school system presented other challenges, too. Because it was difficult to find someone to correctly translate her transcripts, she had to retake classes she had already completed and earned credit for in Peru. She eventually transferred to Lewiston High School.
Cateriano experienced some difficulties with her peers here. Because she didn’t match their stereotypical image of a Latina, some students showed bias toward her.
Despite these hardships, Cateriano said, “It made me grow in my communication skills.”
The time she spent in an American high school helped her perfect her English and mentally prepare for the heavy responsibilities of higher education. As a 16-year-old high school graduate from Peru, Cateriano said, it would have been overwhelming to immediately go to college in America.
And being enrolled in a Maine high school that year granted her access to free community college programs, which she used to help her succeed.
Cateriano proudly graduated from Lewiston High School in 2024 and immediately enrolled at Central Maine Community College to continue her studies.
Today, what she loves most about living in Lewiston is the fresh air and the natural environment.
“It’s so pure,” she said, contrasting it with the heavy smell of carbon dioxide from cars back in her Peruvian hometown.
She finds Maine’s trees and landscapes incredibly green and lively.
Reflecting on the broader challenges immigrant families face, Cateriano emphasized that immigrants are highly intelligent.
Just because English isn’t someone’s first language, she said, they shouldn’t be treated with any less respect.
In Peru, people can often oversell the “American Dream,” according to Cateriano, making it sound like moving to the United States will automatically open every door.
Cateriano is realistic. She knows that living here won’t guarantee an easy path, and she expects challenges along the way.
But she still holds onto the hope for a brighter future that brought her here.
“It’s going to be tough. It’s not going to be easy. It’s gonna be a long path, but you are going to be able to have that dream at the end of the day,” she said.
America, she said, is “just a perfect country to … try to pursue your dreams.”
Carlos Fra-Nero is a Reporter with Youth Journalism International.
Read more from the YJI series American Reflections: Young voices on an old promise by clicking on the logo below:
