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Stockton residents share their families' immigration stories

Like many bigger cities, Stockton is full of diversity and has many family stories of immigration.

Stockton has a rich diversity, from its early days as a gateway to the Gold Rush to now.

"I don't think so. I think my great, great grandfather is buried up there," said Tina Cook of Stockton.

"There" is Amador County for Stockton transplant Tina Cook. ABC10 stopped her at the superior court building where she works in the district attorney’s office. Her family immigrated from Scandinavia.

"Do you think your family was pretty happy to come here?" Cook was asked.

"I don't know. See, I have four generations in the cemetery up there. I guess so, because they stayed," said Cook.

Steven Elms' family settled in San Francisco from Scandinavia and Holland for a song.

"It was work that brought them here. They were opera singers. They weren't the big opera singers. They were the backup opera singers," said Elms.

At a Downtown Stockton gas station, ABC10 found day laborers like Rogelio Chavez looking for work.

"It hasn't gone real well for me because of the difficulties to find work and a place to live," said Chavez.

Chavez came to the U.S. from Guanojuato, Mexico 30 years ago. His wife and two sons still live in Mexico and he sees them just twice a year. He can only get work two days a week doing odd construction jobs.

"I'm still looking for the American Dream. I haven't found it yet," said Chavez.

Gustavo Castro came from Mexico, too. He has also been here 30 years doing rebar work. He is proud that all seven of his kids were born in America.

"I came here because there was no work where I came from. The country was bad. We came here for a better future, better life. That's why as immigrants come here is to work," says Castro.

Howard Jang is a retired hospital IT worker. He was relaxing and watching some pool at the Oak Park Senior Center. He is second-generation Chinese American. His mother was born in San Francisco, left to China and came back as a 19-year-old servant to a wealthy Chinese family in Portland. His father emigrated from Shanghai.

"He came from South America on a banana boat. He snuck in that way. His birth certificate was burned up in the San Francisco Fire," said Jang.

Every family has their story. What is yours? Join the conversation on Kurt's Facebook page.

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