Ricky Samayoa
ʻWhere we all know each other and take care of each other.ʼ
The mayor of Marysville is a second-generation immigrant – the epitome of the American Dream for a boy who spent much of his early childhood growing up in a small city in western El Salvador.
While he put in the work to get to where he is today, it’s unlikely his ascent would have transpired the way it did if his mother – Aracely Galdamez – would not have immigrated to the U.S. all those years ago.
“I was born in San Francisco during her first migration to the states in the late 1960s,” Samayoa said. “She was just a young woman in her early 20s wanting to migrate for hope and a better life.”
Samayoa lived in San Francisco until he was two, when due to financial struggles the family had to move back to El Salvador.
“I remember as a child having a pretty happy childhood and playing during our summers,” Samayoa recalled. “Then things shifted really quickly
where we couldn’t go out and my childhood became sad. It wasn’t safe anymore.”
Civil war plagued El Salvador during that time. Samayoa said he can remember there was a lot of violence throughout the country. Attacks in urban cores, kidnappings and murders became commonplace in El Salvador, he said.
“At that time, I think we were just wanting to get away from the civil war that the country was going through,” he said. “We returned to the states when I was 11 years old, so in 1981.”
Samayoa is a U.S. citizen, but his mother needed to get a visa in order to return. One of his uncles who had moved to the states earlier and already established himself sponsored Samayoa and his mother. They lived with him in Santa Rosa for a couple years, he said.
Samayoa’s brother and sister remained in El Salvador for a few years before moving to the states. Galdamez had dreams of residency for the whole family.
“She was able to in 1986 when President (Ronald) Reagan passed a law that allowed folks from war torn countries to apply for residency and a green card. So, my mom was able to get a green card for her and my brother and sister. Now we are all citizens of the United States,” Samayoa said.
Marysville’s mayor is the oldest of his siblings. His sister is a licensed social worker and clinical counselor in Chico, his brother works in the management program for Bay Area Rapid Transit. After working to support the family as a housekeeper in San Francisco, Galdamez is now retired.
Samayoa has a 7-year-old son now – about the age he was when he was living in El Salvador when the political climate started to change. When asked about his perspective on current immigration issues going on at the border, he became emotional.
“I just think about my own son. It’s pretty difficult for me to talk about,” he said.
He said many Salvadorans don’t have the type of opportunities for work and education like they would if they were born in the U.S. There isn’t really a middle class in the country, he said, only the rich and the poor.
“A lot of folks who are making this decision to make the 5,000-mile trek to the border are people who are wanting an opportunity and are willing to work hard and be law-abiding citizens…maybe even become mayor of a little town in Northern California,” Samayoa said.
He plans on spending the Fourth of July like many other Americans – surrounded by friends and family celebrating the journey up to this point.
“For me, I’ve had every opportunity, and I’m blessed enough to say that I’ve had a pretty good life,” Samayoa said. “I enjoy living in our area, where we all know each other and take care of each other.”