I grew up in poverty in a $ 1,000-a-month rent-controlled apartment in Hell’s Kitchen before the neighborhood became gentrified.My parents immigrated from Mexico and met in New York. They married and had me, my sister, and my brother.The five of us lived in one bedroom of our apartment while my dad subleased the other two bedrooms. We often dealt with rats, roaches, and occasional water outages, but it was the only place we could afford.
Viviana and her sister.
Viviana Vazquez
Today it’s a bittersweet memory. I’m 28 and live in a luxury one-bedroom apartment in Brooklyn with my fiancé, Xavi, whom I met in college. Our place reminds me of the kind of apartment my mom used to clean.This year, I’m on track to earn over $150,000 as a senior content marketing manager at a FinTech startup, over five times the amount my family of five lived on when I was growing up.Seeing my parents struggle took a toll on meI remember my dad borrowing money from loved ones or banks to cover the rent. The day we got an eviction letter, my heart dropped twice — once when I read it myself and again when I translated it into Spanish for my parents.My dad has worked a minimum-wage job at a parking garage for as long as I can remember. My mom babysat, tutored kids in Spanish, and cleaned apartments. She would come home with bags of secondhand clothes and toys her clients had donated to her. My sister and I would proudly wear those “new” clothes to school.My favorite childhood memories were made at the local park because it was free, accessible, and almost always empty.
Viviana (far right) with her sister and cousins.
Viviana Vazquez
I didn’t understand why my parents couldn’t give me money for the books I wanted to buy at the Scholastic book fair or the Girl Scout cookies my classmates were selling.
At 17, I had to fill out the FAFSA and navigate the college process on my own while I watched my classmates enroll in SAT classes. I didn’t know why my parents encouraged me to attend college when they couldn’t afford it.I started at CUNY City College before transferring to Baruch, where I graduated with my BBA in economics. I lived at home and worked part-time to pay my way.We thought I was “rich” when I landed a $57,000 jobMy first job out of college was as a teacher with a $57,000 salary. My whole family cried and celebrated for weeks; I was the first in my family to graduate from college, and now we were “rich” — or at least I thought we’d be.I had already been helping my family with money for groceries and small bills, but now I wanted to contribute more financially.After spending my first paycheck, I realized that between tuition for graduate school, paying off over $15,000 in student loans and credit card debt, and covering much of my family’s expenses, I had no money to save or spend on myself.I felt stuck. I wanted to give back to my parents, but over time, resentment built up in me. It felt like I had gone through all of that hard work just to fall into the same struggle that I had seen my dad go through.I finally told my parents I was struggling and needed time to organize my finances. I would still help them, but not as much as before. They were supportive, understanding, and curious about how to pay off their debts, invest, and build wealth.Now, I give back to my family, but within my meansI learned about personal finance through podcasts, social media, and Xavi. I quit my teaching job after realizing three things: I didn’t enjoy the classroom setting, my earning potential was limited, and I was interested in technology and finance.After networking and months of job searching, I landed my first tech job in 2021. Two promotions and two interstate moves later, I’ve increased my income by 300%.Now, I consistently save and invest 30% (and sometimes more) of my income, allowing me to afford everything I wanted to do as a child, like travel and eat out. I send my mom money each month for her groceries, pay for my sister’s phone, and pick up the check every time I’m out with my family.I helped my parents consolidate their debt, refinance their interest rates, and invest in a Roth IRA. They’re on track to finally become debt-free this fall.We’ve accomplished so much on our money journeys, which I share openly with my community on my Instagram.Establishing boundaries was a big part of my financial journeyMy parents and I haven’t always been on the same page regarding money. They wanted me to cosign on a mortgage with my aunt because she didn’t meet the income requirements, and another time, they wanted me to empty my emergency fund to lend money to a family member.I didn’t do so either time because it didn’t align with my financial goals, and my parents weren’t very happy with me. Ultimately, they respected my boundaries.It took me years to get to where I am, but I’m thankful that I put myself first
Viviana Vazquez.
Viviana Vazquez
I’m proud that I prioritized myself. Although I thought I was selfish at the time, I was making a short-term sacrifice so that I could do more and give more to my family in the future.If my younger self saw everything I’ve built for us, she’d be so happy. While it feels like I overcame the cycle of generational poverty, there’s still so much more I want to do, like become the first millionaire in my family and retire my parents.For now, I’m focused on sharing my wealth with the people who deserve to enjoy it most: my loving parents. Their sacrifices are why I’ve gotten this far, and it’s only beginning.
