A woman who moved to the U.S. to start a new life for her family shared an emotional surprise reunion with her mom after more than a quarter of a century apart. Maria Manzanero, 53, left her native Mexico to move to Los Angeles, California, in 1999, hoping to build a life with her husband for their daughter and future kids. Due to immigration policies, Maria couldn't return to visit her family in Mexico, which added additional emotional strain every year that passed, according to her daughter, Lizeth, 23. And Maria's mom couldn't visit the United States because of health and financial reasons, which made Maria even more determined to secure her residence in the U.S. so she could return home. When that was approved in 2023, she started to make plans to return home – but she did not tell her mother Rosa, 73, that she had solidified a date to visit. Maria opted for May 10, Mexican Mother's Day, and with the help of her aunts was able to return to the city of Nicolás Romero. Having been collected from the airport, Maria was driven to her mother's house, where Rosa was outside washing her car. She was encouraged to head over to the vehicle containing Maria, and as soon as Rosa saw her daughter's face, she immediately burst into tears before heading in for an emotional hug.