The discrimination suffered by her autistic son was one of the reasons that led Ana Hernández and her husband Edwin Pineda to flee El Salvador. But the trigger that made them run away were the death threats they suffered by not paying the ‘rent’ that the gang members asked of them.
“We had a business that sells and distributes water, and when we did not agree to give them the money, they warned me that they were going to throw me in a black bag at the doors of my mother’s house.”
The gang members took her husband off public transport and when they were about to shoot him to death, a vehicle arrived that they mistook for a patrol car and threw him on the floor of a kick.
“We filed a complaint, but in El Salvador they don’t know who to trust. They are all in collusion. ”
Ana says they did not want to appear on the front page of the newspapers with the news of her death at the hands of gang members . So they decided to come to the United States. “If you go to another part of El Salvador, the gang members will go and look for you,” he says.
Another powerful reason that They took Ana and her husband to emigrate to the north with their two children, Jonathan, 9 years old, and Josué, 7 years old, it was because the minor suffers from severe autism.
“It was detected at 3 years old, after he had three seizures and a lot of insistence with the doctors to check him since the child took a long time to walk and did not speak. They told me to give him time, but I didn’t see it well. When he finally received medical attention, they evaluated him as if he were a deaf child. ”
It was not until later that it was confirmed that Josué had no hearing problems, and was diagnosed with autism.
In the process of finding out what her son had and seeking treatment, Ana says it was object of ridicule, mistreatment and humiliation even of the medical personnel.
“A psychologist told me brutally without any consideration that my son had disordered brain. Due to autism, the child becomes frustrated when he sees many people. In the clinics they yelled ‘crazy child’ and discriminated against him. ”
Ana and her family left El Salvador on 27 April 2019. “We crossed Mexico by bus and car for 9 days. I was afraid of the road because of all the stories that are heard and we knew that we were risking our lives, but we were between a rock and a hard place. We couldn’t stay in El Salvador. Our lives were in danger there too. ”
During the trip, he was concerned about how Josué would react to the long journey. “Sometimes the child could not contain his emotions and the people who brought us, scolded me.” She even says that they threatened to leave her on the road if she did not calm the minor.
“Upon reaching the border, my husband and I we parted ways, and each took a child. Joshua and I spent 11 days in a shelter after migration kept us detained for 6 days. It was a terrible distress not knowing anything about my husband and my oldest son. They only spent one day in a shelter and 6 days in the hands of migration. ”
When they were released, Ana’s sister who lives in Los Angeles temporarily gave them a roof. Currently they rent their own space in the San Fernando Valley.
“ The most difficult thing in these almost 2 years that we have been here, is not having a work permit. Sometimes we feel discriminated against for not having documentation and fluent English ”.
Her husband works as a plumber and she stays at home with her children.
“I hope to have a work permit soon . Although it is difficult because I have no one with whom to leave my son with autism. Not many people want to take care of these children because they think they are aggressive and afraid. ”
What makes her happy is that her son Josué just started receiving therapy for autism.
“ My dream is to have a legal status and give my children a better life ”.
A Through the Refugee Children’s Center of the San Fernando Valley, Ana received financial assistance to pay the deposit to an immigration attorney who takes her asylum petition.
“The center has also helped me with English classes and they give me food.”
And he trusts that it is difficult for him to see the news of the massive arrival of unaccompanied children and refugee families to the southern border. “It gives me joy and sadness because it seems so easy to come here, but it is not.”
Despite all the challenges with Those who fight every day in this country say that taking refuge in the United States has been worth it.
“ There are times when I dream that I am in El Salvador and they persecute me, and I would like to run and come from there ”.
Support for refugees
The Center for Refugee Children of the San Fernando Valley in which Ana has received support, started in July 2015 as a ministry of the United Methodist Church to holistically help refugees, explains Mayra Medina Núñez, its director.
And it clarifies that it is not a shelter but a place that offers social services to unaccompanied minors and families of refugees and asylum seekers .
“The needs are multiple, especially in the legal area, especially because refugee families have no idea how the immigration system works. ”Says Medina.
One of the essential programs they offer is educating families about their rights. “Applying for asylum for those who flee is a legal right approved by Congress. By doing so they do not violate the law. ”
Other supports are two free consultations with immigration attorneys with experience in this kind of process.
“Before the pandemic, we gave scholarships to families to pay the deposit to lawyers for between $ 1, 000 and $ 1, 500, but after COVID – 19, we had to adjust the budget and we are only giving it now to unaccompanied minors. ”
With the massive arrival of families and unaccompanied minors to the border, he explains that they have not noticed a huge change in the demand for services. “We believe it is because most of them are still being processed. When they deliver them to their sponsors, we will have more work. ”
Some social services that They offer newcomers are referrals to doctors, schools, housing and mental health.
“We try to link with the services that the help to overcome post-traumatic disorder and assimilate to changes because they have fled their countries because of a problem and have traveled a very difficult road to be here. ”
They also provide clothes, school supplies and a weekly pantry. “They arrive with the backpack on. In some cases, we provide them with diapers, formula milk and gift cards. ”
They also offer classes to learn skills and teach them to develop your talents. The Center has a store where families can sell their creations.
Even with the economic challenges posed by the pandemic, Medina says that They have searched and gotten ahead when they found new links.
“We don’t stop providing. We have grown in terms of services. We already have virtual classes for the children with a Santa Monica orchestra and we are going to offer them percussion, piano and art classes. ”
Per month serve between 9 and 10 minors unaccompanied. “In 2019, we help 119 people. In 2020 we saw a decrease in the number of refugees by serving an average of 5 per month. Most are indigenous Mayan minors from Guatemala. ”
Faced with the wave of families and unaccompanied minors seeking refuge and asylum on the southern border, he asked for compassion.
“ I know that it is very easy to judge parents, but one would have to live in despair to understand. Nobody wants to leave their family or the place where they were born and raised. Who wants to live in close proximity and be a refugee? These children go out because they want to save their lives ”.
Virtual walk
Due to the pandemic, last year they were unable to host their annual fundraising gala dinner, the 30 April, the day that children in Latin America are celebrated, the San Fernando Center for Refugee Children will do the virtual walk “Leaving Footprint 2021”.
“Of 30 from April to May 7 we are calling on the community to register to walk 5 miles in the place they like the most, with which they will be donating directly to the center. ”
The link to register is: https://refugeechildrencenter.org/virtual-walk-fundraiser/