CLIENT PROFILE: Abel and Jose
Abel arrived in the United States in 2016 from Latin America. Abel struggled in his childhood, explaining how he grew up poor, and his parents weren’t able to support him in his efforts to pursue higher education or professional opportunities. Overcoming this, he worked independently to find work and pursue his education in the field of human rights law. Abel explains that he was forced to leave Latin America as a result of the social problems in his country, saying that the violence had forced him to leave in order to find safety for himself and his son.
Sadly, Abel was forced to leave his young son Jose in Latin America in order to pursue an opportunity for him to safely join Abel in the United States. Now, Abel speaks eloquently about his life and struggles, with his arm over his son in their home in Los Angeles. IRIS’s CAM (Central American Migrants) program was able to bring Jose into the United States, offering a safer migration passage than Abel experienced.
Jose plans to attend university and study human rights law, just as his father did. He is thankful for the friends that he has made in school that have helped him with his English and that share similar experiences to him. Abel is currently working in construction and spends his free time pursuing his passion for social justice for people in similar situations as him, in the United States and Latin America.
Because of his experiences and education, he has received both formally and informally, Abel aims to provide immigration support and advice in any way he is able. He also works to provide advice and general support to people who are unable to leave Latin America due to their circumstances.
When asked how Abel plans to uphold his cultural values, he emphasizes the importance of upholding strong values for youth. He plans to make sure that he teaches good actions, acts as a role model, and maintains cultural practices for his son and the youth in his community. This, he argues, is key to maintaining a community that doesn’t fall to the violence that he and his son were forced to escape from. Abel explains that when his son is his age he will have far more professional or personal opportunities than he did because of the hard decisions he had to make, and the help that IRIS provided to help them reunite.
When asked what advice Abel has for current or future immigrants, he emphasizes the importance of study and research for finding a path to come to the United States. Abel recommends that even if one might not have access to many resources, hard work and perseverance is essential.
Abel and his son Jose give deep appreciation to IRIS for their work, specifically case manager Veronica Velez, who was the head of IRIS’s CAM program. Because of Abel’s hard work and IRIS’s resources, he was able to be reunited with his son and seek a safer path and future for them both. Abel states, “Even though I couldn’t compensate IRIS for their work, there’s a god that compensates people who help others in this way.”
Interview conducted and written by Natalia as part of the New Beginnings Diaries project. Over the course of the semester, refugees were interviewed to get a better understanding of the ways in which IRIS has served the refugee community in the greater Los Angeles Area.