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| What happens after you're 'disappeared' | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| I came to the United States in 1983 with my daughter who was almost three years old. We left behind our family, friends and our motherland, El Salvador, which was in turmoil. Death squads were killing, disappearing and torturing people all over the country. | I came to the United States in 1983 with my daughter who was almost three years old. We left behind our family, friends and our motherland, El Salvador, which was in turmoil. Death squads were killing, disappearing and torturing people all over the country. |
| I was a philosophy student at the National University of El Salvador, my husband was a philosophy professor in the university; one day he left home in the morning and never returned. He became one of the 10,000 disappeared people. | I was a philosophy student at the National University of El Salvador, my husband was a philosophy professor in the university; one day he left home in the morning and never returned. He became one of the 10,000 disappeared people. |
| My parents’ home was ransacked after that and the army took my father, sister and brother. The following day men in civilian clothes arrived at my friend’s home where I was staying and took me with them to an unknown place. I was disappeared until the International Red Cross found me in the secret cells of the national police. From there I was transferred to the women’s prison where I remained for 10 months. | My parents’ home was ransacked after that and the army took my father, sister and brother. The following day men in civilian clothes arrived at my friend’s home where I was staying and took me with them to an unknown place. I was disappeared until the International Red Cross found me in the secret cells of the national police. From there I was transferred to the women’s prison where I remained for 10 months. |
| Under pressure from human rights organizations, the Salvadoran government granted amnesty to political prisoners. This was a show of good faith timed for the upcoming elections, and in the expectation of more money from the US to continue to support the war. | Under pressure from human rights organizations, the Salvadoran government granted amnesty to political prisoners. This was a show of good faith timed for the upcoming elections, and in the expectation of more money from the US to continue to support the war. |
| Related: Tell us how you got here: share your stories of immigration | Related: Tell us how you got here: share your stories of immigration |
| Upon my release, my parents thought I should leave the country right away. I didn’t know where my daughter and I would end up, but we left El Salvador and went to Mexico City. While there, my mother-in-law contacted me and offered to help us come to the United States, where she lived. I had never met her before, but I thought it would be good for my daughter to meet her grandmother and that it might give her the opportunity to grow up in a safe place. | Upon my release, my parents thought I should leave the country right away. I didn’t know where my daughter and I would end up, but we left El Salvador and went to Mexico City. While there, my mother-in-law contacted me and offered to help us come to the United States, where she lived. I had never met her before, but I thought it would be good for my daughter to meet her grandmother and that it might give her the opportunity to grow up in a safe place. |
| We began our difficult journey to Los Angeles, where we didn’t have any close family or friends. Living in the United States was not easy. I did not want to live under a government which was supporting the war in my country and had forced me to leave. I didn’t want to leave my motherland. | We began our difficult journey to Los Angeles, where we didn’t have any close family or friends. Living in the United States was not easy. I did not want to live under a government which was supporting the war in my country and had forced me to leave. I didn’t want to leave my motherland. |
| I had been a philosophy student with dreams of becoming a professor at the university. All of that was gone, and instead I was here in Los Angeles. My first impressions were of confusion. I was traumatized by the war, the torture and by abruptly fleeing El Salvador. I was thankful to be alive. | I had been a philosophy student with dreams of becoming a professor at the university. All of that was gone, and instead I was here in Los Angeles. My first impressions were of confusion. I was traumatized by the war, the torture and by abruptly fleeing El Salvador. I was thankful to be alive. |
| Coming to the United States was a great cultural shock. Not speaking English well enough to be able to communicate with people was difficult, as was the feeling of being out of place. I thought that when the war was over, I would go back to my country. The war lasted 12 years, during which I started to grow new roots, started a new family, formed friendships, found work and a safe place to live with my children. I am now a citizen of the United States, which is a very strange thing. I am glad that I have survived and live in a safe place. I am thankful that my children have also had opportunities. | Coming to the United States was a great cultural shock. Not speaking English well enough to be able to communicate with people was difficult, as was the feeling of being out of place. I thought that when the war was over, I would go back to my country. The war lasted 12 years, during which I started to grow new roots, started a new family, formed friendships, found work and a safe place to live with my children. I am now a citizen of the United States, which is a very strange thing. I am glad that I have survived and live in a safe place. I am thankful that my children have also had opportunities. |
| Related: How I got here: from Macau to Chinatown, undocumented | Ivy Teng Lei | Related: How I got here: from Macau to Chinatown, undocumented | Ivy Teng Lei |
| Since moving here, I have worked with the Santana Chirino Amaya Refugee Committee and a refugee advocacy group, Clinica Monseñor Oscar Romero, which provides free healthcare to refugees. I co-founded El Rescate, a non-governmental organization, which provides legal and social services, and protects the immigrant rights of refugees coming from El Salvador. We were also part of the solidarity and sanctuary movements that worked tirelessly to stop the war in El Salvador and to respect human rights. | Since moving here, I have worked with the Santana Chirino Amaya Refugee Committee and a refugee advocacy group, Clinica Monseñor Oscar Romero, which provides free healthcare to refugees. I co-founded El Rescate, a non-governmental organization, which provides legal and social services, and protects the immigrant rights of refugees coming from El Salvador. We were also part of the solidarity and sanctuary movements that worked tirelessly to stop the war in El Salvador and to respect human rights. |
| Personally, I am torn between here and El Salvador. There is always something that reminds me that I don’t belong here, especially when there are economic or political crises and anti-immigrant sentiments are raised. I feel afraid of uncertainty. I have known it well, and fearing that something may happen is not the best way to live. | Personally, I am torn between here and El Salvador. There is always something that reminds me that I don’t belong here, especially when there are economic or political crises and anti-immigrant sentiments are raised. I feel afraid of uncertainty. I have known it well, and fearing that something may happen is not the best way to live. |
| It is different for my children. This is what they know as their culture, this is where they were born and are growing up. I think about El Salvador all the time because I still have family there, including my parents. If conditions were safer I would like to go back to my country someday. But I don’t know when that will be. | It is different for my children. This is what they know as their culture, this is where they were born and are growing up. I think about El Salvador all the time because I still have family there, including my parents. If conditions were safer I would like to go back to my country someday. But I don’t know when that will be. |
| Open contributions: How did you get to the US? | Open contributions: How did you get to the US? |