With such tight hugs and tears in their eyes, parents and children separated by the border sealed the moment they had been waiting for years…or even three decades.
“It was months, days, weeks of being there pending, but thank God everything went well and being here with me. That’s the most important thing,” said David Anzures, who was reunited with his parents after more than twenty years.
The reunifications are part of a Mexican government program that negotiates temporary tourist visas with the State Department, ensuring the return to their communities of origin of family members who come to New York for 15, 20 and some up to 30 days.
The Consul General @Jorge_IslasLo He presided over the “Silver Heart Uniting Families of Hueyapan” event, in which the family reunification of 5 people with their parents, all from the municipality of Hueyapan, Morelos, who had not met for more than 20 years, was carried out. pic.twitter.com/fHK7jhVTGv
— Consulate General of Mexico in New York (@ConsulMexNuy) August 10, 2022
This Wednesday, the half dozen families came from the municipality of Hueyapan in the state of Morelos, located in the Mexican highlands, whose population is primarily indigenous and has much less chance of obtaining travel permits than the rest of the country’s population.
“I felt very happy and grateful to God who gave me the opportunity to come see my daughter and my grandson. I love them very much. It’s been 15 years,” said Leoncio Escobar.
Despite the technological advances, of the 688 natives of the municipality of Hueyapan that the Mexican authorities calculate are living in the five counties, mainly Queens, the participants of the meeting recognized themselves as lucky.
“We haven’t seen him for years. Talking on the phone is not the same as being with him,” said Ricarda Alcántar, who was reunited with her son after more than 20 years.
With unique experiences for Ricarda such as trying the food that her son prepares professionally in the restaurant where she works. So unique that she doesn’t know what to ask him to try.
“Well, I don’t know, what he wants to prepare for us.”
Others have plans to visit the places many New Yorkers avoid.
“The Statue of Liberty, which is the most emblematic, Central Park, the World Trade Center… I don’t know, many places,” said Essica Escobar, who was reunited with her father after 15 years.
And some more, like Catalina, will have to wait a little longer to see their children in person. His flight to San Jose, California scheduled for the weekend.
“I am very glad that I am here because I came to see you and I am going to give you a hug,” said Catalina Aritzabal, who will be reunited with her four children in California.
According to the Mexican Consulate, from 2019 to date there have been almost 10 of this type of family reunifications from various states of the Mexican Republic, with a pause of more than two years of life to the pandemic.
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