The Sinaloense Fraternity helps them with the process of the tourist visa to travel to the US
To the sound of the Sinaloense band, parents and children met again in person after years of separation in a festive and emotional meeting held in Los Angeles.
There were 34 parents who traveled more than 20 hours on a bus from the northern Mexican state of Sinaloa to meet their children whom they had not seen for 15, 20 or more years.
The dream came true for the Sinaloense Fraternity of California whose board worked for months to get the U.S. Consulate in Hermosillo, Mexico to approve parents visas that allowed them to reunite with their children.
Beloved Curiel Flores believed to live a dream. She and her husband Rosario Urquídez were about to turn almost 20 years of not seeing their daughter Areli Eunice Urquídez Curiel.
“Since I heard that the Sinaloense Fraternity was going to promote the reunion of parents with their children, I said from here I am; and I started to get information, and I didn't leave them alone anymore, ”says Amada.
Her daughter Areli had no words to describe her feelings after hugging her parents. “All I can say is that I couldn't sleep last night, thinking I was going to see them. I'm going to hug my mom every day, ”he confesses.
His father says he was "impossible thing" the reunion with his daughter and four grandchildren. “We had already tried to get the tourist visa, and we couldn't. They denied it to us. Now the Sinaloense Fraternity helped us and I feel very happy about the life of having achieved it, ”says Rosario, laying her head on her daughter's shoulder.
The Sinaloense Fraternity succeeded in making the reunification program of immigrant parents and children whom they have called “come true”Joining hearts to the sound of the band ”.
“The idea was born since 2012. But we started working in 2019 with the support of board members such as Rosa Higueras and Imelda Beltrán,” says José Ángel Barajas, president of the Sinaloense Federation talks that they wanted to bring 50 people, but in the end 34 parents qualified.
“The Department of Homeland Security did a thorough investigation and review of our organization and we met all the requirements. It is a great achievement that I feel very proud of. These are my people who had not seen their parents in many years, because many of them do not have documents to leave the country, ”says Barajas, very happy with the success of the reunification.
And he advances that the reunion of this weekend is the first of five that they have planned.
The US government authorized parents a tourist visa for ten years. But to reunite with his parents, he gave them a one-month one-time permit. Once this commitment is fulfilled, they can return to the country as tourists as many times as they want.
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Olga Lidia López was super excited to be reunited with her mother Josefina López, 75, whom she didn't see for 17 years. He received her soaked in tears with a huge bouquet of flowers, and a sign that said: “Mom, you are a great blessing. I missed you so much! Welcome!.
Josefina, her mother arrived loaded with typical Sinaloense food to entertain her only daughter. "I brought him tamales of corn, machaca, pumpkin candy, coricos, empanadas and flour tortillas", He says.
Olga Lidia, on the other hand, says that she will dedicate herself to pampering, worshiping, hugging and kissing her mother who was not grateful for the Sinaloense Fraternity that helped her reunite with her daughter.
“I can never pay this favor to help us get the visa. I had already asked for it before and they didn't give it to me, ”she says overwhelmed by emotion.
The children benefited from the reunion reside not only in California but some in Arizona and New Mexico.
Dolores López came from Arizona for her mother Olga Engracia Morales whom she had not seen for 15 years.
"This is the happiest day of my life.. All these years I remembered him every day in the hope of seeing him again ”, exclaims Olga Engracia, who acknowledged feeling very tired from the long journey, but at the same time full of happiness.
"I'm going to love her, spoil and cuddle a lot these days," says her son.
Federico Acosta came from Albuquerque, New Mexico to Los Angeles for his 67-year-old Teresa Ángulo Lara parents and 81-year-old José Epifanio Acosta.
“I am too hard to cry, but I just hugged my son and couldn't stand it. They were 20 years without seeing it; and now I just met in person my grandchildren Daniel, Bryant and Maite, ”says Don José Epifanio.
Teresa, the mother made a great effort to reunite with her son, since she recently suffered a stroke that keeps her in a wheelchair.
"I am very happy, happy and grateful," says Federico who already wanted to take his parents to his house to live with them, and take advantage of lost time.
Many parents got off the bus that carried them and entered the room where the meeting was held in the city of Bell Gardens, dancing under the musical notes of the Sinaloa band. While they hugged and cried with great emotion, the Sinaloense, the hymn song of the Sinaloans, was heard loudly. The band Los Huajoteños de Badiraguato, Sinaloa played the traditional music of their people for two hours.
Eduardo Cervantes García of the ejido San Marcial de Guasave, Sinaloa who had been with his mother Josefina García Bobadilla for almost 15 years, took the opportunity to dance with his father.
He resides in Tucson, Arizona. “I only ask God to get home well to enjoy my mom. I really dreamed a lot about this moment. And I want to tell you that everything can be done. God is great and is with us. Yes you can”, He says happily while his mother did not hide the joy of meeting her son and even dancing with him to the sound of the Sinaloa band.
Many entrepreneurs from Sinaloa in Los Angeles such as Manuel Simental de El Paisa, Martina Santos de La Taquiza; Walterio Merino de Salsas Sinaloa and Paul Peñuelas of El Perihuete teamed up to donate the food that was served in the first reunion “Joining Hearts to the Sound of the Band” while Carlos Barraza lent them the place for the meaningful encounter.
