A Weekend of Relief

MUCHAS GRACIAS!!

Want to share with you a recap of the trip to Mexico. The situation is as sad as it seems in the news, in fact, being face to face with the victims of the earthquake is more powerful than I anticipated because, at the end of the day, I knew that their journey of uncertainty had just begun.

Despite the situation, we found smiles, laughs and big hugs all around... I am a big hugger, so I just went for it :)

Cole and I departed Tijuana Friday night with hopes to sleep on the 3-hour flight... bad idea. No sleep happened, but we arrived excited at 5am in Mexico running on pure adrenaline. My family awaited with a car already full of cloths to donate, and two cousins, who I had just met, were ready to partner with us in the journey.  Off to Morelos the cousins, Cole and I went!

As we started our journey to Morelos, we felt a shake, but I thought it was just part of the symptom for no sleeping. Immediately, my cousins alerted us that the earthquake alarm was going off and it was going to happen any minute. All traffic stopped, military cars blocked the highway, and began to get in place to mobilize people away from the buildings. My cousin asked us to take deep breaths and prepare to leave the car. You could feel the tension and fear in the environment. Fortunately, the worse had passed, but it was clear that Mexico was fearful and traumatized by the past earthquake. A 6.2 shake that morning caused 2 deaths in Mexico City. Both, caused by heart attacks.

In Morelos, our goal was to get to Jojutla, the town where help was being deprived to the community, and put away by the government. Our goal was to make sure the real victims received it directly. With half of the donations, we shopped in a nearby town for items needed, and in a parking lot we divided and packed up bags to distribute. At that point, my aunt (who I was also meeting for the first time) arrived with an SUV and homemade food to also distribute. We packed up and headed to Jojutla.

During our day-long journey, we distributed food, supplies, and love in the rural areas surrounding Jojutla. We  did see big trailers pulled over by officials, but we were able to make it through with no issues. My family knew their way around, and found a way to get in the town despite all the traffic jams. We were happy to see that, like us, other locals went there despite the fear of being detained or robbed. Mexicans were helping, uniting and mobilizing to help one another.

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On the second day, we made our way to Miacatlan, one of the most affected areas. Through locals, we visited a few of the victims who were waiting for their house to fall any minute, or were just left with dust and rocks.

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Very frustrating to see a 70-year old woman living in a half-fallen house that will dust away any minute, only because she doesn't have anywhere to go. That house is her life!

My heart broke to see a Widow, mother of 3 young kids, left homeless and with no answers after the earthquake left her house inhabited and half fallen apart. The kids still shared love and laughs with me, and the mom was standing strong looking for ways to give their kids a roof to sleep under that same night. How can one walk away from that mother, knowing that her future is uncertain for her and her kids, and that her two jobs were not going to be enough to afford a roof above their head any time soon? I promised that I was not going to give away money, but I broke the rules in this case. I pulled out the other half of the donations and gave it to this mother to find a place to rent for the next 2-3 months for her and her kids. How much I wished I had enough money in the bank to just fund her a new house.

See her video here.

https://www.facebook.com/DanielaGuevaraRadio/videos/1529250990469885/

We were able to feed several families for a week or so, and put that woman in a house for the next few months, but that is just a temporary fix. The situation is uncertain, and we must keep our prayers with all of those affected and be grateful every day for what we DO have.

I plan on going back to Mexico in a couple of weeks, and follow up on the widow mother situation. I am in talks with people to try to find a way to fund the rebuild of her house. It should be a $6,000 dollars project and it is absolutely feasible for us in the US. Keep your prayers with us to be able to do it!

The weekend was an effort by many, and I am extremely grateful for your donations!!!

Gracias to Cole "El Guero" for his willingness to get out of his comfort zone to go help a country foreign to his. He was sleep deprived, running on adrenaline as well, and taking bucket showers without complaining once! All he could see was the need, and not the nationality, or how it affected him directly. His heart and desire to help was bigger than his own interests and comfort.

We must thank my cousins who, despite having been on the road volunteering already for the past few days, and sleeping wherever the night allowed them to, they were full of energy and love to share!! Always willing!!!

Gracias to my amazing Guevara Family, who just met me, and supported me till the end!!

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GRACIAS!!! GRACIAS!!! GRACIAS!!!

Apology To A Racist

Dear Man On The Street,

You might not remember me already, but we crossed paths this beautiful evening. Let me refresh your mind.

With such beautiful weather in New York, I decided to walk home from work and use that time to talk to my mother on the phone. She is a beautiful, hardworking Mexican woman who just bought a house with my dad after working for 18 years in this country. Finally, the American Dream is complete. But, I have a feeling that you wouldn't understand about that, so I will move on with my story.

We crossed paths walking down Madison Ave in the Upper East Side of Manhattan. With my headphones on, I was talking my heart out to mom, and then you came about and shook my world.
"Shhh", you said loudly as you walked pass me. It took a second. I stopped. Looked around, and realized that you were talking to me. Was I doing anything inappropriate? No. Was I bothering or insulting you or anyone? No. What was my crime?

As you were speed walking away from me, the New Yorker in me, that I had been training for almost a year, came unleashed. "What the fuck is your problem?", I yelled looking back at you. "Speak English", you said without even turning around to look at me as you continued to walk away. "What does it fucking matter to you what I speak?", I yelled back louder. "This is America", you proudly said as you continued to cowardly go the opposite direction.

So many emotions. So many questions. So much anger and frustration. All I wanted to do was run after you, but then what? What was the right thing to do? To be honest, I was afraid that you were armed, and my mother, who heard the whole exchange, begged me over the phone to just let you go.

I apologize for not educating you. I strongly believe that I could have been your savior in this world. On that moment, I was representing those million of immigrants in different corners of the country facing racism, exclusion, and oppression only for being different. It was my chance to change your mind and I wasn't prepared. As you cowardly walked away, I was dying to tell you my story, and those of million of immigrants who suffer and struggle in this country, just to have a piece of the American Dream . If you only knew, you would feel some respect.

I noticed you were proudly wearing your Marine Corps hat. Good job.Thanks for your service. My boyfriend, son of immigrants, is also a Marine Corps vet. Allow me to make you aware that immigrants have served with distinction in the U.S. military throughout the nation's history, becoming a vital contribution. Are you also going to ask them to speak only English as they take a bullet for your country?

To be fair, you were right about one thing, this is America. My America. Country of immigrants. That is exactly why I get to speak my language of choice, be whatever religion I feel like I want to be, and love whoever I want to love. You do not have any power over me for any of those decisions.

The only reason I wanted to write this letter was to apologize to you. I am sorry that your inferiority and insecurities make you feel threaten around what is unknown for you. Not because our President represents white trash like you, means that we get to sit and conform. On the contrary; we get to stand up for one another and for what America is really about.

My strongest piece of advice is that you start getting comfortable with being uncomfortable because America is conformed by people like me, not you.

You live in one of the most diverse cities in the country, composed by millions of immigrants, and you still had the balls to be racist in the streets of Manhattan. What can we expect from the rest of the country? There is a lot of work to do.

Thanks for the empowerment!

With love,

Your Mexican, American, Bilingual, Bicultural, Female, Immigrant neighbor.

P.S. If we cross paths again, make sure to say "Buenas Tardes".