THE OTHER SIDE (al otro lado)
Photographed by Raquel Natalicchio. Written by Raquel Natalicchio & Jhair Romero for the Houston Chronicle
I first met the Valera family at the US/Mexico border in Ciudad Juarez while covering the end of Title 42, an immigration policy that turned away thousands of asylum seekers over the last few years. From the moment border officials processed the Valeras, hours after the policy lapsed, their lives were thrown into a whirlwind that hasn’t let up. With no money and separated from one another, they’ve bounced haphazardly from city to city in search of a home.
The journey of this family of nine — a glimpse into their episodes of despair, uncertainty and confusion over nearly a year — offers a window into the realities many Latin American migrants face on their journey to the U.S. and the complicated web of obstacles they meet once they’re here.
“Todo tiene su proceso.
Con la bendición de Dios.
Ten paciencia.”
The 44-year-old father and husband, Alejandro Valera repeated these mantras constantly. He just needed patience, to trust the process and hope that life would one day be normal and predictable again. A stable life, a place to live, an honest job. It’s all he and his family wanted.
Three days after arriving in New York, Alejandro was rushed to a nearby hospital with chest pains. The stress clouding their lives had taken its toll, his wife said. “I can’t do this without him,” Dailiris said at her husband’s bedside, caressing his face. “I would be lost in this world if anything happened to him or my children. This was all for them.”
The journey for so many others continues at shelters across New York City. Hundreds of Venezuelan migrants are struggling to make ends meet. One man said he’d spent the last of his money on a cheap scooter so he could start delivering food in Manhattan. Another began selling Venezuelan food on the streets.
Joan Betancourt, slide two, on June 15, 2023, in New York City where he works as an Uber delivery driver. The Venezuelan native migrated to the U.S. six months ago. “I spent the last of my money to buy a scooter so that I could have a job that will pay me enough to feed my family,” he said. "My first job was in construction, but they paid me very little. My dream is to be able to buy my family a home so my children can feel safe and have a future.” To read the full article, click here.
