Immigrant Heritage Month: Karla

Karla stands outside smiling in a bright yellow shirt. She has her arms wrapped around her two sons, standing in front of her. They are both wearing glasses and blue shirts.

Karla was only seventeen years old when she fled El Salvador with her family to live in the United States. She loved her life in El Salvador, where she was only beginning her studies to become a doctor when her family was forced to move to the United States for fear of their safety.

Karla knew nothing about the United States when she immigrated and was nervous about adjusting to a new culture. She’s grateful for the immigrant community that greeted her family when they arrived and helped them find work. Karla worked hard to support her family and challenged herself to get a GED in English despite her limited English proficiency.

Karla’s first son was born prematurely. She learned a lot of English of necessity by speaking with her son’s doctors and nurses. They diagnosed her son with autism when he was 2 years old. Karla immersed herself in community and special education programs, meeting other families and learning about their needs, and learning about the special education system while also improving her English.

Meeting other families also made Karla see and feel their fear – they warned against being too trusting of powerful government agencies. She and others in her community were nervous that schools wouldn’t listen or take them seriously if they spoke Spanish.

“[My children] have to grow up faster. They have to understand our reality. They see on the TV, on the news, we are not welcome sometimes – for our skin color, or the way we look.”

When Karla connected with MAC, she felt empowered to work through her fear. She learned that she had the right to language interpreters and translators. She began to ask questions about practices at her son’s school and worked with staff to implement more positive behavior reinforcement techniques, which she knew worked better for her son and other children. In her effort to help and let other parents know about their rights, Karla went on to serve as the vice-president of the Chelsea Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC).

Today, Karla and her husband work long hours to support their family and try hard to shield their children from the stress and adversities that often come with being an immigrant in the United States. 

Karla’s children ask about their family in El Salvador frequently. She reminds them of how lucky they are to have families in two countries who love them and want what is best for them. 

“They have two countries,” she shares, “They should be seen the same way regardless of where they are from or where they live. God gave the Earth to everybody, not just one country or nationality.  As God’s children, I want them to feel safe, proud, and equal to everyone everywhere they go.”