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Haitian migrants face racism and indifference learning Spanish in Ciudad Juárez Juarez City.– In this border city it is estimated that there are more than 1,500 migrants of Haitian origin seeking to settle down and start a new life, however their efforts are held back by the language barrier.
That is why volunteers and students have come together to teach Spanish to the Haitian population of all ages, who seek to start a new life.
One of the volunteers is Teresa Hernandez, who is 18 years old and a high school student. More than a month ago, she started in the program to teach Haitian children and youth to speak and write in Spanish.
In interview with THE UNIVERSALassures that it is a joint learning, since just as the migrants begin to speak Spanish, she has also had the opportunity to learn Creole, the language of Haiti, in addition to its customs, history and culture.
“As I am teaching them Spanish, they they are teaching me Creole. There is also a translation assistant with them, she understands Spanish and can speak the language they speak”, explains the young woman.
Tere has to teach the little ones and the young people who attend the classes, aged between 5 and 18 years old. The first thing they learn are greetings, following that verbs, parts of the body, addition and subtraction, among others.
regarding his dealings with the Haitian childrenTere points out that they are very active, “they support a lot in the physical activities that they wear and they like it a lot”, he assures.
He relates that it is the first time he has had the opportunity to support the migrant population that reaches Ciudad Juarez.
“I never thought I would be with my migrant friends. I came to work at the Center and from one day to the next everything changed, I will be a volunteer for one year in June, but it is a very nice experience, which at 18 is something I want to continue doing every day”, stands out.
Proud, Tere assures that her little students can now say hello and goodbye in Spanishbesides the vowels.
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The origin of the program
Cristina Coronado Flores, coordinator of human mobility in the Cathedral of Ciudad Juárez, he said that these actions are part of a Ministry for Migrants that was formed three years ago, and which supports the mobile population that arrives at this border in different ways.
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He points out that since December 2021 they began to notice the increase in people from Haiti who arrived at the border with their intention to cross into the United States. originating
“A first barrier they have is the language and the other is that there are a lot of indifference and racismand little by little it begins to end when they begin to communicate.
“So, if I don’t have a language in a country, I’m like lost, like on the street. The point is that they asked us for the most extensive help, and language is something essential for them,” he says.
Migrants realizing that they have to stop in Juarez, since crossing into the United States is complicated and returning to their country is not an option for them, they look for this type of opportunity in order to get ahead on their own.
“The journey of them (Haitians) is very long, from Brazil, from Chile. When they arrive here, they arrive tired and afraid, and it is difficult to think regarding returning. When they realize that there are many deported to Haiti they stop here, and they don’t know how long they are going to be, but they have that ability to be present, establish themselves and they know how to ask for help very well,” explains Coronado Flores.
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There are approximately 80 migrants of Haitian origin who are receiving these classes, but there is a longer list of people who are waiting for their schedules to accommodate in order to attend.
The classes were held in conjunction with the Autonomous University from Ciudad Juarez (UACJ), who created a Spanish school program.
Those who teach them are volunteers and the young people UACJ students careers such as education and psychology, and do their social service with this activity.
“The idea is that Haitian migrants have the possibility of learn Spanish and break a barrier that is the language, and that is a barrier for them to insert themselves into the community and work”, adds Coronado Flores.
As the project is just over a month old, work is still being done on adapting schedules for people who already work.
Classes are given free of charge on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays from 10:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., in rooms inside the Ciudad Juárez Cathedral office located in the downtown area.
“The response has been very good, in fact we are regarding to open a schedule on Saturday, possibly on Sunday, due to the demand we have, because they need Spanish and here we are learning how to adjust the schedule.”
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