Advocacy group helps Mexican families in Alabama reunite after decades apart

https://www.npr.org/2022/12/23/ [login to see] /advocacy-group-helps-mexican-families-in-alabama-reunite-after-decades-apart
On a cold evening just before Thanksgiving, about two dozen families gathered at an event space near Birmingham, Ala.

The room was buzzing with anticipation. Volunteers in blue T-shirts prepared a buffet with pozole, salads, gorditas and cakes, while men and women decorated tables with balloons and flowers.

They were excited and nervous, waiting to reunite with their parents for the first time in decades.

"It's very emotional," María del Rocío Rodriguez Tellez said.

Rodriguez last saw her mom in 1997, right before leaving her hometown in Michoacán, Mexico.

She immigrated to Alabama with her husband and son, looking to find work and earn a more stable income. But she didn't realize she would never return to Mexico, and her parents would not be able to visit her in the U.S. until 25 years later.

"You know the desire to come here, for a better future. But you sacrifice a lot," Rodriguez said.