by GABRIEL HATHAWAY
Sizzgi, driven by hope and necessity, left home in search of something better. As the political situation in her native Venezuela worsened, Sizzgi decided to flee the country with her family and make the long journey to the United States on which they crossed multiple countries, the dangerous Darien Jungle in Panama, and were even kidnapped by the drug cartels in Mexico. “I think me and my husband and my son had really difficult situations to the point that sometimes we believed we were not going to make it. And I think that’s the story of many people, many that live here in this community,” Sizzgi said through Project FINE interpreter and Program Manager German Victoria.
Sizzgi shared her story along with other immigrants last week at an event hosted by Project FINE and the Sandbar Storytelling Festival. Project FINE is a Winona-based immigrant and refugee advocacy organization founded in 1990, and last week it joined communities across the nation in celebrating Welcoming Week and recognizing newcomers. “We continue to share these stories even more at this time, to give opportunity with love and care and trying to understand each other, to bring people together more than really this fear and misunderstanding and all this that’s going around,” Project FINE Executive Director Fatima Said said. “So I really hope that love and care will overcome the hate and misunderstanding [between] each other.” Said added that Project FINE and newcomers have been very well supported and welcomed in the area and noted that Winona, St. Charles, and Goodview shared proclamations celebrating Welcoming Week.
On September 16, immigrants from across the world, preferring to only share their first names, told their stories of making the difficult decision to leave their homes in pursuit of a better life. Ze, a 69-year-old immigrant from Laos with 10 kids, said life in Laos was very poor, with limited food and dangerous storms that threatened to topple her home. Through translator and Project FINE Program Coordinator Pang Vang, Ze said, “In Laos, you don’t have really nice homes. So every time whenever it storms, it just feels like your roof is falling over. So then when I came to America, I lived here for like 19 years in St. Paul … And I thank God that I’m able to live here where I don’t have that fear of, you know, my roof falling over …” She added, “When I was in Laos, I didn’t believe in God. And now I’m in America and I believe in God. And I’m so glad that even when it snows, there’s no problem. When there’s storms, there’s no problem.”
Yasmin, like her mother and aunt, was a teacher in Cuba before she left to pursue a better life. She said she went to places like Colorado, Miami, and Houston, before she moved to Winona for a job at Pilgrim’s Pride. Yasmin’s new home made an immediate impression. “A few kilometers before arriving in Winona, I was able to breathe fresh air. It was nicer, not like back in Houston,” Yasmin said through translator and Project FINE Program Coordinator Christian Cruz Cartagena. Although she was initially working nights and sleeping during the day, Yasmin said she wanted to find a new job that would allow her to enjoy the beautiful days in Winona. At the event, Yasmin also announced she was approved for residency in the United States that day. “I want you to remember that I’m always positive, even when I’m afraid,” Yasmin said. “I just let it go. Like, I keep being positive. And so even when you have problems or when you’re facing your problems, just stay positive. We can’t give up and if we have a problem then we can ask for help, but always move forward.”
Another speaker, Isa, said she left El Salvador five years ago because of the poor economic situation and because she wanted to help provide for her parents. Isa said she was able to study at a community college in California through a scholarship and moved to Winona to finish her degree. “This December I’m going to finish my bachelor’s [degree] for nursing at Winona State,” Isa said. She added, “I am very blessed, and I have felt supported my whole time here. And also … Winona is such a safe place that I can call home now.”
Moving to another country is extremely difficult. In Venezuela, Sizzgi said she was an attorney and professor. “When you leave your country, it’s like you leave all of your life behind and start all over, start again from the beginning with nothing,” Sizzgi said. Although she has had to start over, Sizzgi said she is happy in Winona. She added, “I want to tell you to not be afraid of us. We did not come here to take your jobs. We did not come here to invade you. We came here for an opportunity where we can also grow and be part of that community.”
Immigrants and newcomers play an important role in our communities, Said said, not only as workers in important industries such as agriculture, manufacturing, and the food industry, but also as business owners creating jobs. “The benefits of refugees and immigrants in our community is huge, not just through the jobs and things, but also to make us who we are, making the United States proud to be built on immigrants and, you know, continue celebrating our openness to refugees and immigrants,” Said said.