Beatriz came to the U.S. from Guatemala in early 2007. She worked hard to support herself at a local restaurant in northern Virginia. While there, she met Jose, a frequent patron of the restaurant. They dated briefly. During that time, Jose went to the restaurant where Beatriz worked every night to keep an eye on …
Surviving Violent Crime and Obtaining the Right to Work Read More »
In late 2009, Helen was struggling to get on her feet. As a refugee from her home country, Liberia, she and her family had recently suffered extreme hardship in refugee camps in a second country. She felt blessed to have been relocated to a third country: the United States. Only about 1 percent of refugees …
Viola is from Honduras. She moved out of her family home at the age of 13 to escape being sexually abused by a family member. When she was 16, she married a police officer who was very well connected with the local government in their hometown. Viola’s husband was incredibly abusive and beat her regularly. …
Marisol came to the United States from Guatemala in 1997. Back then, there was a rise in poverty and crime in her village. She saw neighbors who were mugged in the street. Teachers were often assaulted just for having stable jobs, and, as a teacher, she feared for her life. She chose to leave Guatemala, …
This year Karen’s two elementary-aged sons will not be the only ones going back to school. Armed with a green card and her newly minted Commercial Driver’s License (CDL), Karen will begin her new job as a school bus driver. While she has worked for the county’s transportation department as a bus monitor, she is …
Esther, a young Nigerian woman, fell in love with a man while she was still living in her home country. He was an American citizen. They were married in 2014. Esther and her husband both wanted to live in the United States to start their family and eventually, they moved to the United States together. …
Ana arrived in the United States at 18 months of age with her mother fleeing violence in Honduras, which continues to endure one of the world’s highest homicide rates. Since her arrival in the U.S. 22 years ago, Ana has married, had children, fostered a child, and presently works with autistic children. Sadly, Ana is …
Just Neighbors Paves the Way for a Promising Future Read More »
In the past week, we have all heard rumors of possible ICE enforcement action in the interior of the U.S. Just Neighbors has no direct information on the likelihood of these raids but remains concerned about the negative impact the detention of area immigrants may have on the rich fabric of residents, both immigrants and …
Alina comes from a culture where arranged marriages are common, and her family had arranged such a marriage for her. She was excited to come to the United States, get married and start a new life with her husband and his family. She met her husband for the first time on their wedding day. Unbeknownst …
Arranged Marriage: Hope, Despair, and Now Hope Again Read More »
By: Jeanne Barnes The views and opinions expressed in this reflection are those of the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Just Neighbors. Write what you see; this is often the instruction given to writers. I am basically an optimistic person, so I want to write what I saw …
What I Saw: A Volunteer’s Experience at the US/Mexican Border Read More »
The mission of Just Neighbors is to provide immigration legal services to low-income immigrants and refugees in Virginia, especially those who are most vulnerable. We also seek to foster enriching experiences that enhance awareness and mutual understanding among our clients, volunteers, staff and community.
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