From Ecuador to the ER

Before adopting the U.S. dollar as its official currency, Ecuador faced hyperinflation with its native currency, the Sucre. This economic collapse caused immediate effects on citizens’ daily lives, forcing hundreds of thousands of citizens to flee. Among them was Maya (name changed for privacy reasons), who migrated to America in the hopes of finding a stable future. Upon arrival, she navigated the language and economic barriers, which today shapes the way she raises her daughter. 

Graphic: https://www.awaygowe.com/cuenca-ecuador/

“I'm learning a lot about how the economic world is in this country, so [it can] help me to teach her how she can save money, how she can get a good profession for her [Maya’s daughter] future,” Maya explained. “[Because] it’s a good thing to have good relationships with friends, or for example, in the jobs, have a good relationship with our partners…it's important to teach her how she has to be more lovely with people.”

The key to building a life in America required the knowledge of its native language. So, learning English wasn’t simply about understanding and communicating with the people around her; rather, it was crucial in self-advocacy, negotiating salaries and opening a path for better and brighter opportunities in her future. 

Maya’s ultimate professional goal is to get her community college degree and be a licensed medical social worker. Her passion for service stemmed from her initial struggles in the States. “When I arrived in this country, nobody helped me. All the time I was running to [get] governmental help like SNAP, to pay the rent, for a better job…nobody [taught] me to do that because at that time my English, it was very poor. I can't explain to them what I really need,” Maya reflected.

As her English improved over the years, so did her understanding of the American . “I'm planning now. I'm in college planning to get my degree to be a social worker. That's what I love to do, always. And you know, before I didn't know I had to get any certificate or degree or master to get this kind of job, but now I understand more English. I can speak. I can learn. I can read and write…my purpose to study more English is to work in the hospital as a social worker.”

Currently, Maya’s job within the hospital allows her to experience what it means to be a social worker. Assisting people with chronic conditions, she connects them to doctors, specialists, and personally accompanies them to checkups. In this way, she makes a tangible impact on each and every person she works with, her empathy making her an approachable and trustworthy person to confide in. While she is not yet a licensed social worker, she offers immediate comfort and advice. 

“Sometimes I have clients who come to me and [say], ‘I feel like I want to suicide because I'm very depressed.’ I'm not a social worker yet, but I give some advice to them, and I try to explain to them or ask [for their reasons]. I have to talk very seriously with them and explain to them many things and give them some options. Explain to them, you know, that life is beautiful…and think about [their] future,” Maya remarked. “And these people came back to me, and [thanked me] for my advice and for helping them when they needed it.”

This opportunity of being able to make such a profound effect on others was truly what made this work so important to Maya, where she had the ability to alter the trajectory of a life for the better. 

Arriving in America as an immigrant with limited English is no easy feat. Not only are you restarting your life in a different country with no connections and no one to rely on, but the language barrier to reach out and ask for help is also difficult to overcome. For many, this barrier results in social isolation, systemic exploitation, and a sense of despair. Maya similarly experienced this vulnerability, but her determined nature made her resilience unshakeable and continued to push forwards. 

“I'm a very strong person. When somebody is bullying me, I don't care. I don't mind the things that people tell me…if you tell me [I] can’t do this or [I] can do that one, I say no. I’m gonna show you I can do it. No matter what, I'm gonna do it.” 

Ultimately, Maya stressed the importance of the power one’s voice carries. Her advice to others facing similar situations: “Don't get afraid. Don't get afraid of nothing. If you want to say something, say it. Say it because if you keep quiet…that is one of the [worst] things you can do. To break the [generational cycle,] you always have to raise your voice, always.”