|
 |
|
A line of people wait in front of Cuscatlan Bank in Sensuntepeque, El Salvador. This is one of several locations where people line up to pick up money sent to them from relatives in the U.S.
Staff photo by Erin Henk |
|
 |
|
|
Editor's note: Pedro Rodriguez and his four young children were buried Thursday in the cemetery at Sensuntepeque, El Salvador. Their bodies were found last month in the family's house in Frederick . Like so many of their countrymen, Rodriguez and his wife, Deysi Benitez, emigrated almost six years ago from small towns near Sensuntepeque in search of a better life. Benitez, 25, has not been seen March 18.Part 1 of a series on immigrationSENSUNTEPEQUE, EL SALVADOR -- Just after 8 a.m. the line of people at the Custcatlan Bank already snaked out of the front courtyard, around the corner and down the street. Women and men of all ages stood quietly, every so often taking a step forward, moving closer to the counter. -- This morning was not unlike many others when dozens who live in this city and neighboring villages come to pick up the money relatives have sent from the United States. The moneygrams -- which average between $100 and $200 -- are what many in this city of 25,000 people rely on to buy food and to clothe their children. Jobs are hard to come by. For those who find them, salaries often aren't enough to cover expenses. The average monthly salary is $80, but about $200 is needed to pay expenses, according to residents. What someone can earn in an hour in the United States takes an entire day here, said Sensuntepeque's Mayor Jesœs Edgar Bonilla Navarrete. The economic problems have prompted many residents to head for the United States. Nearly everyone in Sensuntepeque has a relative there, said Jose Cristobol Sorto, 36. He emigrated to the United States illegally in 1987 and returned to El Salvador in 2000 to care for his aging parents, but would have preferred to stay in the United States. He is the only one of 12 children who remains in Sensuntepeque. His 11 siblings live in places including Salinas, Calif., and Yuma, Ariz. Some of them send him money each month. The last card Four banks hug the perimeter of Sensuntepeque's central park. David Quinteros, manager of Banco Salvadoreno estimates about 1,000 people come each week to the city branch to pick up money. The average amount sent is $100. Most of that money goes into Sensuntepeque's struggling economy, said Bonilla Navarrete. People spend their money at local shops, which in turn helps create jobs for residents. If that money wasn't coming in and residents hadn't emigrated, there would be even more demand for the few jobs available, he said. The city will have a better idea how many people have left for other countries after a census is completed this year. Bonilla Navarrete estimated the number of emigrants at 5,000. The money coming in has paid for houses. It has paid for business endeavors. People see what the money has done for others and get the idea that life in the United States is going to be the answer, he said. Most residents know the journey carries many risks -- from robbery to death -- they are desperate to try to improve their circumstances, Cristobol Sorto said. "They don't have hope here," he said. "They figure, 'I'm going to play my last card and see if it brings me a better life in the U.S. or death." Romel Beltr‡n Hern‡ndez, 20, tried to emigrate with his cousin and a friend last January. He wondered what life would be like in the United States, he said. While they knew the journey would be hard, they didn't realize how dangerous it would be. They were stopped three times by police officers in Mexico. Each time, the police threatened to turn them over to Mexican immigration officials unless they paid $100 per person. Along the way, they also were charged exorbitant amounts for places to stay, said Beltr‡n Hern‡ndez's cousin, Oscar Cruz Rivera, 21. They ran out of money, but when they tried to find jobs, no one would hire them. Eventually, they found work at a church. The three men chose to return to El Salvador after people in the church told them other immigrants had died along the way. Maria Rivera has heard the stories too, but she believes emigrating is her only option. Although she fears making the long journey across Guatemala and Mexico and trying to cross illegally into the United States, she is frantic to feed herself and her 15-year-old son, Chimi Alexander. She used to make $2 a day selling clothes, but the small shop where she worked shut down four weeks ago. The young mother hasn't been able to find another job and she doesn't receive any money from her husband, who emigrated to the United States 14 years ago. "He is living well, but I'm left here," she said.
|
