Fernandez Family Story

We’ve always been comfortable. With the rising unrest it has not been easy. We’ve decided that it will be best if we leave. It won’t look great for our family to up and vacate our place in this society, but for our safety it makes sense. Nestor and Daniel say we should go to America and they are making the plans to sponsor us. Money isn’t an issue, which we are all very grateful for. We do love Peru, but with the state of the country under President Leguia, and the eyes on our family, it is time for us to go. - Hilda Fernandez-Cornel-Zegarra

The girls can’t be labeled as Luz’s daughters. It has looked bad enough for us in Peru, I can’t imagine how it will look in America. We will say that I’m their mother. It is the safest way to protect them and us. - Rosa Fernandez-Cornel-Zegarra, mother of Hilda and Elia

The adults are telling us to call grandma mom. We don’t understand. - Hilda and Elia Fernandez-Cornel-Zegarra

It has taken a lot of time to organize. We still have a lot of logistics to figure out, but we think we can get us all here. Rosa figured out the situation with the girls. We just hope everything goes well when they settle down. We've finally arrived and managed to get our affairs in order here. - Nestor & Daniel Fernandez-Cornel-Zegarra

We’ve all officially settled in New York. The family wants to know why we should not say that we are Peruvian. They don’t understand what it took to get us here. They don’t understand how Americans look at immigrants. We are only the Fernandez's now. We thought it best to drop the rest of our name, Fernandez-Cornel-Zegarra. We can fit in easier this way. - Rosa & Nestor & Daniel Fernandez

I’ve learned we weren’t the only family. The instability both economically and politically has taken its toll on all of Peru. Peruvians leaving Peru is now commonplace. - Hilda Fernandez