TULSA, Okla. — Several families reunited after years or even decades apart. It’s the result of several months of work.
Late Sunday night, families from the Mexican state of Zacatecas reunited at the Casa De La Cultura Tulsa.
Parents of families living in the United States were able to get a visitor visa. This means they will visit for 30 days before returning back to Mexico, but they will have their visa to return to the state to visit when they want next.
It’s all made happen with a partnership between an organization from the state of Zacatecas and the federal government of Zacatecas.
The woman who helped start this program says she went 27 years without seeing her mom.
“And the illusion to see her dad is the one that drove her to start this program here,” Florencia Trejo, president of the Casa Zacatecas Federation, said through a translator.
For one woman, she hasn’t seen her mom in 22 years until Sunday night, and it was a tear-filled moment.
“I can’t believe it. I can’t. Maybe I’m in shock. Maybe," said Perla Banuelos after reuniting with her mom. "Because I don’t feel nothing. I see everybody and my mom and it’s real? No way.”
She says everything felt like a dream and says maybe in two weeks, when her mom is still visiting, it might feel real.
Multiple families were reunited with hugs, tears, and flowers. Many haven’t seen their parents for anywhere between four to 27 years.
This program bringing families to the states was paused during the pandemic, so this is the first trip in the last few years.
Before the pandemic pause, about 150 families were reunited. There’s even more to come. There is another trip planned for September with 30 people on it.
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