Tourism Minister Soraya Martinez Ferrada, seen on Wednesday holding a photo on her phone of her and her grandfather, arrived in Canada in 1979 and worked hard to adapt to life in the working-class neighbourhood of Montreal.Tourism Minister Soraya Martinez Ferrada carries a photograph of her late grandfather, along with his favourite handkerchief, in her handbag everywhere she goes.
“I remember the struggle of being an immigrant and trying to survive. That’s a common story for refugees everywhere,” she said. The Canadian elementary school she went to, where she did not understand enough French at first to be able to ask to go to the bathroom, was a far cry from her school in Santiago.
Her aunt, who was 10 years older than her, was sent to her grandfather’s house to burn the membership cards of Mr. Allende’s socialist party, which as a regional organizer he had on file, so they didn’t fall into the junta’s hands. When he was released, he was the first in Ms. Ferrada’s family to flee to Canada. Her grandfather followed in 1977, fearing for his life after learning he was blacklisted.In Montreal, her grandfather continued his activism, producing a monthly newsletter about the situation in Chile, from contacts he spoke to anonymously by phone, for Canada’s large diaspora community.
Holiday Holiday Latest News, Holiday Holiday Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Source: BNNBloomberg - 🏆 83. / 50 Read more »