We must not forget that the greatness of America has been shaped by the immigrants who have come for that hopeful opportunity of a better future.

People have immigrated to the United States from many places around the globe. They have often escaped the horrors of war and oppression to come to a country hoping for a future where their families could thrive in a Democratic Republic.  

The host of Resiliency Within will share aspects of her first-generation view with her colleague, Martha Parra, LCSW, who came to the United States as a child with her family.  The identities of Latinas and Latinos are shaped by geography, heritage, race, and gender. Latinas and Latinos embrace their heritage and contribute to the culture of the United States.

Martha’s family came to California from Mexico, and Elaine’s mother and grandmother came from El Salvador. They will share how their families taught them compassion, courage, strength, service, and hard work. They will share the values they learned from their families and how their rich heritage has inspired their personal and professional journeys as community leaders.

Elaine and Martha will also share their families’ challenges as they immigrate to a new country. Martha will discuss traditional healing practices learned from her father and how he inspired her work as a social worker.

They also share the challenges of racism and colonialism that immigrants face. Martha will share two programs initiated by the Reagan administration that gave her and her family a pathway to legal residency.

The Community Resiliency Model and the Trauma Resiliency Model and how they have been accessible to the Latino community.

Martha pioneered the first Community Resiliency Model Teacher Training in Spanish in the pilot study through California’s Mental Health Services Act and the County of San Bernardino.

Martha will share her work as an Immigration Evaluations Evaluator and her work with Asylum, Hardship, the Violence Against Women Act, and victims of human trafficking.