Organization: La Esperanza Inc.

Ancestral Country of Origin: Dominican Republic/Puerto Rico

Share a brief story about how or why your ancestors came to the U.S.:
My parents came to the U.S. from their home countries, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. A couple years after getting married, they came to the United States as missionaries. They later established a local church in Georgetown, Delaware. The reason they came here was for ministry purposes, and, eventually, they had their two children here in the U.S. My brother and I have grown up with various experiences through our parents that have trained, equipped and prepared us to serve our Hispanic/Latino community and other cultures and backgrounds in holistic ways. I am immensely thankful for my parents’ sacrifices to move and establish themselves in a new land to follow their calling, even when it presented many hardships.