Local Venezuelan migrants demonstrate the power of faith and family

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) -- The challenges of packing up a family in the middle of a war zone and starting a new life have inspired a local woman to write a book about her experiences.

Wilmary Rondon and five other family members were forced to leave their home country of Venezuela several years ago, due to military coups and increasingly dangerous conditions.

Although reluctant to leave her homeland, Rondon said her family's well-being became the priority for her and for her husband.

"I always said if I move to another place, it would be with my whole family," Rondon said.

Sadly, that family did not include her mother, who died of cancer before the family could leave for the United States. The U.S. granted Protected Status Asylum for Venezuelans due to the dangerous conditions in the country over the past two decades.

Rondon's remaining family members, who made the journey with her, included her father and husband, a sister and two nieces.

One niece, a teenager named Wili, is now a high school student in St. Joseph and said the ability to be involved in a school that was not constantly shutting down or being being denied essentials has made all the difference for her.

"It felt like my education just stopped for about three years," Wili said. "I feel like I didn't learn anything, and then I started learning again when I came here."

Education is a key value among the Venezuelans who were forced out. The International Organization for Migration estimates that about 61% of Venezuelans forced out of their country during its dictatorship have either college or technical training. That includes 48% who have a bachelor's degree or higher, more than the U.S. national average of 36%.

Rondon herself holds a degree in political science but was not able to find a job or gain consistent access to key resources before coming to the U.S.

Rondon now works in St. Joseph as a recruiter, and her bilingual skills have made her a great asset to her company. Co-workers describe her as thoughtful, caring and hard-working.

She said her difficulties, which include the loss of her mother and her brother (Wili's father), have made her more compassionate toward others, regardless of their background.

"I try to help people, because I like helping others," Rondon said. "I have had a hard life, and that has made me more sensitive to others."

In honor of her mother and as a testimony to her family's faith and perseverance, Rondon has written a book entitled "Bajo el Mismo Sol." The English translation of the title is "Under the Same Sun." She said its meaning pertains to the diverse journeys we all take that bind us together and give us a sense of belonging, no matter our background.

"The book is really about how God was with my mom, my family and me through all the moments we encountered," Rondon said. "God was our light through the good moments and the bad moments every day."

She said she tried to stay in Venezuela for many years, until it became more and more unsafe for her and her family.

It was her faith and her family that encouraged her to pull up roots and leave her lifelong home, and she said that along the way, her family drew strength for each other.

She also had friends and other family members in the U.S. who had come years before, and they served as both encouragement and practical help as her own family settled in.

One such family member is an aunt named Zulima Lugo-Knapp.

Lugo-Knapp came to the U.S. in 2001, shortly after a dictator assumed power and, in her words, began changing everything, including their constitution.

Lugo-Knapp was an entrepreneur and professor of business in Venezuela and soon found that people with her education and background were seen as a threat to those in power.

She took her two children and left. She said her assistance to Rondon and her family was more indirect, but is part of a network of people who assist those fleeing from difficulty and finding a new home.

Lugo-Knapp said she is grateful for the opportunities she has found here, but she quickly added that she and the immigrant communities in St. Joseph also give back to the community.

"My main goal was to provide a better education to my children -- one of whom is now a surgeon, and the other is an entrepreneur," Lugo-Knapp said. "But, I have discovered that this move is not just for them but for others, as well. This is a great country, and those of us who come here want to make sure we are active in the community and actively build up this country."

Rondon had a book signing at the end of May. She said she hopes her book will inspire others, including her nieces, whom she is now raising as her own.

Lugo-Knapp continues to build her business and to assist others in the community through various means.

Both are aware of uncertainties regarding migration and immigration policies, but hope to continue on the course they are on, as legal residents of the United States and of the State of Missouri, to make a difference in the lives of those who are struggling and make their communities better.