Martin Morales journeyed from a remote village in southern Mexico to follow his older brother, Javier, to a new American life. Then, the coronavirus extinguished both their lives, just a day apart.
This May 2019 photo provided by Sheila Cruz-Morales shows Javier Morales and was taken at a church after the first communion ceremony for Javier Morales' goddaughter, at an undisclosed location. "He was very proud that day," writes family member Sheila Cruz-Morales. On April 6, Javier Morales, who immigrated to the U.S. about 30 years earlier and eventually became a citizen, died of complications from the new coronavirus at a New Jersey hospital. He was 48.
“Javier was the first one to immigrate ... He was chasing the American dream,” said Sheila Cruz Morales, whose mother is a first cousin to the two men. Martin followed nearly a decade later, joining his older brother in Teaneck, New Jersey. In the village, about five hours drive over mountain roads from the state capital, hardly anyone has a phone and internet service is even more rare. Calling family from the U.S. means dialing a telephone kiosk and telling whoever answers who you’re trying to reach. It works because the village, where people speak the indigenous language of Mixtec, is as close-knit as it is remote.
He married, raised a daughter who is now a medical assistant, and worked as a truck driver for a company that rents furniture for special events. Over the years, he assisted more than a dozen others who immigrated from Santa Catarina, helping them find work and housing.Martin Morales followed his older brother to the U.S. when he was 17. Quieter than Javier and interested in politics, he worked in a warehouse. He and his wife were parents of three children.
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