A recent New York Times article reveals Salvadoran immigrants' passion for and rapt attention to the upcoming presidential election in El Salvador, regardless of the fact that they live thousands of miles away. US chapters of Salvadoran political parties have campaigned in the United States, even though there are no absentee ballots for the million+ Salvadorans living outside of El Salvador. Nevertheless, savvy Salvadoran politicians recognize that families at home in El Salvador listen to their friends and family abroad in El Norte, especially since Salvadorans living in the US sent $3.8 billion in remittances in 2008. Yet, Salvadoran immigrants' passion for the election on March 15 cannot just be chalked up to economic concerns. Daniel Navas, a 45 year-old Salvadoran immigrant who lives in New York explains, "Our heart is still there."To read the full article, click here.
- Sara Skinner, US Grassroots Coordinator
*Photo from NY Times.
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