Shelter in Place
Ilse Barajas Vázquez and her son crafted these words as an art project on the window of her home, which read: "Bleibt bitte zuHause" (Please stay in your home).
THEY COULD HAVE COME HOME TO THE U.S. AND LATIN AMERICA, BUT A NUMBER OF LATINOS LIVING IN EUROPE SAY HEALTH CARE AND THE RISK OF CONTAMINATING LOVED ONES CONVINCED THEM TO SHELTER IN PLACE, FAR FROM HOME
By Barbara Estrada
Despite the healthcare havoc that once had it labeled as “the epicenter for coronavirus,” some Latinos from the United States and Latin America have chosen to ride out the pandemic in Europe.
It goes against conventional wisdom. It defies headlines in the U.S. that tell of Americans feeling stuck and abandoned abroad. Many people have indeed come home since the start of the coronavirus emergency in Europe. And the U.S. government has sent charter flights to bring home others desperate to leave Europe after normal travel routes were cut off.
But conversations with American and Latin American expats -- people like dual U.S. and German citizen, Kayla Medina -- reveal a surprising trend:
“Yes, I am an American but I’m also a European and I feel safe if I can stay here,” said 30-year-old Medina, who lives in Berlin.
She is one of at least 1.6 million Americans who live and work in Europe, according to the Association of Americans Resident Overseas.
Typically, Kayla Medina wouldn't spend too much time on her patio except drink her morning coffee. She now finds herself spending more time outside to get away from the excess amount of time indoors as precaution measures increase in Germany.
Safer there than here
Medina is a communications strategist focused on online sports events and companies. She’s been working from home since the coronavirus outbreak began claiming thousands of lives in Italy and Spain.
“You don’t want to put your loved ones' lives in danger. If you’re flying just to go to your family, you’re putting them at a higher risk, especially if they’re older,” Medina added. “The decision to stay in Berlin was easy.” Her parents live in Miami, where she was born. They’re in their 60s and 70s.
For many staying in Europe, health care insecurity in the U.S. is a big factor. Nationwide, some 30 million people are uninsured and 44 million are considered underinsured and must deal with high out-of-pocket costs and deductibles. Although getting tested for the coronavirus is free, getting a test is not easy, and people like Medina fear the potentially high cost of coronavirus treatment, despite promises from major insurance companies to pay for the care.
“I’m insured in Germany and know where to receive medical attention,” Medina said, “but if I were to return (to the U.S.), I would be uninsured.”
In Madrid, 47-year-old Octavio Isaac Rojas Orduña won’t return to Mexico any time soon, even though he sees Spain facing a horrific fate, similar to Italy’s. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced a prolonged state of emergency until May. Spain has the second-highest reported infections and deaths in the European Union.
While the world is on pause, Juan Antonio Niño takes time in his day to continue his studies from home at the University of London.
Fear of chaos back home
Rojas Orduña is from Mexico City. He moved to Spain in 1997 and now owns a public relations agency. He’s also president of the politically independent Mexicanos Aquí, an association of entrepreneurs and business leaders.
“There’s a clear advantage to being in Europe, specifically Spain, where public health insurance is one of the best in the world,” Rojas Orduña said. “It gives great peace to know this and be able to do things, especially if one were to lose their job. You can still receive medical attention as opposed to private health insurance like in the United States where the fear exists.”
Although Rojas Orduña and his wife know several people in Europe who’ve been affected by the coronavirus, he has not considered going back to Mexico. Only recently has the Mexican government imposed rules against large gatherings, and urged most businesses to shut down. Political leaders have been criticized for a light response to the global pandemic.
Communities of Latinos in Europe are staying informed and are following social-distancing orders, said Juan Antonio Niño, a 28-year-old postgraduate student at the University of London.
Three days prior to arriving in London in March, he was home in Panama. Niño made a quick decision to return to London, fearing the situation would get worse in Panama and that he would not be able to return to eventually complete his studies.
Ilse Barajas Vázquez and her seven-year-old son take 15 minutes during the day to study German as part of homeschooling.
Protecting family
Niño is part of a WhatsApp group that includes a large number of Panamanians who had been living in London. He said everyone has since returned to their home country.
“I personally don’t think being in Panama is any safer than staying in London,” Niño said. “Although the U.K. government (took things lightly at first), I believe its people are much more aware and taking precautions than the people in my country.”
Although he has health insurance that covers him globally, he fears he could pose a threat to his elderly parents in Panama.
Ilse Barajas Vázquez, a 36-year-old preschool teacher near Hamburg, Germany, said it was fear and chaos among family members in the United States and Mexico that pushed her to stay in Europe.
Barajas Vázquez is a Mexican citizen. She lives about 45 minutes north of Hamburg with her 7-year-old son. During the crisis, she has spoken with her family in California and with friends in Texas and Florida where “there’s more panic than calm.”
“I feel completely protected (in Germany),” Vázquez said. “I have a friend, a doctor, and he tells me that the small town I live in is prepared, even though Germans complain that the public health in the country has deteriorated in the last few years. I just know I'll receive better care here than in my own country of Mexico.”
Barbara Estrada is a freelance multimedia journalist based in Miami. She has traveled extensively and studied in Amsterdam and the Basque Country of Spain. She is a graduate of the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism at the University of Southern California. Her Instagram is @HollaitsBarbara and tweets from @BarbaraBright.