Pubdate: Wed, 28 Oct 2009 Source: Vancouver Courier (CN BC) Copyright: 2009 Vancouver Courier Contact: http://www.vancourier.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/474 Author: Naoibh O'Connor Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth) MEXICAN REFUGEES ESCAPING DRUG CARTELS 13 Of 34 Refugee Students Mexican Mariana Ruiz took a seat in a small office at Britannia secondary during a break from studying Macbeth in English 11 Monday. When the soft-spoken teen started to speak, it was a surprise to learn she's only been in Canada for "one year and two days"--her comprehension and grammar are quite good. But the teenager is one of a growing number of Mexican refugees attending Vancouver schools after fleeing corruption and violence triggered by drug cartels. This school year, 13 of the 34 refugee students registered at the Vancouver School Board's District Reception and Placement Centre came directly from Mexico. The other students are Afghans, Burundi, Indonesian, ethnic Jurai, or mountain people, and Hmong from Vietnam and one Cuban. Ruiz, 17, lived in the central Mexican city of Aguascalientes before escaping with her parents and three siblings. A visit from a well-dressed man with an expensive car to a small grocery store run by Ruiz's mother Maricela Medina sealed the middle class family's fate. It was obvious the man didn't fit in, so Medina told her police officer husband, Enrique Ruiz, a commander in an anti-assault special unit. He showed police photos to his wife, who quickly identified the stranger--a man involved in narcotics trafficking, kidnapping and organizing delinquents. Ruiz's parents viewed the visit as a threat and her father knew his family was in danger--murders and kidnappings ordered by drug cartels are becoming increasingly common in some areas of the country. Even police departments are rife with corruption. Officers have been murdered. "It used to be safe," explained Mariana Ruiz. "But two years ago, it became too dangerous." Within a month of the man's visit, the family had sold their car, the grocery store and their furniture. The children stopped going to school. Ruiz's father barely slept, awaking at 6 a.m. to patrol the house for intruders who might kill him. They spent a week with family in Coahuila before taking a flight from Monterrey to Vancouver where they claimed refugee status. For Ruiz, it was an end to her "almost perfect" life in Mexico where she had friends and a boyfriend and was doing well in school. The family was questioned for hours over two days by authorities at the airport. Initially, they stayed at a hostel before moving to Kinbrace House, which provides transitional housing for refugee claimants. After six months they moved to a one-bedroom East Side apartment before settling in a three-bedroom apartment in Coquitlam. Both parents work--her mother cleaning newly built condominiums and her father in a garage cleaning and washing vehicles once they're fixed. "They're happy because we're safe now. They used to feel sad and stressed out because of [lack of] money and they miss their family," Ruiz said. "But they know Canada is a good place to live and there's lots of opportunities for jobs." Ruiz has adapted well, learning English quickly and excelling in school. She was in ESL classes for only four months, bolstered by after school ESL courses, before transferring to regular classes. "I thought it was so hard and I would never learn English," she recalled. I feel unconfident. Some words won't come." She's enrolled in Britannia's international baccalaureate program, earns As and Bs, and dreams of enrolling in university to become a pediatrician. In many ways she's a typical teen--she enjoys music, dancing and reading, spends hours doing homework and is obsessed with the Twilight saga. But unlike other teens, Ruiz's family remains in limbo, awaiting a refugee hearing to determine if they can stay in Canada. There's no guarantee, but Ruiz feels their case is strong. "Now I'm so happy. Now I have a new boyfriend. My marks are pretty good. I feel confident," she said. "I'm also happy because my family's safe and we're getting better." - --- MAP posted-by: Jo-D