The Meinkes' immigration saga, part 4: six to eight months

On December 19, 2012, Miriam Meinke’s request to make her U.S. residency permit was denied.

On January 3, she and Anthony said goodbye to each other and greeted an uncertain future. Anthony flew back to America, while she remained in Mexico with family. “When I came back, the word was out,” Anthony said. “There wasn’t really anybody else that I needed to tell.”

Before she left for Mexico, Miriam had made arrangements that if her request was denied, she would stay with her aunt and uncle in Rodriguez Tejeda, 55 miles southwest of Veracruz. Miriam described the town’s size as “smaller than Renwick.”

While she was grateful to her family, Miriam never quite felt comfortable in the town, which was not far from where she had spent the early years of her life.  The days were long and her mind was on America, the future, and Anthony. At the same time, she participated in community life. She started teaching Zumba dancing, as she had done in Clarion, with around 20 students joining her. For a month, she tutored eight area kids in English, from ages three to 12, including her nieces and nephews.

Read about what Miriam did in Rodriguez Tejeda – and Anthony did in Wright County – in the August 7 issue of the Wright County Monitor. Also, stay tuned for the next installment of the Meinke’s story.