MARIBEL HONDURAS

MARIBEL IS A HONDURAN WHO ARRIVED IN MONTANA IN 2014 WITH THE GOAL OF ESTABLISHING HERSELF AS THE OWNER OF A CLEANING COMPANY. "I WANTED TO HELP MY FAMILY IN EVERY WAY POSSIBLE, AND THIS WAS MY WAY OF PROVIDING," SHE SAYS. AS A MOTHER, MARIBEL EMPHASIZES THAT, ALTHOUGH SHE IS "PROUD OF THE WORK SHE DOES," SHE SEES SOMETHING BIGGER FOR HER DAUGHTERS "AND I KNOW THAT ALL OF US LATINO PARENTS, NOT JUST IN MONTANA BUT IN THE ENTIRE COUNTRY, DREAM OF OUR KIDS BECOMING DOCTORS AND LAWYERS. WE WANT THEM TO FLY," SAID MARIBEL.

AS SHE SERVED ME COFFEE ON HER WOODEN TABLE, I ASKED HER QUESTIONS SUCH AS: DO YOU FEEL PART OF THE LARGE COMMUNITY IN BIG SKY? WHAT IS LATINIDAD TO YOU? "LATINIDAD TO ME IS GROWING AND EXTENDING MY HAND FOR OTHERS TO RISE WITH ME AS WELL. LATINIDAD IS MAKING SURE THAT MY GIRLS, (WHOM SHE REFUSES TO CALL WORKERS BECAUSE SHE SEES THEM AS SISTERS AND DAUGHTERS), HAVE ENOUGH WORK YEAR-ROUND TO SUPPORT THEIR FAMILIES. LATINIDAD IS ALSO SPONSORING SOMEONE AT THE BORDER AND HELPING THEM GET TO A PLACE WHERE THEY CAN BEGIN A NEW LIFE AWAY FROM VIOLENCE," MARIBEL EXPLAINED

"MONTANA IS A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE WOULDN'T THINK LATINOS EXIST, BUT THE MORE THE YEARS PASS, THE MORE WE MAKE A LEGACY IN THIS STATE. BE IT BY CLEANING HOUSES LIKE ME OR BY SELLING FOOD LIKE MANY OF MY FRIENDS, WE COME HERE AND MAKE THIS SPACE OURS BY WORKING TO ACHIEVE OUR GOALS AND HELP EACH OTHER SUCCEED," SHE SAID.