Venezuelan Migrants Use Music As Form Of Refuge While Rapping For El Paso Reporter
Alright, so politics aside, it’s just so heartbreaking to see all the images and videos of migrant parents and their children sleeping outside in the cold as they try to make their way to the U.S. for a better life.
We’re all humans and seeing other humans, especially the children, freezing outside in the cold breaks my heart.
However, you’d be surprised at how positive some of these migrant spirits are regardless of the circumstances they are dealing with right now.
The other day I was at the KVIA Christmas lunch party and my co-worker and Good Morning El Paso Weekend Anchor Brianna Perez was telling us a story about her assignment for the day which was reporting on the migrants who were staying in Downtown El Paso.
She then showed us a heartwarming video that made me smile from ear to ear.
Brianna was tasked with interviewing migrants and asking them about the conditions they are dealing with and how they felt.
“They told me that they are grateful for the city of El Paso and its residents for their donations and they are just happy to be in the U.S,” said Brianna.
But what shocked her was when she was leaving they called her back and asked her if they could sing a song for her. A rap song that they made on the spot because they appreciated Brianna for being kind to them.
The video features four migrant men, the man in the middle telling Brianna that he is from Venezuela.
While some of the men are rapping, the others are beatboxing. When I saw the video, my heart was warmed and I smiled from ear to ear because these men were so happy to share the gift of music with Brianna and they were in high spirits.
“They tell me they turn to music as a form of refuge,” said Brianna. “They say all the music they sing is improvised and that it all comes from their heart and soul and they said that they express their tough journey to get to the U.S through their music as well.”
It’s heartbreaking to hear what’s going on across the border and here in El Paso, but it’s beautiful to know that despite these challenges, music is keeping these men in high spirits.
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