Long Island Wins :: Meet Your Neighbors

After Hurricane David changed her life forever, Marianela Jordan found success in America

Thu, 04 Oct 2007 12:57:51 -0500

Marianela Jordan is currently the Executive Director of the Nassau County Coordinating Agency Spanish Americans (C.A.S.A). She is the highest ranking Latino in County Executive Thomas Suozzi's administration. She is a graduate of the University of Virginia with a B.A. in Psychology and is currently working towards a Masters in Public Administration from the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public education at New York University.

Marianela and her family left the Dominican Republic after a devastating Hurricane hit the country. Her family came to live with relatives in Freeport, Long Island in 1979. Marianela's mother worked on an assembly line for $103 a week while her father worked 16 hour days. The hard work and strong values Marianela's parents exhibited shaped Marianela's future.

Marianela overcame her undocumented status, becoming a US Citizen, went to a top-tier university, and now is the highest ranking Latino in the Suozzi administration. As the Executive Director of CASA, Marianela oversees an agency that offers a wide range of assistance to immigrants from English as a Second Language (ESL) class to Naturalization Services.

Watch an interview with Marianela:

Nelson came to America in 1985 after fleeing a violent civil war in El Salvador

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 19:54:29 -0500

Nelson Hernandez, a native of El Salvador, is President and Founder of Legacy Homes Realty, a real estate company based in Hempstead, New York that he helped start four years ago. Legacy Homes Realty has grown into a multi-level service company with sixteen employees.

Nelson fled El Salvador during a violent civil war in 1985. Searching for a better life he flew to Mexico and then crossed the US-Mexican border. Nelson made his way to Long Island to re-unite with his father who had come earlier to provide for his family.

Once in Long Island, Nelson began working towards his citizenship. His greatest accomplishment is the work he does through Legacy Homes Realty. By helping families purchase a house he is helping people reach their own "American Dream."

Watch an interview with Nelson:

From El Salvador to Hempstead: Morena Morales and Legacy Homes Realty

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 13:37:23 -0500

Morena Morales, a native of El Salvador, is Vice President of Legacy Homes Realty, a real estate company based in Hempstead, New York that she helped start four years ago. Legacy Homes Realty has grown into a multi-level service company with sixteen employees.

Morena traveled to the United States after her father had received his green card and applied for the correct papers so the rest of his family could join him in New York. Thus, her family flew into JFK Airport legally and established themselves on Long Island. Although Morales had finished high school in El Salvador she attended an American high school for two yeas and then moved on to college. This opportunity allowed her to learn the language and create a better structure for her new life in the United States, after all, “the best thing is going to school.”

Hard work and an education are the two issues Morales stresses about life, in the U.S. or otherwise. What makes the United States different from her home in El Salvador, she says, "is the freedom to go after what one wants, to succeed, and to feel safe. And long as one has education, drive, and a little elbow grease there is no reason not to thrive."

Watch an interview with Morena: