More Latinos could no longer provide and send remittances to their relatives back home, according to a recently published article.


Latinos in the United States 

The Latino community is the largest minority group in the United States. They are comprised of 32 million of the country's total population, and that does not include the undocumented immigrants, according to the Pew Research Center.

One of the main reasons why many people move to the U.S. is for economic purposes. They want to work in the country and send back money to their relatives from their country of origin. Ideally, the United States is where they can fulfill their dreams and provide for their family and relatives.


COVID-19 Negatively Affects Latino Workers in the United States

COVID-19 has negatively affected Latinos who are working in the U.S., and many of them right now were furloughed because the establishments where they were working temporarily shut down due to the health threat of the virus.


Latino Workers Who Shared Their Experience in this Time of Global Pandemic 

Herminio Rodriguez, who worked at a restaurant located in Miami beach, shared his bad experiences these days. He said that he could not send money to his family in Guatemala this month because the restaurant where he worked has shut down temporarily.

He also added that he worries a lot for his parents and son in Guatemala, who depend on him in buying food and medicines. The worst, he could not even pay his rent this month, and he needs to budget his remaining money for his food.

Edmundo Tarin, who emigrated from Mexico, shared the same sentiments as with Rodriguez. He said that he could no longer send money to his brother in Mexico who depends on him. Tarin was laid off from his job as a cook in a restaurant in Miami.

Another member of the Latino community is Lesbia Granados, who is from Honduras and is worried after she was not able to send money to her parents back home last month. Her parents depend on her to pay their bills and doctor's visits, but the hotel where Granados works is temporarily closed. 

Granados said: "I am everything to my parents, and it's my responsibility to take care of them after they did so much for me. Until then, I'm trying to survive with the little I have saved."

But she is still hopeful that she will receive her stimulus check soon so that she has something to send to her parents and save some to meet her daily needs.


Remittances in Latin America Before the U.S. Was Hit By COVID-19

Remittances in Latin America that are mainly coming from the United States reached a record high in 2018. According to the World Bank, the flow of money to Latin America grew by 10 percent or to $88 billion in 2018 because of the strong U.S. economy.

This means that many of the Latinos who work in the United States sent remittances to their families and relatives from their country of origin. Remittances are vital in some countries because this occupies a very significant portion of their gross domestic product. 


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