Hispanic Heritage Month: North Carolina woman works tirelessly to reunite her Cuban family
Updated: 11:25 PM EDT Sep 22, 2021
As part of Hispanic Heritage Month, Laura Morillo, a Winston-Salem, North Carolina, resident who fled communist Cuba as a teenager and worked tirelessly and persistently to bring her mother and two sisters to the United States as a young woman, is sharing her family's story of immigration.Morillo was born in Cienfuegos, Cuba, in 1991. When she was 14 in 2005, she came to the U.S. to live with her father, but in doing so made the difficult decision to leave the life she knew, and leave her mom behind.She recalls during this monumental move how Cuban officials made her feel even worse.“When I was at the airport, and I was leaving, a lady there said, ‘Don’t cry. You’re leaving because you want to. You’re leaving your mom because you want to do it,’” Morillo said.Upon arriving in the U.S., Laura moved in with her dad, Jorge Morga, her stepmother and a half-sibling at their home in Miami, Florida. Two years later, Morga moved the family to Winston-Salem.Morga, too, had fled the island. He left when Laura was very young — back in 1997.“I said, If I don’t leave the country, I will never be able to give my family a future,” Morga said. Morillo quickly made it her life goal to bring her mom, Marlen Garcia, and sisters to North Carolina from Cuba.“She was focused on that, and that was the only thing on her mind,” Morga said.More years would go by and many hurdles would crop up, but in 2013, the long wait was finally over.Morillo’s mother said she still gets emotional when she thinks about the time she spent away from her daughter, describing it as “an emptiness she just couldn’t fill.”Through it all, though, the family grew closer. They know how lucky they are. “It’s sad to see so many families torn apart over and over again … you leave 'cause you don’t have a choice,” Morillo said.And so the family chooses to make every minute count.Morillo is now a mom, too, to 3-year-old Luca, who was born in Winston-Salem. “We’re not perfect, but I’m proud of what we have built here,” she said.Watch the video above for the full story.
As part of Hispanic Heritage Month, Laura Morillo, a Winston-Salem, North Carolina, resident who fled communist Cuba as a teenager and worked tirelessly and persistently to bring her mother and two sisters to the United States as a young woman, is sharing her family's story of immigration.
Morillo was born in Cienfuegos, Cuba, in 1991. When she was 14 in 2005, she came to the U.S. to live with her father, but in doing so made the difficult decision to leave the life she knew, and leave her mom behind.
She recalls during this monumental move how Cuban officials made her feel even worse.
“When I was at the airport, and I was leaving, a lady there said, ‘Don’t cry. You’re leaving because you want to. You’re leaving your mom because you want to do it,’” Morillo said.
Upon arriving in the U.S., Laura moved in with her dad, Jorge Morga, her stepmother and a half-sibling at their home in Miami, Florida.
Two years later, Morga moved the family to Winston-Salem.
Morga, too, had fled the island. He left when Laura was very young — back in 1997.
“I said, If I don’t leave the country, I will never be able to give my family a future,” Morga said.
Morillo quickly made it her life goal to bring her mom, Marlen Garcia, and sisters to North Carolina from Cuba.
“She was focused on that, and that was the only thing on her mind,” Morga said.
More years would go by and many hurdles would crop up, but in 2013, the long wait was finally over.
Morillo’s mother said she still gets emotional when she thinks about the time she spent away from her daughter, describing it as “an emptiness she just couldn’t fill.”
Through it all, though, the family grew closer. They know how lucky they are.
“It’s sad to see so many families torn apart over and over again … you leave 'cause you don’t have a choice,” Morillo said.
And so the family chooses to make every minute count.
Morillo is now a mom, too, to 3-year-old Luca, who was born in Winston-Salem.
“We’re not perfect, but I’m proud of what we have built here,” she said.
Watch the video above for the full story.
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