Amid the steady arrival of new immigrants to the United States and the challenges facing those already living here, proper guidance on navigating life in the country is vital. For 25 years, Latino immigrants have found a helping hand in ElParacaidista.com, a monthly guide and online resource center designed to answer their questions and provide proactive information—even before they arrive in the U.S. Since 2001, ElParacaidista.com has continuously offered its support and commitment to the Hispanic community—now numbering over 68 million—and has accompanied thousands of Latinos up to the moment they achieved citizenship and beyond.
What began in Miami as an 8-page mini-newspaper that sold out every month on the streets of South Florida, earned a "Best of Miami 2002" award from the Miami New Times, and was eagerly read online by Hispanics from their homes in other states and Latin America, evolved into an essential resource. It became a go-to guide for navigating situations, exploring possibilities, and finding assistance for issues ranging from imminent deportation to locating the best programs for starting a business in the United States. The newspaper went fully digital in 2012.
"Celebrating this 25th anniversary is a tremendous achievement, and we are happy to offer—with even greater strength—this true compass for the Latino immigrant; because here, taking the wrong path can cost a lot of money and can even jeopardize the possibility of living and working in this country," says Aira Guevara, editor and founder of this immigrant guide. This Venezuelan-American journalist poured her own experience as a "parachutist" into what became "the guide for newcomers—and everyone else—in the U.S."
To further boost the impact and reach of this philanthropic and social mission, they are launching their new online platform on this 25th anniversary—developed in partnership with ECP Communications Corp and Blank—to drive their nationwide community service efforts. "In an environment where trust is built in seconds, a well-designed digital platform becomes a fundamental tool. Under the leadership of Elizabeth Cotto-Poueriet, CEO of ECP Communications Corp, we developed a modern, functional website focused on user experience, enabling information to reach the immigrant community in the United States clearly, quickly, and effectively," explains Jorge Gandara, CTO of the Mexican agency Blank.
Gathering information in advance makes it possible to choose the best path, prepare, and protect oneself, while also leveraging everything each immigrant brings as an individual—including work experience, professional expertise, and an entrepreneurial, visionary spirit—alongside the cultural and family values that characterize Latin Americans. Miami Beach, Florida–based ElParacaidista.com is precisely that guide to positive acculturation. People find everything there—from where to go if they get sick without insurance or cash on hand, to how to obtain licenses to open a business or secure investment capital to expand. It offers information on rights and responsibilities as a citizen, help with choosing a good lawyer, registering a trademark, handling a landlord's failure to fix a leak, or protecting oneself against mechanic fraud.
"We receive many calls from all over the United States that constantly inspire us to keep researching, updating, and publishing—on a monthly basis—information vital to immigrants," says Guevara, citing cases such as a self-employed plumber facing the job market for the first time with no idea what his peers earn or how to create a résumé; a professional couple wishing to immigrate based on their merits; a small business owner defrauded by a bad check who is looking for a place to file a claim; and an engineer who wants to practice her profession but does not know whether she needs to have her credentials validated. For 16 years, through its Foreign Title Revalidation seminars and guides, El Paracaidista has been one of the most reliable and serious sources of guidance on this crucial topic for professionals graduated abroad.
"The idea is for their integration to be a mutually beneficial process for them and for the country welcoming them. The vast majority do not come to take; they come to give—and to give a great deal—to enrich this great nation as it celebrates its 250th anniversary," the editor concludes.
