The journey to becoming a citizen in the United States wasn’t easy for me, and it’s not easy for many of the clients I help daily. When I stepped onto United States soil in 1998, I didn’t have a penny to my name. What I did have was a dream of a better life than in my home country of Peru. For many immigrants, finding peace, prosperity and a mission is the goal. And the gut-wrenching decision to leave family is prompted by the daily horror many of them are fleeing.

The questions we ask ourselves are things most people never even consider: What would happen if you had to leave your home country and run for your life? What would you take with you? Where would you go? Maybe your great-grandparents or great-great-grandparents had to think about these things as they left their home country. The decision to leave isn’t made lightly, and it comes with a lot of pain and suffering.

I’ve found a home in the United States, and I spend my days supporting immigrants in the same situation I was in all those years ago, working to help them realize their dreams. It has been a full-circle experience, and I feel so grateful to work at a place that supports what I believe in.

My Journey to Citizenship and Banking

My home country of Peru was in a civil war throughout the latter part of the 1990s, with nearly 70,000 people killed during the conflict. As things in Peru deteriorated, I survived multiple bombings and had family members die. I asked myself those questions—how can I make a better life for myself? Can I leave my family behind? Where will I go and what will I do? When I left Peru, I didn’t know if I’d ever see my loved ones again.

These are questions that many clients I work with also had to answer for themselves. They are trying to make a better life, but finding a path to citizenship in another country isn’t easy. These questions are being asked by someone, somewhere in the world, every single day.

I spent years finding my footing. Once I arrived in the U.S., I met several people who supported me including a Peruvian woman and her husband who housed me initially. And I can’t forget about the social worker who helped me get a job, an apartment and took on my case. I will forever be grateful to those people. For several years, I worked three or four jobs just to make ends meet. Towards the end of 2006, I received the welcome news that I was approved to become a U.S. citizen.

One of my biggest supporters throughout the process worked in banking, a field I wanted to rejoin after having spent years in the industry in Peru. This man helped me get my first job in banking and taught me everything he knew. Eventually, I worked my way up the ladder.

In banking, I began finding my true calling of helping immigrants like me.

Supporting Immigrants at Sunrise Banks and Beyond

The bank I first started working at created a campaign to help the Hispanic community and leveraged my knowledge and experience. I connected with other immigrants at a grocery store where I used to work. We set up roundtables and events and worked with the Mexican consulate in St. Paul.

A few years later, I took a job with another bank that offered a credit-building program. This was groundbreaking for me to witness. People without social security numbers were able to get loans with Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers. But only business owners could receive those loans. Eventually, the program was discontinued.

I found myself looking for another opportunity and came across Sunrise Banks. With the help of others in the organization, we were able to create our own version of a Credit Builder program that was more extensive than the one I had previously worked with. Eventually, the bank implemented it.

Nearly 10 years later, the program has flourished, and we’ve been able to help hundreds of immigrants and their families realize their dreams.

Misinformation about credit building, and a lack of information, is a real problem in immigrant communities. I went through a misunderstanding myself in the early days of trying to build credit because I wasn’t asking the right questions, and neither was the banker.

Getting Out the Message

Today, I speak at churches around the Twin Cities, talk on a radio show, speak with international groups around the community and work with The Advocates for Human Rights to share the information I’ve learned through my personal experience and my career. I do this to help those who want to realize their dreams. We’ve helped immigrants do things like buy homes and cars, open a business, expand it, and then open another business. All these actions benefit our community as a whole and have a ripple effect for generations.

I feel like I’ve found a second chance at life. I believe others should receive the same chance. Taking a chance at a new life, in a new country, and learning a new language and culture isn’t easy, but for many, it is the only path toward a better future.

To learn more about our Credit Builder program, visit https://sunrisebanks.com/personal-banking/credit-builder/.

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