Share the Spirit: Immigration Institute of the Bay Area reunites families across borders

PITTSBURG – Laura Hernandez spent seven years avoiding her Pittsburg home’s backyard. The place that was so lively for over 20 years became another reminder of her parents’ absence while they were unable to legally leave Mexico.

But thanks to help from the Immigration Institute of the Bay Area, the Hernandez household is once again the place where weekly dinners and family hangouts happen.

“There is joy, and we are doing the things we used to do again,” Laura said. “Cooking outside...