“We came to the U.S., like many immigrants, for a better life,” she said. “Now, here I am with my own business.”
Her Venezuelan roots are at her core, even influencing Carupano Kitchen’s menu of arepas and other items inspired by family recipes. So, she was devastated when she learned about the earthquakes that rocked the country.
“With everything that is happening right now, Venezuela is not only near to my heart and dear to my heart, it’s home,” she said. “It’s home to my family, my brother, my dad, my parents’ business, so many friends.”
The country’s infrastructure was already struggling before the earthquakes. Additionally, the people are distrustful of the government and Venezuelan leaders.
“We don’t have a system that works, like firefighters and police that we trust and military that we trust. They have suppressed our people for so long that we don’t trust the system. It’s a scary time,” Osorio said. “At the same time, through the madness, we’re seeing Venezuelans really show up for each other … The people doing the rescue work are civilians.”