Pasto, Colombia. El Diario del Sur Newspaper
February//Febrero 10, 2016
http://diariodelsur.com.co/noticias/vida-moderna/primos-recorren-america-de-norte-sur-narino-impresiono-v-185486
Pereira, Colombia. La Tarde Newspaper
January//Enero 21, 2016
http://m.latarde.com/noticias/pereira/164467-primos-manejan-hasta-el-fin-del-mundo-para-cambiar-perspectivas
Cousins drive to end of world to make difference.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Cousins drive to end of world to make difference.
LA ASUNCION- JULY 18, 2016- Cousins raised in the US with Latino heritage drive/film through Latin America - from California to ’the end of the world’ in Ushuaia, Argentina. Concerned with growing anti-immigrant rhetoric in the US fueled by alarmists, politicians and their followers, David Leija and Edgar Bear take to the road in hopes of dispelling myths and showcasing the diverse beauty of the land, people and culture in Latin America.
“Working with Latinos in higher education and coming from a very large blue-collar immigrant family where the mass-majority of my siblings and cousins have bachelor’s and even post-graduate degrees, we couldn’t just sit back and watch these one-sided negative portrayals of Latinos,” says Leija who left his job and home to join his cousin on this trip. “This project differs from others because being Latinos, we are able to speak the languages (Spanish and Portuguese), we share cultural similarities, and we can easily adapt,” added Bear, the recent master’s degree recipient who was able to secure initial funding and was the catalyst in making this trip happen.
Each armed with a smart phone, and traveling by van, the pair hopes to show a different side of Latin America that most living in the US and abroad do not typically get to see. They have been able to connect and stay with locals in each country thanks to the friendships made in their communities and in college, which allows them to share meals, converse, serve the communities they stay in, and work with the people.
The pair says that although faced with difficulties on the road, mostly financial, it has been a life-changing experience. They have been able to overcome these obstacles thanks to the tremendous generosity of both the people who feel as passionate about the work that have donated and because of the hospitality and seemingly inherent kindness of the locals.
The cousins have driven through sixteen countries since embarking on this journey in October of last year having crossed the Darien gap in Panama/Colombia, the Ecuadorian portion of the Amazon, the Patagonia in Chile and Argentina and have since reached one of their biggest goals, which was to arrive at the end of the road at the end of the world; They are now making their way North again in order to continue riding, writing, filming and sharing culture. The pair are currently on the last leg of their journey in the last country, Paraguay. “We were provided with a small window in our lives in which we were able to do this so we had to make it happen,” said Leija.
If you wish to follow them on their journey, contact or donate to the pair, you can reach them at www.drivinglatinoamerica.com.
CONTACT:
Instagram: Driving Latinoamérica or Recorriendo Latinoamérica
Facebook: Recorriendo Latinoamerica / David Leija.Bear / Edgar Bear
David Leija
dleija87@live.com
3733 S. 57th Ct.
Cicero, IL 60804
Ph: 815-272-6548
###
Cousins drive to end of world to make difference.
LA ASUNCION- JULY 18, 2016- Cousins raised in the US with Latino heritage drive/film through Latin America - from California to ’the end of the world’ in Ushuaia, Argentina. Concerned with growing anti-immigrant rhetoric in the US fueled by alarmists, politicians and their followers, David Leija and Edgar Bear take to the road in hopes of dispelling myths and showcasing the diverse beauty of the land, people and culture in Latin America.
“Working with Latinos in higher education and coming from a very large blue-collar immigrant family where the mass-majority of my siblings and cousins have bachelor’s and even post-graduate degrees, we couldn’t just sit back and watch these one-sided negative portrayals of Latinos,” says Leija who left his job and home to join his cousin on this trip. “This project differs from others because being Latinos, we are able to speak the languages (Spanish and Portuguese), we share cultural similarities, and we can easily adapt,” added Bear, the recent master’s degree recipient who was able to secure initial funding and was the catalyst in making this trip happen.
Each armed with a smart phone, and traveling by van, the pair hopes to show a different side of Latin America that most living in the US and abroad do not typically get to see. They have been able to connect and stay with locals in each country thanks to the friendships made in their communities and in college, which allows them to share meals, converse, serve the communities they stay in, and work with the people.
The pair says that although faced with difficulties on the road, mostly financial, it has been a life-changing experience. They have been able to overcome these obstacles thanks to the tremendous generosity of both the people who feel as passionate about the work that have donated and because of the hospitality and seemingly inherent kindness of the locals.
The cousins have driven through sixteen countries since embarking on this journey in October of last year having crossed the Darien gap in Panama/Colombia, the Ecuadorian portion of the Amazon, the Patagonia in Chile and Argentina and have since reached one of their biggest goals, which was to arrive at the end of the road at the end of the world; They are now making their way North again in order to continue riding, writing, filming and sharing culture. The pair are currently on the last leg of their journey in the last country, Paraguay. “We were provided with a small window in our lives in which we were able to do this so we had to make it happen,” said Leija.
If you wish to follow them on their journey, contact or donate to the pair, you can reach them at www.drivinglatinoamerica.com.
CONTACT:
Instagram: Driving Latinoamérica or Recorriendo Latinoamérica
Facebook: Recorriendo Latinoamerica / David Leija.Bear / Edgar Bear
David Leija
dleija87@live.com
3733 S. 57th Ct.
Cicero, IL 60804
Ph: 815-272-6548
###
Primos manejan hasta el fin del mundo para cambiar perspectivas.
PARA PUBLICACION INMEDIATA
Primos manejan hasta el fin del mundo para cambiar perspectivas.
LA ASUNCION- 18 de Julio 2016- Primos criados en los Estado Unidos y de herencia latina filman y recorren el América Latina de hoy – desde California hasta ‘el fin del mundo’ en Ushuaia, Argentina. Debido a la retorica racista y anti-inmigrante en los EE.UU. impulsada por alarmistas, políticos y sus seguidores, David Leija y Edgar Bear viajan filmando y compartiendo con la esperanza de disipar mitos y presentar otra perspectiva donde se muestra la diversa belleza de la tierra, la gente y la cultura de América Latina.
“Trabajando con latinos en la educación superior en EE.UU. y siendo de una familia de inmigrantes de clase trabajadora donde la gran mayoría de mis hermanos y primos son egresados universitarios -algunos alcanzando hasta títulos de posgrado, no nos podemos quedar con las manos cruzadas y ver a la gente despreciarnos y representarnos negativamente a los latinos”, dice Leija quien dejó su trabajo y casa para hacer el viaje con su primo. “Este proyecto es diferente a los otros porque, al ser latinos, podemos hablar los idiomas (español y portugués), compartimos similitudes culturales y nos podemos adaptar fácilmente”, añadió Bear quien hace poco terminó su maestría, quien consiguió el financiamiento inicial y fue el impetus para que el viaje sucediera.
Armados cada uno con un teléfono inteligente y viajando en una camioneta estilo van, estos emprendedores jovenes esperan presentar otra perspectiva de América Latina más acertada y apegada a la realidad y muy diferente a la idea que ha sido presentada por los medios de comunicación a los estadounidenses y habitantes de otras partes del mundo.
Edgar y David han podido convivir con gente local en cada país gracias a las amistades realizadas en la universidad y en su vida cuotidiana lo cual los permite compartir comida, conversaciones, servir las comunidades que visitan y trabajar con la gente.
Ambos dicen que aunque se enfrentan con dificultades en el camino, sobre todo dificultades en el aspecto financiero, ha sido una experiencia que les ha cambiado la vida. Han logrado superar los obstaculos y cumplir la mayoria de sus metas gracias a la gran generosidad de ambos las personas que sienten la misma pasión por el trabajo que hasta han donado y también gracias a la hospitalidad y amabilidad aparentemente inherente de la gente con quien cruzan camino.
Los primos han conducido por dieciséis países. Desde que embarcaron en su viaje en Octubre del año pasado y han logrado cruzar el tapón de Darien en la frontera Panamá/Colombia, la selva amazónica ecuatoriana, la patagonia chilena/argentina y han logrado llegar al fin del mundo en donde se les acabó la carretera y tuvieron que dirijerse hacia el Norte para poder seguir. Actualmente estan en el ultimo tramo del viaje en Paraguay dónde culminarán su travesía épica.
“Tuvimos una pequeña ventana oportuna en nuestras vidas para poder hacer este viaje, y gracias a Dios lo pudimos hacer”, dijo Leija.
Si desea seguir, contactar, o donarles a estos primos, lo puede hacer a través del sitio web
www.drivinglatinoamerica.com
CONTACTO:
Instagram: Driving Latinoamérica o Recorriendo Latinoamérica
Facebook: David Leija Bear y Edgar Bear
Correo Electrónico dleija87@live.com
David Leija
3733 S. 57th Ct.
Cicero, IL 60804
Cel: 815.272.6548