Undocumented immigrants and those who hold temporary visas are not eligible for FEMA's funeral assistance, even though advocates like Hernandez say these are the people who kept the country afloat during the pandemic. "Just gathering the documents seems complicated to them." "Most have never buried a loved one, so they're emotional and still dealing with the trauma," said Hernandez. Isaias Hernandez, executive director of Eastmont Community Center in East Los Angeles, said many of the people asking him for help feel overwhelmed by the process. "Like people who come from Yucatán who speak Maya." "Many times they are people who not only don't speak English, but at times, don't even speak Spanish well," said Medina. Those who need help the most are the most disconnected, said Rafael Fernández de Castro Medina, director of University of California-San Diego's Center for U.S.-Mexican Studies. "I wouldn't have been able to do it myself because I'm completely lost when it comes to technology." "Norma did me a huge favor filling out that paperwork," Galvez said in Spanish. Galvez said she heard about the FEMA checks from family members but didn't understand the process. The 36-year-old managed a cleaning crew that disinfected assisted living facilities, which is where Galvez suspects her son got COVID. She lost her son Luis Alberto Vasquez to COVID on April 22, 2020. Manuela Galvez, a 61-year-old originally from Sinaloa, Mexico, is one of the applicants Huerta helped. Death certificates can be amended to receive reimbursement, but that process is also complicated and time-consuming. If the death certificate doesn't specifically state that, they won't qualify. The hardest part for some has been proving their family member's death was COVID-related, said Huerta. "I tell them it takes a while, but to have patience and I'll help them get it done."įamilies call to request duplicate contracts and receipts and ask for clarification about death certificates. "I can spend three to four hours a day helping families with their applications." Just sending over a fax cover sheet is frustrating, she said.
How could I say no?"Įven though the FEMA helpline offers instructions in Spanish, uploading, emailing or even faxing the necessary documents has been a challenge, said Huerta. "They already trust me since I helped them with the funeral process.
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"These are humble people who don't have access to the internet or know how to use a computer," said Huerta.
Rodriguez and the funeral home's office manager, Norma Huerta, said they have been receiving calls daily from people confused about how to apply. The cost of an average funeral can be as much as $15,000, he said, so the FEMA reimbursement program offers financial relief for many clients.
"In my career of 35 years, I've never been in this type of situation where I have seen so much death," said Rafael Rodriguez, a funeral director in the city of Bell at Funeraria del Angel Bell, part of Dignity Memorial. Latinos are also far more likely than non-Hispanic whites to live in a household with an essential worker, who might not have had the luxury of protecting themselves at home during the ravaging months of the pandemic.
Offering clients help to get some of that money is important because California's Latinos suffered more COVID deaths than any other race or ethnic group and the Latino population has faced a greater risk of exposure to COVID-19 and undergone testing at a lower rate, according to a study by Stanford University researchers. FEMA said it does not consider ethnicity when determining eligibility, so the agency does not track that data. As of Monday, FEMA has approved more than $278 million for more than 41,000 eligible applicants, with the average amount per application standing at $6,756.
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