People We Meet Food vendor Solinda Parragas American dream starts at the 16th St. BART Plaza

Solinda Parraga, a 42-year-old immigrant from Huancaya, Peru, courageously left her abusive husband to seek a better life in the United States. After arriving in December 2023, she endured a week in a detention center and felt abandoned by a friend who had promised to help her. Despite these hardships, Parraga encountered kindness from a stranger at the airport, which led her to San Francisco. Now, she operates a fruit stand at the 16th Street BART Plaza, selling fresh mangoes, melons, and other fruits. Her daily earnings vary, but she is determined to send money back to her children in Peru.

Parraga welcomes police presence in the plaza, citing increased drug activity as a concern. As her asylum hearing approaches in December, she grapples with fears of returning to her past life and the potential dangers it may bring. Her story is a poignant reminder of the resilience of immigrants striving for a better future amidst adversity.