MIAMI, FL — Amid the steady arrival of new immigrants to the United States and the challenges facing those already living here, proper guidance on navigating life in the country is vital. For 25 years, Latino immigrants have found a helping hand in ElParacaidista.com, a monthly guide and online resource center designed to answer their questions and provide proactive information—even before they arrive in the U.S.
Since 2001, ElParacaidista.com (The Parachutist) has continuously offered its support to the Hispanic community—now numbering over 68 million—and has accompanied thousands of Latinos up to the moment they achieved citizenship and beyond. What began in Miami as an 8-page mini-newspaper that sold out every month, earned a “Best of Miami 2002” award from the Miami New Times, and evolved into an essential resource. The newspaper went fully digital in 2012.
“Celebrating this 25th anniversary is a tremendous achievement, and we are happy to offer—with even greater strength—this true compass for the Latino immigrant; because here, taking the wrong path can cost a lot of money and can even jeopardize the possibility of living and working in this country,” says Aira Guevara, editor and founder. This Venezuelan-American journalist poured her own experience as a “parachutist” into what became “the guide for newcomers—and everyone else—in the U.S.”
To boost its impact, El Paracaidista is launching a new online platform developed in partnership with ECP Communications Corp and Blank. “Under the leadership of Elizabeth Cotto-Poueriet, CEO of ECP Communications Corp, we developed a modern, functional website focused on user experience,” explains Jorge Gandara, CTO of Blank. “We believe that digital transformation is not just about technology, but about creating solutions that connect people with the services they need,” adds Cotto-Poueriet.
The online resource offers guidance on everything from where to go if sick without insurance to how to obtain business licenses, understand credit reports, and check professional backgrounds. All content is rigorously researched by a team of journalists. For 16 years, through its Foreign Title Revalidation seminars and guides, El Paracaidista has been a reliable source on credential validation for professionals graduated abroad.
“The idea is for their integration to be a mutually beneficial process for them and for the country welcoming them. The vast majority do not come to take; they come to give—and to give a great deal—to enrich this great nation as it celebrates its 250th anniversary,” Guevara concludes.
