On Nov. 20, mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, and grandparents living on opposite sides of the U.S.-Mexico border were allowed to hug each other for the first time in years, or — in some cases — decades.
The event was sponsored by Border Angels, a San Diego-based nonprofit that supports immigration reform and provides services to immigrant families living on the U.S. side of the border.
Six families were permitted to visit with each other for a few minutes each, according to a report in the San Diego Union-Tribune. Border guards were present to ensure participants didn't stray too far to one side or the other.
The reunions were highly emotional, particularly given the uncertain future of the event — which has happened annually since 2013 — in the wake of the anti-immigrant rhetoric in the U.S. election.
1. Luis Hernandez and his father, Eduardo, embrace as a border guard looks on.
Photo by Sandy Huffaker/AFP/Getty Images.
2. Matha Morales and Aileen Gonzalez — grandmother and granddaughter — share a brief hug through the open door.
Photo by Sandy Huffaker/AFP/Getty Images.
3. Aileen's father, Adrian Gonzalez Morales, leads her away after her short visit with her grandmother.
Photo by Sandy Huffaker/AFP/Getty Images.
4. Border guards monitor one of six emotional family reunions.
Photo by Sandy Huffaker/AFP/Getty Images.
5. Laura Avila peers through the fence while having a conversation with her relatives in Mexico.
Photo by Sandy Huffaker/AFP/Getty Images.
6. Avila and daughter Laura Vera Martinez wipe away tears as they leave a meeting with their relatives to return to the U.S. side.
Photo by Sandy Huffaker/AFP/Getty Images.
7. A man surveys the scene from the Mexican side of the border.
Photo by Sandy Huffaker/AFP/Getty Images.
8. 1-year-old Romina Camacho points through the fence from her father's arms.
Photo by Sandy Huffaker/AFP/Getty Images.
9. Children play and wait as some glance through to the other side of the fence.
Photo by Sandy Huffaker/AFP/Getty Images.
10. A man gazes through the fence to the U.S. side as a crowd gathers.
Photo by Sandy Huffaker/AFP/Getty Images.
11. As families tearfully reunite at the open door, a small physical connection is made elsewhere.
Photo by Sandy Huffaker/AFP/Getty Images.
For the thousands of undocumented Americans with family across the southern border — for whom going back to Mexico would mean being unable to return home to the U.S. — three minutes is hardly enough to express years' worth of longing, pain, and love. Still, many remain hopeful that they'll get the chance to connect again in person in the coming years, despite the anti-immigration hard line adopted by the incoming administration.
Luisa Hernandez of Los Angeles, who came to embrace her mother for the first time in 12 years, told the Union-Tribune that she was able to deliver a simple message to her mom during their brief meeting:
"I told her I loved her. That’s it."
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."