E stella Orellana spent the earliest part of her life in the scorching southwestern Mexican state of Guerrero. She was 11 years old when her family moved to Spokane and navigated the complicated yearslong process to eventually naturalize as U.S. citizens.

Because there weren't many resources available to immigrant families at the time, she says adapting to a new home was nearly impossible. Things that seem easier to locals — enrolling your kid in school, finding and applying for a job, knowing who to call if there's an emergency — were just added stepping stones amid the already complex immigration process.

"I know what it is to come and not have any help and feel lost," Orellana says. "When we came in 1990, you wouldn't see all the assistance that there is now, so I'm glad to see how

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