Familia Sanders

Tuesday took me to Brickell. A long avenue bordered by tall high-rise condos, Brickell definitely exudes a breezy, elegant, Miami vibe. The ocean is a glance away and the trees provide a very necessary tropical shade. The Sanders (Evelyn, daughter Patricia, and grandson Armando) live at the very top of a lovely building facing Key Biscayne and the water. Stunning views.

After making it past two serious security guards, I finally boarded the elevator to the top. Greeting me was a tall Patricia and her sweet mother Evelyn. We had never met before.

The living room became our chatting space/recording studio for the next few hours. Patricia and Evelyn are undeniably close and finish each other's sentences. Patricia started us off and told me of her early childhood in El Salvador. Experiences at the American School (all the way until 12th grade) led up to her introduction to the United States at Tampa University in Florida. The only child of Evelyn and Bob Sanders, she reveals an interesting mix of Salvadoran and American perspective. While she remembers her happy childhood, she is clear that Salvador is no longer home. She recalls her relief at the end of a recent visit; "Let's just say that after five days, I was very happy when the plane took off."

Evelyn's history is fascinating. Born in San Salvador to two French (Alsatian)-born parents, Evelyn was raised as an only child in the very small Jewish community of the late 20s and early 30s. She was sent to Strausbourg in 1938 after finishing her schooling in Salvador. There was no American school at that time so she joined the other neighborhood children at the local Catholic school. Protected and surrounded by her many aunts, Evelyn enjoyed her French sojourn...until she was abruptly sent back to Salvador after the family heard rumors of the impending invasion. Settling back into her Latin way of life, Evelyn worked for her father and lived in the capital throughout the war years. It was during this boat trip back to the States that she met bride-to-be Yvonne Salomon (mother of Andree, Helene, and Roby) for the very first time.

Years later, she met her husband Bob Sanders (originally from NY) who arrived in Salvador at the behest of his cousin Federico Falkenstein. A salesman in his own right, he met Evelyn at a dinner party....the rest is history. He later began working for her father and became part of the successful French-Jewish business world.

Evelyn and Bob were a good match and lived a full life in El Salvador and later in Miami despite their "exiled status" as Bob would frequently explain to their new friends. Evelyn remembered that Bob adored his life in El Salvador and said if it weren't for his mother, he would have never been from NY.

Evelyn has strong feelings about the war, her French past, the Civil War in Salvador, and her life in the States. She loved El Salvador and is saddened to have left it prematurely. The day the Sanders sold their house was "the saddest day of[her] life."

Even so, the Sanders were not alone in the States with fellow cousins (the Josephs) living in NYC. With a tender and painful testimony, Evelyn and Patricia Sanders show us how war changes our most intimate memories forever.