By: Irasema Romero

The horrified screams could be heard up to the 10th floor of the apartment complex as the youth frantically ran through the basement of the building, knowing every step could determine the outcome of the chase by the soldiers of the Chilean military regime seeking to silence the youth's political opinions.

The group surrounded him and quickly dragged him into the truck as he yelled for help.

Neighbors could hear the screams well, but no one dared to help because their own lives would be compromised.

These situations were not rare after the Chilean coup d'etat in 1973, which led professor Oriana Reyes to migrate to the United States. After witnessing military captures and experiencing first hand the effects of the conflict, professor Oriana Reyes sought to make a better life in the U.S.

"When I first arrived, sometimes people had a very negative perspective of Hispanics," she said. "But many accept immigrants and I received a lot of help from them."

Even while enduring the struggle of supporting a family as a widowed mother, Reyes went on to obtain higher education degrees at BYU and the University of Utah.

"Even if the sky falls over me, I have to keep going ahead," she said. "It depends on me and no one else to do well."

It wasn't until last year that Professor Reyes found out one of her university classmates was a victim of these detentions.

"In our history, it was such a dark thing and it is recently coming into light," Reyes said.

Even though the woman did not promote specific political ideals, her husband participated in the opposition of the Pinochet government, she said.

The effects of the conflict were apparent: Reyes and her attorney husband lost their jobs due to the deterioration of the country.

Hardship and economic challenges were factors in her husband's fatal heart attack, a factor that led Reyes to consider coming to the United States.

"I was tired of so much violence, of so much hate," Reyes said. "I wanted a different environment for my children." After arriving in Utah in 1980, Reyes had to start from scratch.

"Everything in your life teaches you, and in adversity is where you learn the most," Reyes said. "[Teaching] allows me to share my experiences because I don't want them [students] to repeat the same mistakes."

Now as adjunct BYU professor of Spanish and sociology, Reyes seeks to help students understand of Hispanic countries and motivate them to help people who might be enduring situations similar to her own.

"This is a period of my life that I rarely share," she said.

Civilians were taken from their own homes to concentration camps and, in most cases, killed because of their opposition to the new government.

Some people who were captured by the government, would yell their own names so families could be notified of their capture, she said.

"They could not do anything but try to transmit the message," Reyes said.

She remembers other apartments in her building had apparently not been touched for months because cups of coffee were still on the table.

You could tell the residents had been eating breakfast when they were taken captive, she said.

Spanish professor Ted Lyon, who was Reyes' teacher when she was a graduate student, recommended her to the department for her current position.

Lyon understands what Reyes is hoping to accomplish as a professor.

"She is trying to teach that life, literature and humans all relate close together," he said. "Oriana is trying to say there needs to be a compassionate understanding."

In class, Reyes seeks students' participation and wants to learn their points of view.

"Her focus is not on helping us memorize, it is to help us to think deeply and analyze different things through different angles," said Latin American studies senior Karla Passey, who is currently taking a sociology class with Reyes.

Passey has obtained a different perspective on Hispanic countries and governments from the class.

"It is ridiculous to judge one man for the direction the country takes," she said.

As a professor, Reyes wants students to gather evidence pertaining to the Hispanic cultures and make their own conclusions.

"Before criticizing, analyze the situation because no one knows what it is that brought that person to make those decisions," Reyes said.

Not only is Reyes hoping to influence her students in their work with the Latin American cultures but encourages them to serve others as part of their responsibilities within the church.

"The gospel is accepting other people like they are and trying to help them," she said. "If the cause will help others, persevere even after knowing that you will not win."



Copyright Brigham Young University 15 Jan 2007