A woman adopted from El Salvador to the United States as a baby shared a tearful hug with her biological mother when she finally managed to track her down 35 years later.
Anita Hughson, 36, who now lives in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, never knew her biological mom as she was adopted from El Salvador at the height of the Salvadorian Civil War at just 10 months old.
Anita’s adoptive parents, a French mother and a Jewish father requested a meeting with Anita’s biological mom before they took Anita to the U.S., reassuring her they would provide for her daughter.
Of her short time in El Salvador, Anita only knew her mom’s name and that she’d been a very poor domestic worker who had been the sole provider to a family that included at least two sons.
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Having gone through college and a career in the military that took her overseas, Anita kept wondering about her biological family while also being somewhat scared of finding out the definitive truth.
But then, one day, she decided to put any fears aside and explore Ancestry and 23andMe – with one of the websites finding a “close” relative linked to Anita’s great aunt.
Despite Anita reaching out soon after, she did not receive a message back for around two years when her cousin Carlos’ wife, Marla, reached out – and things began to move quickly.
Carlos and Marla were based in New Jersey, and as Anita planned an upcoming trip to her parents’ home in nearby Connecticut, she paid the couple a visit.
On January 15, Anita arrived at her cousin’s home with her husband and children, still unsure if Carlos was related on her biological mother’s or father’s side.
Anita only had her mom’s name, Antonia (Tonia) Argueta, which appeared on her birth certificate. At Carlos’ house, they FaceTimed Carlos’ mom, who felt Anita looked like her.
Within 10 hours of being at Carlos and Marla’s house and a few phone calls to the family later, Carlos and Anita had confirmed the identity of her biological mom – Tonia’s late dad and Carlos’ mom were brother and sister.
She later received a message to say Tonia, who also lived in New Jersey, wanted to meet her in person. So two days later, Anita anxiously waited at Carlos and Marla’s house as a car turned into the driveway.
As soon as the pair laid eyes on each other, they began to well up, then headed in for a tearful hug more than three decades in the making.
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Anita later shared a video of the moment on social media, which she has used to raise awareness of how she was adopted during the Salvadorian Civil War, as well as her search to find her biological family.
Since meeting her biological mom on January 17, Anita has met more family members.
Speaking of that first meeting with Tonia, she said: “I had so many questions, and I felt like I was with someone I was supposed to meet.
“I was finally meeting the person I had wondered about my entire life.
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“I was still a bit scared that she might not want to have a relationship with me, but I was excited to finally meet her.
“When I looked at her, I saw a lot of my features.
“When I look back on the video, I see more and more – even down to how we had our hair.
“I’m really grateful that her sister and Carlos took videos of that moment.
“I’ve always looked at other people and seen the similarities of them compared to their parents.
“I’ve never had that – and now I do. It’s a good feeling.”