Esperanza Korten
Esperanza Relatado Garcia was born in 1959 in the Philippines. After the accidental death of her two-year-old twin sister Caridad, Esperanza grows up as a well-protected youngest child among six siblings. She attends a Catholic girls’ school and graduates from secondary school in 1978. Following this, Esperanza wishes to pursue a career as a nurse, but she complies with her father’s wishes and instead attends a home economics school in Manila. Here, her father Vicente rented a small apartment to spare his children the long commute from their rural home in Manila to the schools and universities in the capital. When Esperanza moves into the apartment, her older siblings have already completed their education. Therefore, the young woman shares the rooms in the city with a friend. Full of life and curiosity, she explores the many leisure activities after school and later after work. During these years, both parents pass away. Esperanza’s siblings, who now live in America, Australia, Saudi Arabia, and Germany, begin to worry about their little sister—”because I was alone in the Philippines and always creating chaos,” Esperanza recalls with a smile today. The difficult political situation under the Marcos dictatorship adds to their concern, which includes riots and his radical actions against dissenters. Esperanza is also one of the supporters of the opposition leader Benigno Aquino, symbolizing her support with yellow ribbons, participating in the demonstrations that take place on Fridays, and even losing a job because of it. Her siblings unanimously urge her: “You still have a chance to get out—go now!” Esperanza ultimately, albeit reluctantly, is convinced. Her dream destination is America, but it is her sister Consolacion in Cuxhaven who arranges a plane ticket for her. On November 28, 1984, she sets off for Germany—a journey that is to become a small adventure. Her flight from the Philippines is eight hours late, and in Amsterdam, she must endure another three hours of waiting. When she finally lands in Bremen the next day, it is half-past ten in the evening. The airport is about to close, and she only receives her luggage the following day. But it gets worse: due to the unclear arrival time, no one is at the airport to pick her up. Without any knowledge of German and only equipped with dollars, Esperanza tries to persuade a taxi driver to take her to Cuxhaven, which he refuses. A passerby walking her dog, who recognizes Esperanza’s desperate situation, offers her help in English. Esperanza hesitates momentarily; but what choice does she have? It is snowy and cold, she is only wearing a thin jacket, is exhausted, and feels helpless. The passerby, Elisabeth, takes her to her home very close to the airport. There, Esperanza can warm herself by the small stove and drinks peppermint tea for the first time in her life. A few hours later, her sister and brother-in-law pick her up from there; the next day, she also receives her luggage. In the first months, Esperanza lives with her sister in Cuxhaven, trying to adapt to her new surroundings. However, her sister soon encourages her to get married, saying, “a girl should not be alone” and that Esperanza surely wants children too. Esperanza is unsure, but her brother-in-law acts entirely in his wife’s interest and places a marriage advertisement in the local newspaper. This is how Esperanza meets her future husband, moves in with him to Bremerhaven, and marries him in 1986. Their two sons, Vincent and Marvyn, born in 1987 and 1989, complete the small family. However, the marriage does not go well. When her sons start kindergarten, Esperanza returns to work. Initially, she has temporary jobs, but eventually, she secures a permanent position in a nursing home, where she becomes the deputy head of housekeeping and stays for 13 years. With her work and the growing responsibilities given to her, her contacts and independence also grow. In 2000, she acquires German citizenship, and in 2003, she decides to separate from her husband. In 2012, she leaves her job at the nursing home and transitions to the German Emigration Center, where she has been in charge of housekeeping since then.
A portrait of Esperanza Korten is one of the faces that has been visible on the facade of the new German Emigration Center since June 2021. Before the opening of the extension building with its artistically designed facade, the Nordsee-Zeitung introduced the individuals depicted. You can view the corresponding cinematic portrait of Esperanza Korten here.