Chileans in Los Angeles unite

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The successful rescue of the trapped copper miners has given Los Angeles' small Chilean community a new sense of national pride.

"It's the way the Chilean people are, you know?," said Sonia Tulcazana, who moved here from Chile. "Very patient, passionate for the country."

Usually, she says, the Chilean community is divided over politics. But the way the country’s president effectively handled the crisis united the nation. She says that as a whole, the entire country saw his action as a success.

“He pleased the county because now, I don’t know if you noticed this, but in Mexico, a few years ago, they had an accident in a mine too," Tulcazana said. "And they lost like 79 people or something like that because they didn't do it the way Chile's doing it this moment."

While many of the miners are still in the hospital for testing, in Chile, they have become global symbols of patience and solidarity.

Sonia Tulcazana is a former Chile Community Center president. She lives in Southern California.

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