Langley Park awaits Purple Line

The proposed Purple Line train would stop in the center of Langley Park, Md., a small but internationally diverse community. About 80 percent of the population is Latino, predominantly Central American.

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Tom Fox, center in red, of Open Air Campaigners, comes to The Villas at Langley apartment complex every Monday to teach the Bible to children in the community.

Sarah L. Voisin / The Washington Post

Eva Yesenia Martinez, 40, of Guatemala, spends most afternoons on the porch of her apartment in The Villas at Langley apartment complex. Her oldest of four children was killed when he was 16, four years ago, only blocks away from the family’s apartment.

Sarah L. Voisin / The Washington Post

A Purple Line station would be located on this corner of New Hampshire Avenue and University Boulevard, currently home to a Taco Bell.

Sarah L. Voisin / The Washington Post

A soccer area and playground are at the center of The Villas of Langley apartment complex. Nearly every evening people cling to the fence to watch the action inside. Older people play on the left, and younger ones have their own game on the right.

Sarah L. Voisin / The Washington Post

Anthony Wilnil, 2, left and his brother, Douglas Wilnil, 3, wait for their mother, Marisol Lopez, 25, of Guatemala, center in blue, to fill out a form to receive free food from the Catholic Community of Langley Park, a mission of St. Camillus, St. Elizabeth and Our Lady of Mercy Catholic churches. Lopez is holding her youngest son, Emerson Wilnil, who is 8 months old. Mayra Mejia, right, is the manager of the center.

Sarah L. Voisin / The Washington Post

Miguel Angel Sanchez, 61, of El Salvador, pays attention in an English class at the Catholic Community of Langley Park. A poster depicting Oscar Arnulfo Romero, a bishop who was killed in El Salvador, hangs on the wall.

Sarah L. Voisin / The Washington Post

Wendy Acosta, 38, of the Dominican Republic, tries to pay attention in an English class at the Catholic Community of Langley Park as her 9-month-old daughter, Mia Tavaraz, pulls on her sweater.

Sarah L. Voisin / The Washington Post

Wendy Acosta writes an assignment in an English class as she holds her daughter, Mia Tavaraz.

Sarah L. Voisin / The Washington Post

Children play on the balcony and in the window of an apartment in The Villas at Langley apartment complex.

Sarah L. Voisin / The Washington Post

La Chiquita Express, left, a money wiring business, and other international businesses line University Boulevard near New Hampshire Avenue, where a Purple Line station is planned.

Sarah L. Voisin / The Washington Post

Marwin Mata, center, a native of Guatemala and a resident of Langley Park, wires money home at La Chiquita Express.

Sarah L. Voisin / The Washington Post

Dora Escobar, center, is the owner of eight businesses in the area, including La Chiquita Express, a money wiring business on University Boulevard. She worked her way up from selling food in her apartment to being a successful businesswoman.

Sarah L. Voisin / The Washington Post

Gustavo Torres is the executive director of Casa de Maryland, an immigration advocacy and assistance organization in the heart of Langley Park.

Sarah L. Voisin / The Washington Post

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