Archive - month

On a Pilgrimage for Justice and Peace

A few days ago, an anti- immigrant man looked me in the eye and without hesitation said, “you are not entirely human. You are just a criminal!” I remember the blood rushing to my head as I felt my cheeks turning red. I wasn’t embarrassed of being undocumented, but rather of being part of humanity. For a second I asked myself, “why can’t I be seen like everybody else?”

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DREAM Quilt

I wish that I could listen more and not be so afraid to listen.

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Beyond a Walk

These are only a few injustices of so many committed against undocumented immigrants in this nation.  Our walk removes us from feeling any physical pain as we mentally reminisce some of the countless stories we’ve heard on our journey.  Many of which remind me of my own personal struggles, especially having a mother battle cancer for over a decade whose mental anguish over our migratory status worsened her condition.  

Regardless of the pain living the undocumented life and having aggressive cancer, her resilience was too strong and her determination to raise her children kept her alive for so long, even when the doctors would say otherwise.  I firmly believe that there is nothing stronger than the love of a mother for her children.  

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Good news for Leslie

In my first semester at Miami Dade College I found Students Working for Equal Rights (SWER). At first, I was skeptical. What could ten barefoot college kids sitting in a tiny apartment in the heart of Little Havana possibly change?

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Daddy's Little Girl

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to see into my fathers eyes once again. 

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My Family is Here

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Enough is Enough

Leslie symbolizes the reason why we need immigration reform now that ensures family unity and equal access to education, but most importantly, she is a very clear example that our political leaders’ words do not match their actions. President Obama and his administration have continuously lied to us by saying that they are only seeking the deportation and detention of “criminals”. Our communities continue to be raided and the current system does not fail in stealing away those we love. While any student in the United States was thinking about his or her test or homework, Leslie was getting detained in the train station on her way to school.

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@DiegoisOrtiz visits the Trail of DREAMs

For anyone in need of motivation, who is looking for a “pick-me –up,” for a reason to get out of bed in the morning, for some reassurance that this cheerless state of affairs will improve, look no further than the four brave students walking the Trail of Dreams 2010. I have had the pleasure to meet Gabby, Carlos, Juan and Felipe in person and for a brief moment I was permitted a glimpse into their lives. What I found was a fountain of inspiration.

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Confronting 287(g)

It makes me think of my own mother and how she would drive my sisters and I to school, even though she didn’t have a license (because she couldn’t get one) and how she would drive us regardless of the pain she felt due to the metastatic cancer on her left leg. I think about how millions of people undergo the same fear everyday because of their undocumented status.

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In your town, this very day

Currently, in a city in the United States of America:

… a girl looks out at the world with the unconditional love of innocence –wondering when and if she will ever get to see her older sisters again;

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Walking Into the Light

My teachers couldn't believe it. Some tried to help me, while others made fun of it. I still remember one of my teachers yelling across the room, “Hey Pocahontas, why don't you get married” or “Pocahontas, when is the wedding?”. Funny enough that is the only pathway to citizenship that ever seemed to be available to me, even after my multiple consultations with various of the top immigration lawyers in the country.

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NO MORE FEAR, COME OUT! (DreamActivist.org)

"Brothers and Sisters, you must come out! Come out to your parents, come out to your friends, if indeed they are your friends, come out to your neighbors, come out to your fellow workers. Once and for all, let's break down the myth and destroy the lies and distortions. For your sake, for their sake. For the sake of all the youngsters who've been scared." - Harvey Milk

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Gwinnett County Sheriff Meeting

Today is the first time that we are really leaving the Atlanta perimeter, and potentially starting a another dark chapter in the Trail of Dreams like the KKK rally we had before Atlanta, as the walkers attempt to meet with the sheriff of Gwinnett County, R.L. "Butch" Conway. The sheriff is proud of his recently implemented 287-G program, which is the reason that the walkers, if arrested, face deportation in as little as 2 days.

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Tomorrow, we will not be afraid

In times like today I think of my mother and her wisdom. We were
separated by an unfair system and I can't go visit her due to my
status. Sometimes I really fear that her fragile health may make us
permenantly separated. Tomorrow would be a step towards a place where
people like us can know that they will not have to live with the pain
and stigma of being undocumented forever. We are building a world
where human dignity comes first and each human being's dream is
valuable. I am sooo inspired by the work this team does. One of the
students from SWER the day he found out about his deportation order
went back home devasted and his mother said: we will find a way to
make a way. This is exactly what this action represents.  We are
creating a way to have a voices heard. I love you all!

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