Are you interested in organizing?
Do you care about immigrant rights?
Are you a leader or do you want to become a leader?

Join DreamActivist Louisiana for their first:

Youth Empowerment Summit (YES!)

Organizing and leadership training for youth and individuals whocare about immigrant rights.

Date & Time: May 19th, Saturday 9am-5p
Location: 3401 Canal Street
                New Orleans, LA 70119

Deadline is May 12, RSVP now!

The training is designed to:

• Teach basic community organizing skills.
• Help participants learn to tell their own stories and speak in public.
• Train participants in the use of social media tools for outreach and organizing.
• Provide an insider’s overview of the immigration debate.
• Build leadership teams of five to six people in a geographic area.
•  Conduct a brief action to give participants a chance to practice newly learned skill

This is a FREE Training, and lunch is provided. The space is limited so don’t forget to RSVP by May 12.

Not in Louisiana? You can help by donating to make this training possible. All our work is volunteer-led so consider making a donation:

If you have any questions please email DreamActivistLouisiana@gmail.com or call (646) 354-0065

We know it sounds crazy, but it’s worth it. We will get better. We will be better organized. Our communities will learn how to fight.

We know how to stop ICE–just take Victoria, the 9th grader facing deportation. She was set to be deported last Sunday, but because she chose to stay and fight we were able to help her win a 1 year stay of removal!

Are you being deported? Submit this intake and let us help YOU.

The bad news is that for every case we win, there are thousands of others who are deported. We need to work for a change and stop depending on others to help us. Politicians have failed us. We can’t sit and wait for laws to be passed. As a community, we have all of the tools and resources to stop any deportation, so let’s get to work and do it.

As the National Immigrant Youth Alliance, we are launching a new program called ‘Secure Your Own Community’, otherwise known as SYOC.

Through SYOC we hope to be able to support anyone in deportation who meets criteria for discretion and who is willing to be public in order to stop their deportation.  If you are willing to be public and share your story with others, then we can work with you one-on-one to teach you how to fight your case. With your success, we are hoping you can then teach others how to SYOC.

If you or someone you know is in deportation proceedings, please fill out this form and let’s get to work. Remember, you must be willing to be public about your story and everything else can be figured out.

- The NIYA Team

P.S. If you are an immigration attorney or a law student and you’d like to volunteer to support on this project please reply to this email and we’ll be in touch with you.

All of the work we do is volunteer-run, so consider making a donation to support us.

Leaving my grandmother and my life behind was heartbreaking. I didn’t fit in at school, and felt I was an outcast. I wasn’t black or white, I was brown. On top of that I didn’t speak the language. The first few years were miserable. We lived in a run down apartment, and I missed my grandmother more than anything.

Eventually I picked up the language and was happy with my life. I did pretty well in school and starting earning friends. Although it was very apparent at a young age that I was different, I didn’t really wrap my head around it until later on in life. I was your typical tomboy. I wore only boys clothes and begged my mother to allow me to have short hair. I felt no sexual attraction to either gender but assumed I would inevitably grow into liking boys.

I learned of my two biggest differences the summer I turned fifteen. After a decade of living in the states my mother decided we would be better off living in Mexico. She realized our lives without documentation would be too tough. I was still very much a tomboy and it was apparent in my town in Mexico that I was in fact gay. After several alarming incidents that proved dangerous to my safety, my mother quickly realized that my life was at risk and that we couldn’t live in Mexico.

To read Ro’s full story click here.

For more Undocuqueer stories click here.

My name is Jose Portillo, and I’ve been living in Colorado since I was 3. I was raised to be kind and loving, just like any newborn baby. Growing up as kid wasn’t hard, always playing with my friends and worry free, just an innocent boy. My parents made it seem like we had it all, like any typical American.

We would go on vacations and theme parks. I was raised in a town in Colorado that is half Hispanic and half American. There was never any racism at schools that I’ve encountered, everyone respected one another. Keep in mind that I didn’t have a clue what an illegal immigrant was. My parents divorced when I was 9, I was numb and didn’t know what to think of it. Later in time I learned to accept the divorce and move along.

When I started high school I noticed kids having their own cars that they paid for, and their clothing, most of them are my friends that where with me since kindergarten. I wanted to get a job like them and be able to buy whatever I wanted to buy. It was then that I found out I couldn’t work, it didn’t shock me, because something in me knew that I wasn’t accepted in this country. I didn’t pay much attention to that since I still relied on my parents.

Time passed and I became aware that high school would end soon, and I wouldn’t be going anywhere, I wont be advancing with my friends. I always wanted to have my own driver’s license card, it seemed like a step into adult hood. I couldn’t apply for one. I wanted a job to earn my own money, to have that feeling of independence, neither was that possible. I want to be someone in this world, I want to leave my name in places and be remembered, I want my dreams to be accomplished.

Here I stand, a junior in high school, class of 2013. I haven’t lost hope of the DREAM act to pass, every time something isn’t right in this country, it is bound to change for the better. It’s written in our history.  I have a girlfriend that is in the same situation as me, I tell her not to worry about the future, that everything will be fine. She cries on my shoulder and says that she’s scared and I tell her that I am too, but not to worry. I hope I’m not telling her lies that the future will be better.

As an activist, I hope I can reach politicians to pass a fair immigration law. When my grandmother died of cancer in Ecuador two years ago, I couldn’t go to her funeral.  My job requires international business trips, but due to my immigration status, I cannot attend. Though fortunate to have TPS, I am still plagued by my current status.  The time is NOW, if the DREAM ACT delays any further, I may be denied due to an age limit of 30.  This is my home, the country that has seen me grow and succeed. Help us bring upon change!

Mi nombre es Laura Cosme, tengo 29 años. Mi padre nació en El Salvador. Mi madre nació en Ecuador. Yo nací en Perú, pero soy americano. He vivido en NJ desde que estaba en el primero grado, no fue hasta que tenía 16 años de edad, y pase mi clase de manejo, me di cuenta que era indocumentado. Afortunadamente en el 2001, le  a mi padre le dieron un TPS por dos años, y así pude conseguir mi licencia y un trabajo. Yo sabía que quería continua con mi educación, así que continúe adelante hacia una universidad comunitaria, pagando

Como activista, espero poder llegar hasta los políticos a aprobar una ley de inmigración justa. Cuando mi abuela falleció de cáncer en Ecuador hace dos años, no pude ir a su funeral. Mi trabajo requiere viajes de negocios internacionales, pero debido por ser indocumentado, no puedo asistir. Aunque soy muy afortunado de tener TPS, sigo siendo acosado por mi situación actual. Éste es el momento, si el proyecto de ley DREAM ACT demora más, puedo ser negado debido a un límite de edad de 30. Esta es mi casa, el país que me ha visto crecer y triunfar. ¡Ayúdenos a traer  un cambio!

When I was 10 years old, my mother returned to Honduras. There she was at the airport, a woman I only knew through pictures and letters, the woman I had waited my entire existence on, the woman I had a million expectations of. It was as if my protector had returned and all the suffering I had encountered would no longer exist, yet, it was just starting.

When my mother arrived, it had already been decided we would leave Honduras, we just didn’t know it. She applied to get us a visa, but it was denied to us. One morning, shortly after she had arrived, we were told to get in a truck because we were going to the United States. In a blink of an eye, life changed and a new journey began. On our journey, we went through El Salvador, Guatemala and then Mexico. We stayed in Mexico for four months, then, we took a plane to the border and stayed in a hotel there. My mother hired un coyote (a smuggler) to cross us over to the United States, but he was not much help. First, the males tried to cross the border but they were caught; my thirteen-year-old brother was one of them. Their fingerprints were taken and they were sent back to the Mexican border. The next day, my mother decided we would all try together. We all got in a truck, we were driven to a deserted area where we were dropped off and began to walk. My mother said to walk until we got to the light. I do not remember for how long or how far we walked, I do remember that it was dark, during nighttime when we started and it was still dark when we arrived to the light at the other side, to the United States. A paved road divided the border at that time we crossed. The houses were mostly two/three story houses with dogs. As we ran, we could hear dogs barking from the houses around. Shortly after, we were picked up by some relatives and driven to New Orleans, as it had been arranged. We stayed in New Orleans for a couple of hours, and then we came to Lake Worth, Florida where my mother had lived since she left Honduras.

My father would call from time to time when we were in Honduras. However, he never made an effort to bring us to be with him. When he found out that we had arrived in Florida, he went to my mother’s house in an attempt to take us with him. My mother did not allow him to do so. He blamed it on us saying that we denied him as a father. I have always felt that it was his excuse and cover up to brush off all the responsibility. Either way, it turned out better that way.

At eleven years old, I started school in the 6^th grade. I was in English learner’s classes, ESOL, for less than 2 years. My younger sister and I picked up the language fairly quickly. By the time I was in 8^th grade, I was taking Advance Language Arts. I applied to the Criminal Justice Magnet Program in Lake Worth High School because I was tired of going from school to school, since my mother was very unstable, financially. I dreamed of becoming a writer someday and shortly after starting 9^th grade and the Criminal Justice Magnet, I developed a passion for law, for change, for standing up for my believes. I dreamed of becoming an attorney, I just did not know what kind of law interested me the most.  I continued taking honors classes and passed the FCAT in 10^th grade. The summer after 10^th grade, I became a dual enrolled student at Palm Beach Community College (PBSC now).

When I was in the 11th grade, one by one, my dreams began to fall apart. It all began when I applied to get a job at Muvico. I went for the orientation and got hired. I was told to bring my social security when I reported to work on my first day. Then, I learned I could not work legally. Shortly after, while taking the Drivers Ed class at school, I learned that I could not get a license. To make matters worse, I was going through the toughest time of my life outside of school. I had left my mother’s house when I started high school therefore I continued to live my life without a stable place. I had just gotten my heart broken in the cruelest way and I had just gotten out of my first abusive relationship. I was all alone and I could not go to my brother for he had his own issues. I did not know what I was going to do.

The summer before 12^th grade, I started working at a convenience store in the mornings and at a restaurant in the afternoons. Both places paid me cash. I became obsessed with work, it kept me busy, it helped me not to think, and so I would not take a day off. I started 12^th grade focused on work and hating every time teachers asked if we had applied for college, if we signed up for the ACT/SAT, if we had applied for Bright Futures and if we were registered to vote. I could not do any of it. I left the convenience store and the restaurant because of school. I started working at Dunkin Donuts. At that point, work became more important than school and I began to put more effort into making money and working more hours than going to school. After all, I had been pretty much on my own since I was 14 years old. Earning my own money made a significant change in my life.

I left the dual enrollment program because of work. I started missing days at school to be at work. One morning, my 10^th grade English teacher showed up at work and told me that she expected to see me at school that day. She reminded me of what was important even though it had been two years since she had been my teacher. Needless to say, I went to school that day and the days after. I randomly talked to a former science teacher about my living situation. She helped to find me a stable place to live so I could finish high school. It was then that I met my soon to be “white” family. They took inn exchange students for the school year. I was supposed to be kind of like an exchange student. They provided me with a stable place to live which made going to school a lot easier. When I started my second semester of 12^th grade, my guidance counselor called me to his office and signed me up for the ACT/SAT. He had me fill out Bright Futures because he found out that a student had 3 years to activate the scholarship from the day they graduate. He was aware of my status but he still believed that I had a chance. As a result, I graduated high school in May 2006 with a 3.4 GPA, a Criminal Justice Certificate, 75% Bright Futures Scholarship, and 15 college credits.

Still, I could not go to college. I could not work legally. I could not drive legally. When I turned 18 years old, I went for a consultation with an immigration attorney. He said that since I was from Honduras, I could apply for Temporary Protection Status and to just hope that it would be given to me. I paid the attorney with money I had saved on my own. During the next year, I worked at the mall, 10 hours a day, waiting and hoping. In May 2007, I was granted Temporary Protection Status.

Honduras has had Temporary Protection Status since 1999 due to a natural disaster that took place. Every 16 months, the Department of Homeland Security decides if they will grant an extension or not. Once the extension is granted, we have two months to submit the applications and fees to get a social security, a work permit, and a license. The license must be renewed yearly. I cannot apply for federal loans for school. I cannot leave the country unless I request and pay for a special permission from the government to go to Honduras. However, if I were to leave the country and the federal government was to grant permanent status, I would not qualify.

When I was granted Temporary Protection Status, I felt like I had the opportunity to make my dreams come true. I applied to Florida Atlantic University right away and I started college the fall of 2007. I worked full time and attended school full time. In 2009, my brother was deported. As a result, my world was divided and my life has never been the same. In December 2010, I graduated from FAU with a major in Public Communication and a minor in Sociology. I graduated debt free from college. I have my guidance counselor to thank for making sure that I had a scholarship if I had the opportunity to go to college.

I now live on my own, work as a Case Coordinator Assistant at Searcy Denney and I am scheduled to take the LSAT this December. I am a member of the Hispanic Bar Association, a member of the Hispanic Education Coalition, and a member of the Coalition for Immigrant Rights. I spend a great deal of my time volunteering and giving back to those whose shoes I once wore. I also coach soccer and take care of my brother’s children to the best of my ability. They are my greatest motivation.

I recently received the great news that the Department of Homeland Security granted an extension for Honduras with Temporary Protection Status until 2013. The uncertainty of not knowing and waiting to find out if an extension will be granted is very troubling and worrisome. However, not being able to visit my brother is by far the hardest part.

I am deeply thankful that I was able to continue on with my education through the Temporary Protection Status, which I have been granted. My experience with the immigration system has inspired me to pursue a career as an immigration attorney. I desire to help others to pursue their passion, to fight for their dreams, and to make a positive difference so we may find a pathway to citizenship.

If you are wondering why don’t I just apply for citizenship? The only pathway available at the moment for most is by marrying an American citizen. It is not an option for me. It is not a matter of pride or honor but simply, it goes against what I believe in and who I am. When I do get married, it will be for the right reasons and God willing with the right person.

As immigrants, documented or undocumented, we still have a long way to go, but we can reach the unreachable by stepping out of the shadows, reaching for the unreachable. Our stories are stories that must be told. Just because others forgot where they came from, how their ancestors got here, and what “America” stands for, does not mean we ought to do the same.

Be at peace with God. Its time Stand up for what you believe in, and remember who you are.

Una noche, cuando tenia tres años de edad, mi Madre emigro desde Honduras hacia los Estados Unidos. En Honduras, ella trabajaba en un restaurante, Dunkin Donuts, pero el salario que recibia no era suficiente para proveer lo necesario para mis dos hermanas, mi hermano y yo. A pesar de que mi Madre partio, ella siempre nos enviaba cartas, nos llamaba por teléfono, nos enviaba ropa, juguetes y dinero. Nunca se olvido de nosotros/as. Un corto tiempo después de que mi madre emigrara, mi Hermano y yo fuimos enviados a vivir con la Madre de mi Padre y mis Hermanas fueron enviadas a vivir con mi Tía. La mayor parte del tiempo solo nos podíamos ver durante los fines de semana. Para poder ver a mis hermanas, mi hermano y yo debíamos tomar un autobús durante una hora solo/as. Durante la mayor parte de mi infancia, mi hermano, era lo único que tenia. Mi primer regalo de cumpleaños fue una muñeca que mi hermano compro para mi cuando tenia siete años. Para poder comprarlo, el tuvo que trabajar por un par de meses. hasta hoy es, por mucho, el mejor regalo que eh recibido. Muchas veces, no recibíamos lo que mi Madre enviaba, ya que muchas veces eran vendidos o tomados por familiares. Nuestra infancia, no fue infancia; éramos forzados alimpiar en vez de jugar. Nos hacían burla y éramos abusados por no tener nuestros padres con nosotros, pero yo tenia a mi hermano y mis hermanas se apoyaban entre ellas. 

Cuando tenia diez años, mi Madre regreso a Honduras. Ahí  estaba en el aeropuerto, la mujer que solamente conocía a través de fotografías y cartas, la mujer por la cual había esperado toda me existencia, de la cual tenia millones de expectaciones.  Fue como si mi protector había regresado y todo el sufrimiento que había soportado no existiría mas, pero apenas comenzaba.

Cuando mi Madre arribó, ya había sido decidido que dejaríamos Honduras, simplemente no lo sabíamos. Mi Madre intento conseguirnos visa, pero nuestra aplicación fue rechazada. Una mañana, poco después de su arribo, nos dijeron que nos subiéramos en una camioneta porque partíamos hacia los Estados Unidos. En un abrir y cerrar de ojos, mi vida cambio y un nuevo viaje comenzó. En nuestro viaje, atravesamos El Salvador, Guatemala y finalmente México. Nos quedamos en México por cuatro meses, luego tomamos un avión hasta la frontera y nos hospedamos en un hotel. Mi Madre contrato un coyote para que nos cruzara a los Estados Unidos, el cual no fue de mucha ayuda. Primero, los hombres trataron cruzar, pero fueron detenidos; mi hermano de trece años fue uno de ellos. Les tomaron sus huellas y los regresaron a la frontera de México. Al siguiente día mI Madre decidió que lo intentaríamos todos junto/as. Nos juntamos y subimos una camioneta que nos dejo en una área desierta e inmediatamente comenzamos a caminar. Mi Madre nos dijo que camináramos hasta la luz, no recuerdo por cuanto o que tanto caminamos, pero si recuerdo que estaba oscuro y era de noche cuando comenzamos y todavía estaba oscuro cuando llegamos a la luz en el otro lado, en lo Estados Unidos. Una carretera pavimentada dividía la frontera en aquel tiempo cuando cruzamos. La mayoría de las casa alrededor eran de dos o tres plantas y casi todas parecían tener perros. A según corríamos, podíamos escuchar los ladridos de los perros a nuestro alrededor. Al poco tiempo, fuimos recogidos por unos familiares y conducidos hasta Nueva Orleans, como había sido planeado. Estuvimos en Nueva Orleans por un par de horas y luego partimos hacia Lake Worth, Florida donde mi Madre había residido desde que llego desde Honduras.

De ves en cuando mi Padre nos hacia llamadas telefónicas cuando estábamos en Honduras. Sin embargo, el nunca hizo un esfuerzo para poder traernos a los Estados Unidos con el. Cuando el supo que habíamos llegado a Florida, fue a casa de mi Madre para tratar de llevarnos con el, pero mi Madre no lo permitió. Al no poder, nos culpo diciendo que nosotros lo rechazábamos como Padre. Siempre e sentido que fue su excusa para cubrirse y quitarse de encima toda responsabilidad. De todas formas, fue mejor de esa manera.

A los once años de edad, comencé la escuela en el sexto grado. Estuve en el programa para aprender ingles ESOL por menos de dos años. Mi hermana menor y yo aprendimos el idioma muy rápido. Al tiempo que estaba en el octavo grado, estaba tomando Artes Lingüísticas avanzadas. Aplique para el programa de Justicia Criminal Magnet en la Escuela secundaria Lake Worth porque estaba cansada de andar de escuela en escuela, ya que mi Madre estaba muy inestable, financieramente. Soñaba poder algún día convertirme en una escritora y poco después de haber comenzado el noveno grado y el programa de Justicia Criminal, desarrolle una pasión por leyes, por cambio, por poder defender todo en lo que creo. Soñaba en poder convertirme en una abogada, solamente no sabia que tipo de leyes me interesaba mas. Continúe tomando clases y pase el FCAT en el décimo grado. El verano después del décimo grado me convertí en una estudiante de doble turno, ya que me inscribí en el colegio comunitario de Palm Beach, hoy (PBSC).

Cuando estaba en el onceavo grado, uno a uno, mis sueños se fueron cayendo. Todo empezó cuando aplique para un trabajo en Muvico. Fui para una orientación y conseguí el trabajo, me dijeron que trajera mi seguro social cuando me reportara para en mi primer día de trabajo. Luego supe que no podía trabajar legalmente. Poco después, cuando estaba tomando clases de manejo en la escuela, aprendí que no podía conseguir una licencia. Para empeorar las cosas, en ese momento estaba pasando la peor etapa de mi vida fuera de la escuela. Había dejado la cas de mi Madre cuando empecé la escuela, así que continuaba mi vida sin un lugar seguro donde vivir. Me acababan de romper el corazón de la manera mas cruel y acababa de salir de la primera relación abusiva. Estaba completamente sola y no podía ir con mi hermano , ya que el tenia sus propios asuntos. No sabia que iba hacer.

El verano del doceavo grado comencé a trabajar en una tienda por las mañanas y en un restaurante en las tardes. Ambos lugares me pagaban en efectivo. Me obsesione con el trabajo, me mantenía ocupada, me ayudaba a no pensar, y desde luego no perdía un día. Comencé el doceavo grado enfocada en el trabajo y odiando cada vez que maestra/os preguntaban en clase si ya habíamos aplicado para la universidad, si nos habíamos inscrito para el ACT/SAT, si habíamos aplicado para futuros brillantes y o si estábamos registrado/as para votar. Yo no podía hacer ninguna de esas cosas. Deje el trabajo en la tienda y el restaurante por la escuela. Comencé a trabajar en un Dunkin Donuts, a ese punto el trabajo se convirtió mas importante que la escuela y comencé a poner mas esfuerzo en hacer dinero y trabajar mas horas que en ir a la escuela. Después de todo, había estado por mi propia cuenta casi desde que tenia catorce años. Ganar mi propio dinero hizo un cambio significante en mi vida.

Abandone el programa doble en el que estaba inscrita por el trabajo. Comencé a faltar días en la escuela por culpa del trabajo. Una mañana, mi maestra del décimo grado apareció por mi trabajo y me dijo que esperaba verme en la escuela ese día. A pesar de que había sido mi maestra dos años atrás, ella me recordó lo que era mas importante. No es necesario decir que fui a la escuela ese día y los días siguientes. De pura coincidencia hable con una maestra de ciencias que había tenido anteriormente acerca de mi situación de vivienda. Ella me ayudo a encontrar un lugar estable para vivir y poder terminar la escuela. Fue ahí que conocí, quienes serian, mi futura familia “blanca.” Ello/as proveían vivienda a estudiantes de intercambio por el año escolar. Supuestamente yo era algo así como una estudiante de intercambio. Ello/as me proveyeron un lugar estable para vivir, lo cual hizo ir a la escuela mucho mas fácil. Cuando comencé mi segundo semestre del doceavo grado, un consejero escolar me llamo a su oficina y me inscribió para el ACT/SAT. Me hizo llenar una aplicación de futuros brillantes porque encontró que un estudiante tenia tres años para activar su beca desde el día que se gradúa. El sabia de mi estatus, pero aun así creía que yo tenia una oportunidad. Como resultado, me gradúe de la escuela secundaria en Mayo del 2006 con un GPA de 3.4, un certificado de Justicia Criminal, 75 % de una beca de futuros brillantes y quince créditos de la universidad. 

Aun así, no podía ir a la universidad. No podía trabajar legalmente. No podía manejar legalmente. Cuando cumplí los dieciocho años, fui por una consulta con un  abogado de inmigración. Me dijo que como venia de Honduras, podía aplicar por un estatus de protección temporáneo y que solo tuviera esperanzas de que me lo dieran. Pague al abogado con el dinero que había ahorrado yo misma. Durante el siguiente año, trabaje en el centro comercial, diez horas al día, esperando esperanzada. En Mayo del 2007, me fue otorgada el estatus de protección temporáneo.

Honduras ha tenido estatus de protección temporáneo desde 1999 debido a un desastre natural que ocurrió alrededor del mismo tiempo. Cada dieciséis meses, el Departamento de Seguridad Nacional decide si van a extender el permiso o no. Una vez que la extensión es otorgada, tenemos dos meses para someter las aplicaciones y honorarios para poder conseguir un seguro social, un permiso de trabajo, y una licencia. La licencia tiene que ser renovada cada año. No puedo aplicar para los prestamos federales de la escuela. No puedo dejar el país amenos que recueste y pague un permiso especial del Gobierno para poder ir a Honduras. Sin embargo, si yo fuera a salir del país y el gobierno federal otorgara estatus permanente, yo no podría calificar.

Cuando me otorgaron estatus de protección temporáneo, sentí que tenia la oportunidad de realizar mis sueños. Aplique a la universidad del Atlántico de Florida de inmediato y comencé la universidad en el otoño del 2007. Trabajaba tiempo completo eh iba a la escuela tiempo completo. En el 2009, mi hermano fue deportado. Como resultado, mi mundo fue dividido y desde entonces mi vida no ha sido la misma. En Diciembre del 2010, me gradúe de FAU con un titulo en Comunicaciones publicas y uno menor en  Sociología. Me gradúe sin deudas, tengo que agradecer a mi consejero por asegurarse de que yo tuviera una beca si tenia la oportunidad de ir a la universidad.

Hoy vivo por mi propia cuenta, trabajo como asistente de coordinador de casos en Searcy Denney y tengo programado tomar el LSAT este Diciembre. Soy miembro de la Barra de Asociación Hispana, una miembro de la Coalición Hispana de Educación y la Coalición por los Derechos de los Inmigrantes. Paso mucho tiempo donando mi tiempo y ayudando a que ellos que calzan los mismos zapatos que yo antes calzaba. También soy entrenadora de un equipo de futbol y cuido de lo/as hijo/as de mi hermano a lo mejor de mi habilidad; ello/as son mi mas grande motivación.

Recientemente recibí las muy buenas noticias que el departamento de seguridad nacional otorgo una extensión para Honduras con Estatus de Protección Temporánea hasta el 2013. La incertidumbre de no saber y esperar a saber si una extensión será otorgada es muy problemático y reocupa mucho. Sin embargo, no poder ir a visitar a mi hermano es, por mucho, la parte mas difícil.

Estoy profundamente agradecida que tuve la oportunidad de continuar mi educación através del programa de estatus de protección temporáneo, el cual me fue otorgado. Mi experiencia con el sistema de inmigración me a inspirado a perseguir una carrera como abogada de inmigración. Deseo ayudar a otros a perseguir su pasión, pelear por sus sueños, y hacer una diferencia positiva y así podamos encontrar un camino a la legalización.

Si te estas preguntando, ¿porque no simplemente aplico por la ciudadanía? El único camino a la ciudadanía hasta el momento es casarse con un ciudadano americano. No es una opción para mi. No es una cuestión de orgullo o honor, mas simplemente, va en contra de todo lo que creo y de quien soy. Cuando me case será por la razones correctas y si Dios quiere con la persona correcta.

Como inmigrantes, documentados o indocumentados, todavía nos falta mucho camino por recorrer, pero podemos alcanzar lo inalcanzable al salir de las sombras, tratando de alcanzar lo inalcanzable. Nuestras historias son historias que deben ser contadas. Solo porque otros olvidaron de donde vienen, como sus ancestros llegaron aquí y lo que America representa, no quiere decir que nosotros debemos hacer lo mismo.

Que estés en paz con Dios. Defiende tus creencias y recuerda quien eres.

On Tuesday, June 26th, hundreds of undocumented youth and supporters from around the country are expected to attend the National Dream Graduation, a mock graduation symbolizing the thousands of undocumented youth graduating every year without an opportunity to move on.

The DREAM graduation has been around for almost as long as the DREAM Act itself. It’s a time for undocumented youth and supporters to come together once again and urge for the passage of the DREAM Act. We need to remind congress that, despite their inaction, we are still here and we need the passage of legislation to move on with our lives.

More details to come. In the meantime, this is what you can do:

• Please RSVP to let us know that you are coming.

• We are in need of about 400 graduation caps and gowns, if you have some laying around please mail them over to us.

Looking forward to seeing you in Washington D.C.! If you have any questions please e-mail us at: info@theniya.org 

For media inquiries contact: media@theniya.org

- The NIYA Team

Use this flyer to help us spread the word. 

You see, we do what the rest of the world is failing to do. I am referring to homophobia, only in this movement have I seen strong friendships built between gay and straight men/women. Which in my eyes is a beautiful thing, where else do you see both going out, grabbing a drink, have fun, pass out in similar rooms/beds without the feeling of discomfort? I had the best times of my life these past months, from being dragged by the Undocuqueer crowd to gay bars to us dragging them to what they call boring straight bars all in the spirit of having fun and sharing experiences. All the way to Felipe giving me a safe place to crash when I was in NY and dragging me to what was to me the oddest GAY BAR experience I had. I guess that is what life is about, ending discrimination starts with me and you. What my friends do should not be looked down upon because they are doing what makes them happy.

I guess this is how this picture comes to play, this picture to me means a lot and shows a lot. This is Nico and I at a Bar. For those of you who don’t know Nico, he is UNDOCUQUEER and us sharing the same bathroom and removing that element of discrimination is fucking awesome. Let’s be happy, knock down the walls of hate, and show the world that we could be a better change. Let’s make people feel like they belong in this world that tries to divide us by using social issues like such.

Much love!

The summer before my senior year of high school, ICE agents came to the town I live in, and one morning as I was going out they arrested me. I was in my car and to get me out they broke the car window forcing me out. I was underage at the time so when they arrested me they couldn’t keep me in jail, so I was sent to a Children’s Shelter home. My family did everything in their power to get me back and after a month of being held in the shelter I was released, but I had to appear in court and a judge would decide if I could stay in the United Stated or if I had to go back to my country.

I went back to school to finish my senior year and graduate, but it was very hard. I had to get counseling for what I had experienced. It was by far my toughest year of school. I graduated high school in the spring of 2010, and in the fall of that same year I started college. A decision hasn’t been made about my case yet but I have faith in God and I hope for the best.

Mi nombre es Alberto. Viene a los estadios unidos hace ocho años, a la edad de doce a años. La vida acá en los estados está bien, pero muy difícil. Cuando llegue, no hablaba ni entendía nada en inglés, por esa misma razón me retrasaron un ano en la escuela. La escuela era muy difícil, pero trabaje muy duro para aprender este nuevo idioma. Estudiaba con mis maestros en la escuela y con mi familia en casa. Con tal paso el tiempo, perfeccione el lenguaje de inglés. Comencé la segundaria con buenas calificaciones y era reconocido por mis habilidades artísticas. Me llevaba muy bien con mis compañeros y mis maestros. Me encanta aprender nuevas cosas, antes me quedaba despierto hasta muy tarde haciendo mu tarea.

El verano antes de mi último año en la segundaria, agentes de inmigración vinieron al pueblo donde vivo, y una mañana mientras salía, me arrestaron. Estaba dentro de mi carro, cuando rompieron mi ventana para sacarme. En ese tiempo yo era menor de edad, entonces cuando me arrestaron, no me podían tener en la cárcel, así que me enviaron a un reclusorio para niños. Mi familia hizo todo lo posible para sacarme, y después de estar encerrado por un mes por fin pude salir libre, con la condición de que me tenía que presentar en frente de un juez de inmigración quien iba a decidí si me podía quedar en este país o regresar a mi país natal.

Regrese a la segundaria y me gradué, pero fue muy difícil. Tuve que ir a terapia por la experiencia que pase, fue un ano muy difícil para mí. Me gradué de la segundaria en la primavera del 2010, y en el invierno comenzó mi primer semestre de en la universidad. Aun no hay una decisión fija en mi caso, pero tengo fe en dios, y espero lo mejor.

My Name is Judas Ramirez and I am 19 years old. My parents brought me over to the U.S. when I was ten months old. I was born in Zapopan, Mexico. I don’t remember Mexico at all. My first memories were here in the U.S. I feel like I am from here; I love the U.S. This country is all I have ever known in my life. The fact that any day I could be deported does not scare me anymore. I am tired of worrying.

I live in Merced, California, a small town in the Central Valley. Most people cannot wait to leave it, but I tend to stay close to it as long as I can. The reason I want to stay close to it is because my family is here. The only family I have living in the U.S. is my Mother and Father. My parents told me the reason they left Mexico was the same as everyone else. They were looking for work. My parents and I try to live a normal life. My mom is unemployed and is in multiple Church groups. My Dad is a carpet cleaner, and doesn’t get too much work. We don’t have much, but living with an economical struggle has thought me to appreciate things. I often look at other people and wish I could do some of the things they do, but I am honestly blessed with what I have.

People that know about my status ask me if I hate my parents for bringing me over here. I tell them no and I never have; they simply wanted to give me a better life. Who could hate their parents for that? As for my education, I have gone to school all my life in Merced. I graduated from Merced High School in 2010 and I am currently going to Merced Community College. I want to study biology because I want to become a plastic surgeon. I want to help kids with cleft lip. I guess I can relate to them because society judges them without getting to know them. I believe everyone deserves a chance to be accepted, and I hope I can give them that one day.

My community is small and I like to donate blood at Blood Source in Merced. I also like to volunteer there helping as an interpreter for people that only speak Spanish. I am also a volunteer as an altar boy at my church; it makes me feel like I’m giving back to God. Currently I am a full time student and help my Dad carpet clean, when I can. My immigration status does not seem to change. I don’t see any hope other than getting married or the Dream Act being passed. My status has kept me humble, but it has also been hard on my parents and me when it comes to paying for college. I’m afraid that if help doesn’t come, I will have to quit going to school for a while.

The Dream Act would help me have a better life; it would be a dream come true to me. I hope that one day it passes so that all people in my situation can study and have their careers come true. The Dream Act is very important to my entire family. The hope I have in the future is that one day I can become a citizen of the U.S. I hope to become a plastic surgeon and help kids with deformities. I guess what keeps me motivated are my parents and the love I have for this country. I want to build my life here because it is all I have ever known. Every single one of my memories has been made here. It is hard to love this country so much and know that people do not want you here. All I can do is hope to one day be accepted and continue fighting for my hopes and dreams.