Stories
Thanks to DACA, Harrowing Journey of Young Boy Gets a New Ending: a Chance at Law School
Today Javier Hernández is a high-achieving college student and legal assistant who will likely pursue a career in law. And yet as a young boy in San Salvador, El Salvador, Hernández’s future wasn’t nearly so bright. In fact, he had one central fear: That when he turned 12… Read More
Once an Undocumented Immigrant, Pennsylvania Town’s First Lady is Giving Back to Her Adoptive Home
Gisele Fetterman with family. Photo credit: Matthew Hodgman MN. In 2007, when she was in her mid-twenties, Brazilian immigrant Gisele Fetterman read an article about Braddock, Pennsylvania. “I wrote a letter, and the mayor, John Karl Fetterman, wrote back,” she says. Her initial fascination with Braddock was sparked by a… Read More
Chamber VP Sees Firsthand How Immigrant Businesses Stimulate the Economy
Gilda Ramirez knows how much immigrants have to contribute to the United States. Her father was born in Mexico but grew up undocumented in Texas. Just after he received a letter of deportation, he was drafted into the U.S. Army and went to fight in Germany during World War II. Read More
Fort Worth Pastor Says Deporting Undocumented Immigrants “Would Just Cripple Our Economy”
As the pastor at Waves of Faith, a multi-ethnic church in Fort Worth, Texas, Bobby Minor is expected to have compassion for every member of his congregation, even if they lack proper documentation to live here. Of the 500 people who worship at Waves of Faith, nearly 90 percent are… Read More
Immigrants Have an ‘Enormous Work Ethic,’ Says Acclaimed Documentarian and Entrepreneur
In 2011, photographer and documentarian Jesus Ramirez was asked to help produce a special about the Mexican Revolution, to highlight the untold historic contributions brought to the United States by Mexicans fleeing their country. The goal was a single hourlong episode, but the order quickly grew to 20 independent… Read More
American Farmer Recreates Fatal Trek of Guatemalan Boy, Calls for Immigration Reform
Gary Larsen has been harvesting asparagus on his farm since 1989. The vast majority of his workers are immigrants who supply documents attesting to their lawful right to live and work in the United States. Yet Larsen can’t be completely confident that their papers are genuine. “Not a day goes… Read More
Her Dream is Public Service, But it Hangs on Her Immigration Status
At the closing ceremony for the 2015 summer class of interns at the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI), 21-year-old Daniela Martinez delivered the farewell address. During her speech, the young leader addressed an audience that included Representatives Linda T. Sánchez, Henry Cuellar, Jim Costa, Ruben Gallego, Raúl Grijalva, Ben Ray… Read More
Top Event Producer Thanks Ronald Reagan for Helping Him Realize His Dreams
Ricardo Luna’s mother always believed her son would become a successful entrepreneur, but she never could have guessed that less than 10 years after leaving Zacatecas, Mexico, he’d be hired to produce events for elite corporate and star-studded clientele, including the Grammy Awards. Luna came to the United States when… Read More
Nevada Reverend Says Sheltering Undocumented Immigrants is an Expression of Faith
Last year, Rev. Neal Anderson and the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Northern Nevada, became the only church in the state to shelter undocumented immigrants at imminent risk of deportation. It was not a move they took lightly. After much debate, Rev. Anderson says about 80 percent of his congregants came… Read More
Retired Physician: Small Towns Need More Doctors, So Why Hinder Undocumented Med Students?
James Merrill has led a life of service. As a doctor in the small town of Enumclaw, Washington, he delivered some 3,000 babies. Many of the families he treated were Mexican immigrants and they made him part of their community. “I was invited to a lot of fiestas,” he says. Read More
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