Personal Statement

Coming from an immigrant family, I have witnessed the injustices my community overcomes as they make a life for themselves in a new country that runs on their labor yet treats them as less than. In high school, I used cultural resistance to navigate these issues and in college I have had the opportunity to directly engage in community organizing. This started on campus as a Community Outreach Multicultural Liaison and an Alliance of Latin American Students Board Member. A lot of the organizing skills I’ve learned come from my internship at New Sanctuary Movement, a grassroots immigrant organization in South Philadelphia. One of my main takeaways has been the importance of prioritizing empowerment. By giving others space to share their stories or lead campaigns, we build community leaders. The immigrant community in Philadelphia alone is a diverse one, made up of different cultures and ethnicities. For this reason, uplifting leaders, each with different stories, strengthens the movement as a whole. This allows us to continue fighting, phone banking, marching, dancing, and singing until there is a pathway to citizenship for all undocumented immigrants and every person in our community is given the rights and respect they deserve.