we stand here before you today as an advisor to college students around the
advisor to college students around the
advisor to college students around the state of Colorado as a sixth grade math
state of Colorado as a sixth grade math
state of Colorado as a sixth grade math teacher in the montbello community and
teacher in the montbello community and
teacher in the montbello community and as you may know as educators we end up
as you may know as educators we end up
as you may know as educators we end up being social workers counselors parents
being social workers counselors parents
being social workers counselors parents brothers sisters and friends and yes
brothers sisters and friends and yes
brothers sisters and friends and yes sometimes even foes we’re in charge of
sometimes even foes we’re in charge of
sometimes even foes we’re in charge of shaping the futures of young people and
shaping the futures of young people and
shaping the futures of young people and we love what we do but what you may not
we love what we do but what you may not
we love what we do but what you may not know is that our own futures are
know is that our own futures are
know is that our own futures are uncertain
uncertain
uncertain you see we end up shaping the future of
you see we end up shaping the future of
you see we end up shaping the future of many children but our futures don’t
many children but our futures don’t
many children but our futures don’t really exist right now I was born in
really exist right now I was born in
really exist right now I was born in Chihuahua Mexico where I lived in a
Chihuahua Mexico where I lived in a
Chihuahua Mexico where I lived in a one-room cottage before being yanked out
one-room cottage before being yanked out
one-room cottage before being yanked out of kindergarten to go to first grade in
of kindergarten to go to first grade in
of kindergarten to go to first grade in the United States I was raised in
the United States I was raised in
the United States I was raised in Phoenix Arizona where going to the
Phoenix Arizona where going to the
Phoenix Arizona where going to the grocery store with my mom meant hearing
grocery store with my mom meant hearing
grocery store with my mom meant hearing a string of racial slurs as we spoke our
a string of racial slurs as we spoke our
a string of racial slurs as we spoke our native Spanish to ask for the milk you
native Spanish to ask for the milk you
native Spanish to ask for the milk you see I lived in Maricopa County the hot
see I lived in Maricopa County the hot
see I lived in Maricopa County the hot spot of the immigration debates it was
spot of the immigration debates it was
spot of the immigration debates it was here that my dad was called a wetback at
here that my dad was called a wetback at
here that my dad was called a wetback at work and every Drive took twice as long
work and every Drive took twice as long
work and every Drive took twice as long because we were trying to avoid the
because we were trying to avoid the
because we were trying to avoid the raids that shares our pile with inflict
raids that shares our pile with inflict
raids that shares our pile with inflict upon our community I was born in
upon our community I was born in
upon our community I was born in Valparaiso Chile and I was there to the
Valparaiso Chile and I was there to the
Valparaiso Chile and I was there to the age of four my mom left me at the age of
age of four my mom left me at the age of
age of four my mom left me at the age of two and she didn’t make enough money to
two and she didn’t make enough money to
two and she didn’t make enough money to bring me to the United States until that
bring me to the United States until that
bring me to the United States until that time I was raised in San Diego
time I was raised in San Diego
time I was raised in San Diego California and right around middle
California and right around middle
California and right around middle school I came to realize that being
school I came to realize that being
school I came to realize that being undocumented meant that as soon as I
undocumented meant that as soon as I
undocumented meant that as soon as I graduated from high school I would
graduated from high school I would
graduated from high school I would probably just end up working
probably just end up working
probably just end up working construction alongside my dad so I
construction alongside my dad so I
construction alongside my dad so I stopped applying myself and in middle
stopped applying myself and in middle
stopped applying myself and in middle school I I just opted for being the
school I I just opted for being the
school I I just opted for being the class clown it’s true
but there was a teacher who sort of
but there was a teacher who sort of changed that mentality about me she
changed that mentality about me she
changed that mentality about me she helped me stop limiting myself because
helped me stop limiting myself because
helped me stop limiting myself because of my undocumented status and as I’ve
of my undocumented status and as I’ve
of my undocumented status and as I’ve moved into my freshman year of high
moved into my freshman year of high
moved into my freshman year of high school I ended up getting my first all a
school I ended up getting my first all a
school I ended up getting my first all a report card that hard work continued and
report card that hard work continued and
report card that hard work continued and upon graduating from high school I
upon graduating from high school I
upon graduating from high school I applied to 17 colleges and universities
applied to 17 colleges and universities
applied to 17 colleges and universities around the nation I used and applied the
around the nation I used and applied the
around the nation I used and applied the and filled out the paper FAFSA because
and filled out the paper FAFSA because
and filled out the paper FAFSA because there was a nine digit code known as a
there was a nine digit code known as a
there was a nine digit code known as a social security number that prevented me
social security number that prevented me
social security number that prevented me from doing it online I went to the
from doing it online I went to the
from doing it online I went to the University of Pennsylvania where I got
University of Pennsylvania where I got
University of Pennsylvania where I got my undergraduate degree from the same
my undergraduate degree from the same
my undergraduate degree from the same Wharton School of Business that Trump is
Wharton School of Business that Trump is
Wharton School of Business that Trump is so proud of
in Philadelphia I found my voice and
in Philadelphia I found my voice and accepted my undocumented status way
accepted my undocumented status way
accepted my undocumented status way before I was even proud of being Mexican
before I was even proud of being Mexican
before I was even proud of being Mexican you see I grew up thinking that being
you see I grew up thinking that being
you see I grew up thinking that being Mexican meant being dirty I became a
Mexican meant being dirty I became a
Mexican meant being dirty I became a student activist and I organized along
student activist and I organized along
student activist and I organized along my queer and documented folks to get
my queer and documented folks to get
my queer and documented folks to get daca deferred action for childhood
daca deferred action for childhood
daca deferred action for childhood arrivals a program that gave 800,000 of
arrivals a program that gave 800,000 of
arrivals a program that gave 800,000 of us a work permit including myself
us a work permit including myself
us a work permit including myself I graduated from Whitman College in
I graduated from Whitman College in
I graduated from Whitman College in Witte in Walla Walla Washington thank
Witte in Walla Walla Washington thank
Witte in Walla Walla Washington thank you
you
you and while there I didn’t realize that
and while there I didn’t realize that
and while there I didn’t realize that people like Tanya were literally putting
people like Tanya were literally putting
people like Tanya were literally putting their bodies on the street to give us an
their bodies on the street to give us an
their bodies on the street to give us an opportunity like that I was just happy
opportunity like that I was just happy
opportunity like that I was just happy that document that I wouldn’t have to go
that document that I wouldn’t have to go
that document that I wouldn’t have to go back after graduating from college and
back after graduating from college and
back after graduating from college and work construction with my dad instead I
work construction with my dad instead I
work construction with my dad instead I became one of the first to documented
became one of the first to documented
became one of the first to documented teachers in the entire nation
you see growing up we think that we’re
you see growing up we think that we’re gonna limit ourselves to what our
gonna limit ourselves to what our
gonna limit ourselves to what our parents doing before our doing before us
parents doing before our doing before us
parents doing before our doing before us cooks without any recognition people who
cooks without any recognition people who
cooks without any recognition people who clean up hotels or homes or like my
clean up hotels or homes or like my
clean up hotels or homes or like my father end up working construction but
father end up working construction but
father end up working construction but now we’re at a place where our futures
now we’re at a place where our futures
now we’re at a place where our futures are once again uncertain and my question
are once again uncertain and my question
are once again uncertain and my question to you is what happens when people like
to you is what happens when people like
to you is what happens when people like us aren’t allowed to dream anymore
us aren’t allowed to dream anymore
us aren’t allowed to dream anymore the threat to our dreams has taken many
the threat to our dreams has taken many
the threat to our dreams has taken many undocumented people down different paths
undocumented people down different paths
undocumented people down different paths I still remember the families whose
I still remember the families whose
I still remember the families whose children attempted suicide due to the
children attempted suicide due to the
children attempted suicide due to the instability of their futures many youth
instability of their futures many youth
instability of their futures many youth have confided in me that they’re scared
have confided in me that they’re scared
have confided in me that they’re scared to go to school due to their fear of
to go to school due to their fear of
to go to school due to their fear of being deported and that fear is only
being deported and that fear is only
being deported and that fear is only increasing in 2017 I remember the day
increasing in 2017 I remember the day
increasing in 2017 I remember the day after the elections my documented
after the elections my documented
after the elections my documented students came to me asking me if they
students came to me asking me if they
students came to me asking me if they and their families were going to be
and their families were going to be
and their families were going to be deported despite everything that our
deported despite everything that our
deported despite everything that our community has been through we are still
community has been through we are still
community has been through we are still ready to fight isn’t that the point of
ready to fight isn’t that the point of
ready to fight isn’t that the point of the American dream to live it so stop
the American dream to live it so stop
the American dream to live it so stop feeling sorry for us we help our youth
feeling sorry for us we help our youth
feeling sorry for us we help our youth with their futures and fight for our own
with their futures and fight for our own
with their futures and fight for our own the agency is in our hands but we don’t
the agency is in our hands but we don’t
the agency is in our hands but we don’t have the same rights that many of you do
have the same rights that many of you do
have the same rights that many of you do so we need your help to make sure that
so we need your help to make sure that
so we need your help to make sure that all immigrants are given the opportunity
all immigrants are given the opportunity
all immigrants are given the opportunity that we were you see to you daca might
that we were you see to you daca might
that we were you see to you daca might be a thing a piece of paper or a thing
be a thing a piece of paper or a thing
be a thing a piece of paper or a thing that you briefly heard about in the news
that you briefly heard about in the news
that you briefly heard about in the news but to us it’s our livelihood it’s the
but to us it’s our livelihood it’s the
but to us it’s our livelihood it’s the way that we get our licenses that we
way that we get our licenses that we
way that we get our licenses that we acquire our jobs the way that we provide
acquire our jobs the way that we provide
acquire our jobs the way that we provide for our families we could tell you to go
for our families we could tell you to go
for our families we could tell you to go out and vote to call your
out and vote to call your
out and vote to call your representatives to support the DREAM Act
representatives to support the DREAM Act
representatives to support the DREAM Act to share this top but really what we
to share this top but really what we
to share this top but really what we wanted us to do is see us as humans see
wanted us to do is see us as humans see
wanted us to do is see us as humans see we come in all different levels
we come in all different levels
we come in all different levels some of us succeed some of us fail and
some of us succeed some of us fail and
some of us succeed some of us fail and wherever we’re in between but despite
wherever we’re in between but despite
wherever we’re in between but despite our successes or failures we just want
our successes or failures we just want
our successes or failures we just want you to see our humanity
you to see our humanity
you to see our humanity you know us were the educators leading
you know us were the educators leading
you know us were the educators leading the next generation
the next generation
the next generation were your neighbors down the street my
were your neighbors down the street my
were your neighbors down the street my name is Tanya Titus I’m Alejandra
name is Tanya Titus I’m Alejandra
name is Tanya Titus I’m Alejandra Fuentes and we are undocumented unafraid
Fuentes and we are undocumented unafraid
Fuentes and we are undocumented unafraid and unapologetic
and unapologetic
and unapologetic [Applause]
”
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