Why I'm Here

As a second generation Cuban American, I grew up learning about the hardships of immigration. My mother and her family left Cuba on the Freedom Flights in 1969. They were the first members of their family to leave the island. In addition to leaving their family, they left their culture and familiar town. They left out of necessity, to escape the oppression of the Castro regime. With only the clothes on their backs, they arrived in the US without knowing one word of English. Unlike the first wave of Cuban immigrants (before 1965), they didn’t receive assistance from the government such as food, clothes, financial assistance, etc. Fortunately, they were able to come to the US legally and had a quick path to citizenship. Thus, I was raised with the awareness of the struggles an immigrant faces. I was also very conscientious of the privilege we Americans have of being citizens in this country.

When I came to Duke, I discovered an ESL-tutoring organization called GANO: Gente Aprendiendo Para Nuevas Oportunidades (People Learning in Order to Have Better Opportunities). For the past three years, I have volunteered with this organization and learned a lot about the Latino community in Durham. The Latinos are not just from Mexico, but originate from various other countries such as El Salvador and Guatemala. All of our tutees are hard working and determined to have a better life. After working long hours at jobs that aren’t the most desirable to the average American, they come to GANO to learn English to further advance in this country and better provide for their families.

Between my experience with GANO, my family’s personal immigration history, and the Spanish and Latin@ Studies courses I have taken at Duke, I have become inspired to learn more about immigration. Where better to learn about immigration than the state at the center of immigration issues? The border wall has created a funneling effect that forces the majority off immigrants to cross through the deadly desert into Arizona. With the passing of SB1070 (which goes into effect on July 29^th) the United States is focused on Arizona now more than ever. After talking to several people including Border Patrol, a Federal Public Defense Attorney, Isabel García, and members of the Tohono O’odham nation, I have learned that SB1070 was planned and very deliberate. It hasn’t come out of left field and shocked the people of Arizona as it has the rest of the United States. The majority of the American public is quite ignorant about immigration issues and policies. Although we have had a jam-packed first week in Tucson, I have still have much more to learn. I hope that I can spread to others what I learn this summer and help educate the public on the serious immigration issues at hand.