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Caption: EN MEDIO Mayra's Story
Caption: Her name is Mayra and my first encounter with her was in the fall of 2015.
My partner and I had been tasked with seeking out information about undocumented students for a talk show we were working on.
I was pleasantly surprised at how willing she was to talk about her situation. As an undocumented student, her experience was foreign to mine and I was interested in getting a better understanding of the issue from someone who was affected by it.
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Caption: What started off as a need to understand the plight of an undocumented student, evolved into a campaign about identity and what it means to belong to a place that might not necessarily accept you.
Hence the title 'En Medio', which means to be 'in the middle' in Spanish.
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Caption: Mayra struggles with identity, and doesn't consider herself American despite living in the states for most of her life.
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Caption: She would rather be called undocumented or unauthorized rather than an illegal immigrant
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Caption: "I do feel that there is a big difference in being an undocumented student and being an illegal immigrant." Mayra
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Caption: As an undocumented student, Mayra is ineligible for financial aid, making going to college extremely hard.
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Caption: There's no guarantee that Mayra and many undocumented students like her will get a job after graduating. Without a social security number, stable employment is all but a dream.
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Caption: Despite the hardships she faces, science remains a passion of hers. One in which she hopes to use in helping others.
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Caption: Sadly, the reality for Mayra and undocumented students like her, is that such dreams have to be put on hold.
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Caption: "In the back of my mind, there's always this little no in there ... "
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Caption: "We come from different backgrounds, we all don't come to commit crimes .... There are a lot of employment opportunities in the United States, that aren't available in our home countries."
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Caption: For millions of people around the globe, the term immigrant is one that elicits pride.
Caption: In closing, Mayra continues to push forward in hopes that one day she can achieve her goals, and use her education to help others.
The reality of her situation unfortunately is one of uncertainty. At any point in time, all she and her parents have worked hard for can be taken away.
There are many like Mayra all over the country, trying to do their best under circumstances not of their own choosing.
As a nation of immigrants, we owe it to them, to not only acknowledge their stories but also find ways to make sure they belong.
Caption: For more on Mayra and other participants in En Medio
Please visit
http://Instagram.com/Enmedio_u.s
Facebook.com/enmedious
And My personal page(s)
Instagram.com/El9th
Mkoleosho.com
#steller #stellerid #creative
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