This past weekend, my daughters and I joined Dr. Alexandra Pineros Shields to make the journey to celebrate the Fourth of July at the White House and President Biden’s party for essential workers.
Our family at the White House - from left, me, Fernanda (18), and Federlin (15)
I am an undocumented person from a poor country and a poor community. I never thought I would be able to visit the White House, the most important place in the United States. I still feel like I am in a dream from which I do not want to wake up. I still can hardly believe that I got to meet and speak with the most important man in the world and tell him that we need a path to citizenship so my brilliant and beautiful daughters can go to college.
Meeting President Biden was an honor and a privilege. But it also taught me that I, too, am an important person. People try to tell people like me that we are nothing - because we do not speak good English or do not have money. Our trip to the White House reminded me that I am a person who is working my hardest to provide for my family and send my children to college. I am an essential worker that has made a difference in this country. I am a leader in ECCO, working for the rights of all in my community. I now feel free, and believe that anything is possible.
This journey that ECCO made possible was life-changing for my daughters too. My 18-year-old daughter Fernanda said, “Living such an experience made me realize I should be an immigration lawyer, now more than ever, so I can use my knowledge to help undocumented immigrants.”
The journey also inspired my 15-year-old daughter Federlin, who shared,
There are so many families that are suffering because they cannot receive healthcare or cannot have a good job because they do not carry a piece of paper that says they belong. There are so many people that feel afraid that their family members might be taken away. I know what that feels like.
From my visit to the White House I learned that we are all equals. We should all receive the same opportunities, because we came here for a better future. Today, I know what my purpose is - to create a United States of America where we all belong, where no one has to live in fear, and we all have opportunities for a better life.
I am forever grateful to ECCO for allowing us to represent our immigrant community on this journey. I feel that God has placed angels in my path, and they are ECCO Director Dr. Alexandra Pineros Shields and Immigrant Organizer Isabel Lopez. My daughters and I hope to work with you in the coming months and years to continue this important work.
If you would like to donate to support our work of liberation and justice, please click the button below. I hope you will consider becoming a monthly sustainer at whatever amount works for you - this keeps ECCO's overhead costs low and sustains the work long-term. To do so, just click the first box to make your contribution a recurring donation.
In gratitude,
Yocelyn, Fernanda, and Federlin