
WHAT IS YOUR IMMIGRATION STORY?
I am originally from Honduras. I came here when I was 18. My parents are still in Honduras, as well as my extended family. I do have a couple of aunts and uncles who are here in the United States in different states. I came when I was 18 on a scholarship to study since there's not a lot of opportunities to really thrive in Honduras, to really be able to be independent, to make a decent income, to be able to support my family. My family has ties to New Orleans because I grew up in a banana town in Honduras and my father was a doctor in the banana plantations and he came to New Orleans several times in the boats that would leave Honduras that were full of bananas and they would go straight to the port of New Orleans and that's where he actually did his last year of high school in New Orleans.
Growing up in a banana town, I didn't know that much of the history around there, but now that I know the history, I know that these banana companies were exploiting Honduras and were taking land that was communal land that was used by the people in Honduras to grow and to live and to thrive. And now that money, all that wealth that was from exploited Honduran labor, is at Tulane University. And so that's a very personal connection with the city as well.
WHAT DOES YOUR CURRENT JOURNEY LOOK LIKE?
So when I came here, I did my bachelor's and my visa ran out and I tried to live in Honduras, but I couldn't even afford to live by myself. And so I came back to get my master's and I kind of found out ways to stay. At one point I had a work visa which I lost because I got fired for trying to unionize. But I won that case and now I have a deferred action which is a temporary status. I feel very privileged to be here. because a lot of people, have to do a grueling journey through the desert to try to get better opportunities to try to support their family. And I'm here and I get to be able to support my family whenever they need it as well.
REFLECTIONS

I work in immigrant rights in the city, and I work with a lot of Honduran families who are really being under attack right now. I think all immigrants are being under attack at the moment and also US citizens. So, I hope and I work to try to build a world where being an immigrant, looking for asylum, migrating is indeed a human right; where we can have all the resources to thrive; where we can call our communities home and where we will not live with fear of being separated from our families.