I made a commitment to myself to never be ashamed about my status.
I. How I got involved
The first major purchase my dad made after coming to the United States was a 2000 Chevy Silverado that, sixteen years and over 200,000+ miles later, would be passed down to me.
I had spent two Arizona summers driving a truck that had no functioning air conditioning and I was entering my third summer. By this point, I had made it a rule to leave the house only after 7pm or under urgent family circumstances. On this particular blazing June afternoon, I decided to break my rule.
I grabbed the keys, motioned to my sister that it was time to go, and a few minutes later, we were both belting down the 60 (a highway here in AZ) wishing that the chaotic environment created by the hot air rushing in and out of the truck would simmer down immediately.
A few days before that afternoon, I became aware that access to instate tuition for students like me was being disputed and I was at risk of having to pay out-of-state tuition only a year into college. I thought, “Why would anyone want to make it more difficult for me to achieve a college education?” It disappointed me, but it was not long before I knew I had to reach out to someone-- anyone in favor of DACA students like me. My mom had told me once that my Abuelo Alfonzo was known for showing up to events in his hometown to support by just being “parte de la bola.” (A part of the crowd) I wanted to be parte de la bola, too. So where were these people? With a quick search of the words “DACA” and “Instate tuition” on Facebook I found an event. I was not sure what this event would entail. In fact, I was certain it’d be the first protest I attended. All I knew was that there were people gathering in favor of instate tuition for DACA students like me.
Denise and I arrived with red, hot faces covered in sweat. As I walked up to a group of people outside of this massive, glass building, I ran my fingers through my hair to look somewhat presentable. I was beginning to feel the timidness take a hold of me, but I knew I had to overcome it.
The person I decided to walk up to to seek information was a man surrounded by a group of young people and a clipboard in hand. I extended my arm and proceeded to follow through with the handshake that I'm sure would have won first place in the handshake olympics.
This man turned out to be Jose Patino, who proceeded to fill me in on what we were doing there and made it clear that this was not a protest. I remember being led into a room full of people where we live streamed a meeting happening one floor above us because that room was already at maximum capacity. I met many students in my situation and allies there to support us that day. For the first time in my life, I felt a real, deep sense of community embrace me.
II. Commitment
After that day, I made a commitment to myself to never be ashamed about my status. I made a commitment to speak openly about the immigrant student experience and the equitable access to education I wanted for myself. This led to my involvement in Arizona’s Future.
The Arizona's Future campaign was a grassroots effort working towards providing access to instate tuition and scholarships for all Arizona high school graduates regardless of immigration status.
Deya at the Arizona’s Future campaign training launch.
From the beginning, I knew I wanted to contribute by being a part of the crowd but Reyna, Jose, and Diego saw the potential in me that, up to that point, I was only beginning to realize. Through Arizona’s Future, I embarked on a journey that would allow me to grow into roles I never thought I could hold. Every day was a new opportunity to learn and for me to step out of my comfort zone.
III. Experiences
One of my most memorable lessons was only a little after I was on-boarded for the campaign. Reyna, Jose, and I were scheduled to attend what they called a “strategizing” meeting, which should have told me everything I needed to know. “Wait, so we don't have a long-term game plan for this campaign?” I thought to myself as I sat in the meeting. (Turns out that's not how campaigns work.) They later explained to me that campaigns require frequent adjusting, analyzing, planning, regrouping, implementation, etc. (Not in this particular order but very often simultaneously)
I had the privilege of experiencing this for myself along with three powerful cohorts of student leaders through Aliento’s fellowship program. We organized individually for months on our campuses and together we led over three hundred students at the capitol (multiple times). It took countless hours of education, preparation, outreach, and encouragement to others. Within ourselves, it took heaps of courage, hard work, perseverance, dedication, and hope.
Finally, on May 10th, 2021, instate tuition for Dreamers in Arizona made headway. To say it was a remarkable feat for SCR1044 to make it out of the Arizona state legislature would be an understatement.
IV. The Future
The despair, sunken feeling in my stomach, and the discouragement I felt many times in seeking a college education as an immigrant student is ingrained in my memory. This year would have been my graduation year. I hold no trace of resentment or regret in my heart about not being able to graduate with the Class of 2021, because the success of SCR1044 is something I have dreamed about for the past four years. Knowing that future generations of Arizona high school graduates will be less susceptible to that experience puts me at ease.
As my journey being a part of the Aliento staff comes to a close and I begin a new one at Grand Canyon University to finish my degree in Biology, I know that the doors to Aliento will continue to be frequently used by me. (In fact, I may just take the door off its hinges and remove it entirely for the sake of efficiency LOL)
With that being said, I am more than ready to take on the last stretch of SCR1044. (Not to mention, I've decided that my small talk with strangers will now involve me talking about SCR1044 in some way. I will not be having any of that how’s-the-weather obscenity.)
It's imperative that the future of Arizona is not hindered, but instead encouraged, supported, and nurtured.