Aliento Features: Lizbeth Espinoza
Introduce Yourself
Hello! My name is Lizbeth Espinoza. I was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona and my parents migrated here from Sinaloa, Mexico in 2001. I am currently a freshman at Arizona State University, double majoring in Justice Studies and Transborder Studies. I enjoy spending quality time with my family, traveling, and jamming to music.
How did you find out about Aliento? Why did you get involved?
I first heard about Aliento my Junior year of high school at Xavier College Preparatory when I was invited to the BCP/XCP Advocacy Club Dream On campaign event, Dream of Action: A Community in the Shadows. I was able to hear my classmates share their stories of being undocumented or coming from a mix-status family. I was very moved by the stories and took action by getting involved with BCP/XCP Advocacy Club, which partnered with Aliento. I was invited with the club to attend Education Day back in 2020 to talk to legislators about in-state tuition for Dreamers. This was a surreal experience seeing my classmates lead and seeing 300 students come together at the state capitol from different schools across the state of Arizona. I knew from the moment that I wanted to continue getting involved with Aliento. They provided this safe space for everyone and not only in healing but coming together as a community in taking action.
Why does the work we are doing matter to you? Why is in-state tuition for everyone important?
Aliento has provided a space for a community I dearly loved. Growing up I saw how my family had to face struggles and had no resources. Aliento provided so much help and resources for all families. As well when it came to education, I knew the importance of receiving a higher education as a first generation. I have the privilege of in-state tuition and when I saw my friends struggling as they were not eligible for in-state tuition due to their immigration status I knew I wanted to do something about it. Seeing my friends being on top of class and getting involved in clubs and sports showed their dedication and determination to do anything to find a secure financial aid. Seeing them hustle more than I had to, I wanted to get involved with Aliento and their Education campaign. I wanted to be a voice for them as I knew the importance of higher education. I don’t want future generations to struggle due to their immigration status because they deserve the same opportunities as I do and everyone else.
What moment from the fellowship are you most proud of? What is something you learned from the fellowship?
A moment from the fellowship I am most proud of was being able to lead and do media at Education Day 2022. It was a bittersweet experience reflecting back on 2020 when I first got involved and seeing my classmates lead. In 2020, we were trying to push the bill and now in 2022 the proposition will now be on the 2022 November election. I was able to gain so much confidence and take a step up in doing something out of my comfort zone. This helped me prove to myself that I can do anything, especially having a community with me to help me along the journey. We all worked so hard to get to that day. It was a moment where I felt this sense of joy as we came together as a community in advocating for what we were passionate about. That day I was able to meet so many people from different schools, but E-day brought us all together.I was able to gain and use my voice to give back to my community. As well I am proud of the events I and my ASU fellows hosted on campus. We were able to do community spaces and arts & healing workshops in utilizing activities as a way of expressing ourselves. Through the process of planning these events I was able to learn the importance of taking initiative. We of course faced struggles, but I learned that I was not alone.
Would you recommend this fellowship? Why?
I will definitely without a doubt recommend this fellowship. I was able to gain so much from this experience, not only develop my leadership skills but a community I can call family. I was provided with a space where I can express myself and use my voice for what I am passionate about in advocating for.
