Four immigrants students from Florida began walking on January 1 on a trip to Washington D.C. in hopes of improving and changing the conditions of undocumented students and immigrants. Felipe, Gabby, Juan and Carlos are four students who are on a mission for change.
Their goal is to give undocumented students a voice in the discussion of immigration reform, and to force people to listen to their story. Along their journey, they have encountered the Klu Klux Klan, and have confronted local authorities about the hate crimes taking place in different communities that are not being reported our acted upon.
Everyday, they walk an average of 15 miles, pressing forward despite the risk they face daily of arrest and deportation.
During their stop in Greensboro, they visited A&T ‘s own A&T Four statue as they recalled the Four who created change with just four students just as they are doing now.
“Greensboro is a historic city,” Carlos said. “We are standing up and fighting for our rights; the struggle is not over.”
They plan to reach D.C. on May 1 in order to get the attention of President Barack Obama and encourage him to make changed instead of waiting on Congress to take action.
Gabby, who is the only female walking with the group, began the organization with Felipe, Carlos and Juan joining a year or so after.
“I think it’s a great responsibility not just because I’m a woman but because women carry history,” she said. “In our wombs, we decide what children may be in the future of tomorrow.”
According to Carlos, undocumented immigrants can not legally drive or pursue higher education, which is something that all four of them wish to one day pursue.
“All we want to do is contribute to society,” Felipe said. “Carlos wants to be an architect so he can build better structures and I want to be a high school teacher.”
Their next stop was in Cary, NC where there is a secret detention center where immigrants are kept before being deported.
“The stories we hear everyday and the people we encounter and get to talk to, that’s what fuels us and empowers us to keep going,” Gabby said.
They may only be four students trying to make a difference, but A&T students should all know well the difference just four people can make. And they aren’t just any four students.
Felipe is ranked one of the top 20 community college students in the United States. In addition to his educational excellence, Felipe also found time to serve his peers as student government president of Miami Dade College. Felipe has been accepted by many top colleges, but he is barred from getting financial aid. He is currently studying economics in community college, but still hopes that one day he will be able to teach young people, because he believes education is the key to pulling people out of poverty.
Gabby was declared a “gifted student” at a very young age and has since excelled at all levels of school. In the process of securing three education degrees at Miami Dade College, she has realized what she wants to do with her many talents and education: use music therapy as a communication tool to teach autistic children and adults.
Carlos was willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for his country: joining the military in a time of war. But like many other undocumented students, Carlos could not realize this or any other dream – a college education, a job as an architect – because of his immigration status. Carlos was brought to the United States by his family when he was only 2 years old.
Like many young people in Florida, the home of NASA, Juan grew up dreaming of becoming an aerospace engineer. His family brought him to the U.S. on a tourist visa from Colombia when he was 6 in response to threats to their safety in their homeland. Juan was a top student in school, but got discouraged when he realized that no matter how good his grades were or how many hours of community service he did, he could never realize his dream. Last year, Juan’s step-mother helped him to finally become a U.S. resident.
As the only walker that has legal residence and as a formerly undocumented student, he feels a special responsibility to help people understand both the challenges and the opportunities facing students like him. His new dream is to earn a degree in sociology from the University of Chicago so he can go to work improving communities and helping people directly.
You can follow and support this group through their website as well as text the word TRAIL (30644) to support their cause. Editor’s note: Information for this story was contributed by trail2010.org. For any more additional information, you may find it at the url above.
- Dexter R. Mullins & Stacie Bailey