Briana's AEH Blog

This article brings attention to the few brave people who risk their American Dream in order to represent and protect others’ ability to stay in America. Maru Mora-Villalpando is the main immigrant spoken of as a target by ICE because of her protests and interviews with media outlets describing her situation as in hopes of helping others in her same situation. She moved to the United States from Mexico in 1996 with a legal visa, but once her visa expired she decided not to go back. Maru has a squeaky clean criminal record and is a huge Latino rights activist in her community. She could not just give up the life she had already built in America after she was denied another visa but did not consider what she was doing as breaking the law. Unlike others in her situation though, Maru is using her position to aid and inspire others to stand up for the injustices of deportations in this country. Because of her outspoken, public stance on her immigration status, as well as standing up for ot...

http://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article198215114.html ICE arrested a man named Syed Ahmed Jamal in Kansas on January 24 th while he was leaving his home to take his daughter to middle school. His family wasn’t even allowed to say good-bye to him as he was detained and put in a police vehicle without warning. His wife and three US citizen children are not completely sure but believe that Jamal is being held in Missouri awaiting deportation almost 160 miles away from where they live. Jamal came to the US to study at University of Kansas and then later to work. He is now a chemist and college professor at many institutions in his area. His visa ended in 2011 but was granted by ICE the ability remain in the United States on a supervised basis. While Jamal’s fate is still being decided, you can help the cause by signing petitions and supporting the GoFundMe page that helps his family pay for his legal bills.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/undocumented-immigrant-father-of-leukemia-patient-takes-refuge-in-phoenix-church/ Jesus Berrones is seeking refuge in a church in Phoenix in order to avoid deportation. He immigrated to the United States as a toddler and has lived the rest of his life in America. He knows no other life outside of the United States. If he were to be deported, Jesus will no longer be able to be the main provider of his family. The Berrones have five children and are expecting their sixth. Although his spouse and children are all legal citizens, Jesus is not and is constantly in fear of being separated from his family. Even more difficult is the fact that one of Jesus’ sons is battling leukemia and without the help from his father would be unable to take his medication. Since his mother is expecting she cannot since she is at a higher risk of radiation damage when handling the cancer medications. The only way for Jesus to receive citizenship at the mo...

I was inspired by this class to further investigate both of my parents’ immigration stories. Although growing up I was told short stories here and there, I never really sat down with my parents and heard exactly what they recall from their pasts. I learned about big and little events that I had never even knew occurred. I feel almost as though I was missing a huge part of who my parents were by not knowing these things about them. I always in a way saw their stories as fairytale or fictional and never actually put them in those situations. I almost wish I had done this sooner because I have a whole new perspective and deeper respect for my parents now that I know the true obstacles they have overcome. I can still remember the first time I really realized that my parents were immigrants. She was the principle of my elementary school and I would always wait in the front section of her office after school until she was finished with work for the day. Once, I remember walkin...