Dear John!
From an early age, my mom’s tenacity and grit as a domestic worker, an owner of a cleaning company, and advocate, inspired me. I witnessed my mom lead with then tens, and later hundreds of undocumented workers, predominantly women. They organized at all levels of government for better working conditions and a pathway to citizenship for our community.
Living in Escondido in the early 2000s was nothing short of fearful for me. Between the racist, local ordinances prohibiting undocumented people from renting homes, the DUI checkpoints meant to further criminalize undocumented people and deport them back to their home countries, and the heavily surveilled and militarized 45-mile radius north and south of Escondido (Border Patrol checkpoint in San Clemente and the Tijuana border), almost all my life decisions were made with these factors in mind. A quick trip to the swapmeet stirred up enough anxiety to beg my mom for us to stay home. But through it all, my feelings of belonging didn’t falter. I never felt less American, nor did I question it.
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At only 13, my mom, brother, and I traveled by bus with other undocumented women and children from Escondido to the State Capitol in Sacramento to advocate for protections in the workplace. At the time, I didn’t know the word for “intersectionality”, yet through the physical experience of seeing people of all ages and backgrounds gathered in the most powerful building in California, I connected the dots. I understood that I had certain limitations, like my inability to vote as an undocumented person, but I also had the ability to effect change at a large scale — and no one could ever take that from me.
Fast forward to today as Border Policy Coordinator at Alliance San Diego, I am fortunate to be in a position that allows me to harness my power. I work towards holding CBP accountable and advocate against rampant systems of oppression. Every day I fight for government oversight from the law enforcement agency that has impacted my life and the lives of millions of others. My goal is to ensure all kids have an opportunity to decide a future for themselves, so they never have to worry about their family’s livelihood, and ultimately, for human rights and dignity to be at the forefront of any and all future laws and policies. We are at a critical juncture in the movement — I am based in D.C. and it’s palpable. I am encouraged by the collective spirit of the work we do to ensure our community members have access to an inclusive democracy.
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Nedy Velazquez Border Policy Coordinator, Alliance San Diego |
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Alliance San Diego
P.O. Box 12266
San Diego, CA 92112
United States |
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