Dear Friend,

My name is Aster, and I’m a trans man from Mexico City.  

As a kid, all I wanted to do was kick a ball, but that wasn’t acceptable for girls to do. Although it may seem small, it was excruciatingly hard. I felt like there was something inherently wrong with me, but I just couldn’t figure out what it was or how to fix it.  

As I grew older, I started discovering more about my sexuality and gender, and I felt very alone. Being open about who I was ruined my relationship with my family, who mistreated me for how I dressed, talked, and my beliefs.  

Today, on Trans Day of Visibility, I’m sharing my story so no trans person has to go through what I did. All of us should be able to live as our true selves, and thanks to Immigration Equality, I can. They won me asylum and safe haven in the U.S.

Please make a gift of $100 to Immigration Equality so they can help more people like me be themselves without fear of harm.   
 

Trans people are targeted for violence in Mexico, so I waited until I left the country to transition. 

When I moved to New York, I could finally start my transition—something I never thought would be possible for me. It was like getting a weight lifted. Now I’m not afraid all the time when I walk down the street.      

Immigration Equality gave me the tools that I needed to be able to build my asylum case at no cost, which is incredible, and basically saved my life, so that I could stay here in the United States. Winning asylum was the best day of my life.

In honor of Trans Day of Visibility, make a contribution of $100 to support their transformative work.  
 

I am now in graduate school working with remote sensing to study extreme weather events! None of this would have happened without Immigration Equality helping me win asylum. 

Happy Trans Day of Visibility, 

Aster Volta, Client 
Immigration Equality