An important relationship in the undocumented community is the following: the more people talk about their stories, the more opportunities there will be to share those stories, which in turn will encourage others to speak about their stories. This creates a positive feedback loop that pushes our needs forward and heals our community. To me, it’s like soil that takes years to break, but after that it only becomes more fertile as you work with it.
There is a widely-held perception that the Latino community is sympathetic towards the undocumented. This is especially seen in Latino media or community events where undocumented narratives are assumed as positive unless told otherwise. All of this helps create the positive feedback loop described above.
Granted, there are complaints that perhaps the Latino(a)(x) undocumented narrative is so pervasive, that it seems to overshadow other minorities. Part of this issue is that soil has not been broken to the same extent in other communities. Some communities may even push back against being undocumented and further keep their narratives from blossoming. I often hear people say that the Latino community is at an advantage due to lacking this hurdle. What people do not realize though, is that the current level of support in the Latino community has not always been the norm.
I came to this country in the late 90s, and right away the first thing I saw was how Latinos were socially stratified. At the bottom you had undocumented Latinos, followed by Latino families with mixed immigration status, Latinos living in the U.S. for multiple generations, and Latino people who could pass for white (often these had a white parent and American names). Having come off the Reagan amnesty, many Latinos did not view immigration reform as a priority. Undocumented Latinos were the outsiders and often derided for it. Growing up it was imperative to not tell people of your status, as it could lead to bullying in school or border patrol called on your parents.
I did not disclose my undocumented status to a friend until 2010 (the response was far from warm). It would be until 2013 when I finally opened about my status in a public forum, even so I couldn’t stop trembling despite already being protected by DACA. But even in this act of self-disclosure, I was riding the coattails of organizers who challenged the notion that undocumented people should only hide in the shadows.
In the mid and late 2000s the narrative of being undocumented in the Latino community evolved for the positive. This change was not precipitated by Latino media being more receptive or Latino politicians/celebrities taking leadership. The shift was due to boots-on-the ground advocacy by every day undocumented Latino(a)(x)s. These people risked their safety and livelihood in this country so that they could be recognized as human beings. This act was especially brave in the midst of record-breaking immigration raids and deportations by the Obama administration. It was this initial push by undocumented Latino(a)(x)s that changed the narrative in Latino media and perception by the community, which in turn changed the opinions of politicians that wanted Latino support. This is why we got DACA and what started the positive feedback loop in our communities.
The catalyst in all of this is undocumented people being willing to risk their well-being until the public normalizes being undocumented with being human. Granted it’s easy for me to say this when I did not have to bleed to break the soil, but rather started planting seeds afterwards. Nowadays people will clap and congratulate me when I say I’m undocumented. But I know that if I had said that when I was twelve years old, I would have been bullied or gotten my parents fired.
In that sense I can’t blame someone that won’t speak out when the norm in their community is to shun and silence those that would admit to be undocumented. But I still have to ask, what future do you see? Will people, especially children, have to suffer through this rejection until they adjust their status? Is this a cycle that will repeat endlessly?
I hope not. And I hope that one day people can live as a human beings, no matter their status.
Xerochrysum bracteatum, golden everlasting (via WikiMedia)
Undocumented Physician Scientist in Training 
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