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In Support of Mi Raza
"Thanks to that snake, she was caught, handcuffed, and taken into custody..."
By Monica Magaña
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to this Commentary!
Youth Radio's Monica Magaña defends immigrants, as she recounts the story of her friend Laura. At the age of 15, Laura came to the US, and suffered physical abuse at the hands of US immigration officials. Monica says that hearing her friend's difficult story made her more interested in the politics of immigration, and inspired her to think about running for Congress when she becomes an adult! (December 10 on KCBS)
Immigrants are not criminals, just because they cross the border illegally.
I’m not trying to sound like a hypocrite, but I have many family and friends who are immigrants and they basically came to the US to work...not to commit felonies.
My friend Laura is an illegal immigrant. At the age of 15, she decided to cross the border to meet her parents in Los Angeles. She was hiding behind a cactus with her smuggler – or “coyote” as they’re called – because they heard the siren of the border patrol car coming. She saw a rattlesnake, screamed at the top of her lungs, and ran out from her hiding spot.
Thanks to that snake, she was caught, handcuffed, and taken into custody. After being mistreated, the agent threw her back to the desert like she was a dog.
Hearing Laura’s story about how badly she was tortured made me realize how unfairly immigrants are treated. Laura’s experience also made me more interested in politics, especially immigration issues.
I might even go into politics and run for Congress, so my voice can be heard and I can represent my people, mi raza.
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