In Pursuit of Recognition: An Undocumented Immigrant's Resilient Fight
Unlike many undocumented immigrants, Sofia Campos is not afraid to give her real name.
"It's deliberate, and it's liberating," she says. "It's kind of a shock to hear somebody say, 'I am undocumented' or wear the 'I am undocumented' T-shirt, just in your face."
The 22-year-old is a graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles, and heads United We Dream — a national network of youth-led immigrant organizations. She's part of an outspoken generation of activists who've lobbied lawmakers, Democrats and Republicans alike, for changes in immigration policy.
This year, their movement scored a victory with President Obama's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which allows undocumented students to avoid deportation and obtain a work permit for two years. Despite its significance, Sofia and other students say it's just one step in their fight for legal status.
She also acknowledges the critics of the program who think undocumented people are undeserving of the help.
"That hateful language, you know, like 'illegal, alien, wetback, leach,'" she says, recalling opponents. "People were talking about my brother, my sister, my mom, my dad. How can these people, who don't know me at all, who don't know the love that exists within my family, how can you be just so hateful?"
Sofia says that hate is a powerful reason for undocumented youth to speak out and share their stories.
Her story began in Lima, Peru, where she was born. In the aftermath of the Shining Path terrorism, her parents moved the family to California in 1996.
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