Luckily, we are raised to be fighters and through our storytelling, inspired by generations of fight of our family members and our own life experiences, we have stories to share with the world to show how dedicated we are to fight for our dreams. Our struggles and sacrifices have allowed us to form bonds with one another and our communities. These communities are not the crime ridden areas the media portrays and are instead towns filled with love, opportunity and ambition. With our stories and experiences we can raise our voices to grab the attention of those who need to hear us most.
The workshop will be facilitated by Catalina Benavides, a Herstory co-facilitator who is using her love for language and storytelling to empower all voices, and Marcela Contreras Ortiz, a Herstory co-facilitator, who through our program in her high school was able to find her voice to speak out, and hopes to help other students do the same.
Marcela writes: "After years of being afraid and voiceless, Herstory helped me find a way to be what the very movement of Dreamers encompasses: Unafraid and Unashamed. I write to give voice to those who are often overlooked and silenced, in hopes to give some insight into the life of the Immigrant and maybe, one day, make change."
Catalina writes: "As a first generation Latina, I write to share the realities of a community that is quickly forgotten, but it is really a community that is part of the backbone of this country. All of us, especially Dreamers, are here to make change for ourselves and our communities through the powerful stories we have the potential to write."
This group is open to DACA recipients/students from all nations, along with young immigrants, or children of immigrants,
and refugees who identify with this struggle. This is part of a larger online
"Students Writing for Our Time"
project, hosted by a consortium of 7 Long Island Universities and Colleges.
To read a story by Catalina,
