Video credit: Michelson 20MM
The Foundation of California Community Colleges’ ‘Determined Voices’ series spotlights immigrant women who have embarked on successful careers after attending California Community Colleges.
In this episode, we meet Aimee, an alumna of Long Beach City College. Born in Durango, Mexico, Aimee immigrated to the United States when she was only two years old.
Despite arriving at such a young age, she didn’t learn about her immigration status until she applied to universities in high school. Aimee initially couldn’t finish the application process as she didn’t possess a Social Security number. It was then that her parents informed Aimee of her undocumented status.
Aimee decided to rectify the issue. Given her status, she educated herself on the steps she would need to take to apply for college. She discovered that she could still enroll at Long Beach City College, where she would complete her studies while learning more about her rights as an undocumented student.
Aimee has since gone on to a career in education, which sees her help other undocumented students understand their rights and the available resources. For Aimee, it is incumbent on immigrants like herself to push for policies that will support students who share her lived experience. In her role as a counselor, she helps undocumented students outline their goals, make a clear plan for their education, and ultimately pursue their chosen career path.
Aimee often reminds her students that their undocumented status does not define them or their education. They have the right to live the life they want to lead.
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