Earlier this week, Kutztown hosted speaker Liliana Velasquez. This remarkable young woman has been presenting to students of all ages, sharing her story of resilience as an immigrant traveling to the United States at a young age. Regardless of where you may stand on issues of immigration, it is now more important than ever to hear first-hand experiences from those who have faced these struggles.
With the help of Mark Lyons, Velasquez has compiled her journey into a book entitled “Dreams and Nightmares: I Fled Alone to the United States When I Was Fourteen.” The book is structured much like her presentation, chronicling her life in Guatemala, her journey to the United States, and her life as it is now. She is currently attending Montgomery County Community College, where she is working tirelessly at a degree in Nursing.
In Guatemala, Velasquez’s family lived in a one-room, one-kitchen house. She was one of ten children, with one of her sisters already married at the age of 14. When Velasquez was nine years old, her mother pulled her out of school. “You don’t need education,” her mother would say; girls in her village were expected to become mothers. There was no need for an education when she would be taking care of the children. This prompted her to read the Bible as a source for her learning, while also providing faith to help her through her struggles.
Violence was another pervasive issue that Velasquez witnessed almost everywhere in her village. Facing violence at home as well in her town, Liliana realized she needed to escape. She wanted an education and sought a safer life for herself. At 14 years old, she made the decision to leave home, travel to the border, and acquire a better life in the US. The crowd looks stunned as she recounts her decision. She did not tell her family she was leaving, but knew she needed to if she ever wanted to effect change in her home.
At this point, she moves into the tale of her harrowing journey to get to the border. Packing some essentials and her Bible in her backpack, she set off for a different life: “I knew God would protect me.” This was absolutely true in a situation where she and a few other people found themselves captured by drug dealers along the way. Velasquez prayed to God, asking him to give her another chance at freedom. The dealers eventually set them all free, but they took what little money she had on her.
When she was eventually arrested by immigration police, she thought her journey may have reached its end yet again. She was placed in detention, but due to her status as a minor, they decided to send her to live with a foster family in Philadelphia while her immigration status remained pending.
This time period tested Velasquez’s resilience yet again. Her foster family did not treat or feed her well and her attendance of the Benjamin Franklin High School proved even more alienating than she would have hoped. She did not yet speak English and her teachers were in no way accommodating. It was even harder for her to make friends or initiate close bonds. To imagine the isolation she must have felt was practically paralyzing. Despite these hardships, she pushed through in order to focus on her education. A sentiment she repeated throughout her presentation was, “look in the front, not in the back.” No matter how challenging her circumstances in Philadelphia may have been, she never looked back toward her old life. She would achieve her dreams and succeed in her academic goals.
Velasquez would finally receive her green card in 2014 and meet the family of her dreams. Her new foster family cared deeply for her, providing a home in which she could truly focus on her education. A picture of a ceiling covered in flash cards appears on the screen and Velasquez deadpans, “This is what my ceiling actually looks like.” As a visual learner, she keeps the flashcards on her walls so that she may study even when she needs to lie down in her bed.
These days, Liliana travels an hour and a half by bus to complete her Nursing degree. When asked about her current relationship with her family, she asserts that she very much has love and respect for her family back home. She tries her best to send what money she can to her parents and siblings. Liliana’s hope is to someday return to Guatemala and help other young women who suffer from violence and poor conditions. “I hope they are inspired too. Who’s going to give voice to all the immigrants?” As she reaches the end of her presentation, she imparts that writing “Dreams and Nightmares” and meeting people through the process of writing has helped her to feel more safe in her new home. Telling her story to all kinds of people across the United States brings her a sense of peace.
Liliana Velasquez’s strength is staggering. To stand up in front of college students and tell her story with such ease is humbling. I was completely breathless just witnessing the power she set forth just from imparting her story to us. It is one that is more important now than ever.
Just a few days ago, reports were coming in from Honduras stating that more than 4,000 immigrants were traveling toward the Mexico border in what has been called the “Migrant Caravan.” The New York Times has called this “the largest” convergence in recent memory. A video posted Friday afternoon shows the immense crowds converging on the Mexican border. To witness the resilience of these people is powerful.
This emerging story has drawn the attention of President Trump, who tweeted at government officials from Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador, urging them to stop the migrants. “I must, in the strongest of terms, ask Mexico to stop this onslaught—” he posted to Twitter “and if unable to do so I will call up the U.S. Military and CLOSE OUR SOUTHERN BORDER!”
This is not the first time President Trump has threatened such, especially after a campaign tour which focused on aggressive sanctions concerning immigration policy. I don’t think I need to mention the thousands of children still held in detention centers today. We need to be more conscious of how immigration is handled in this country. We can no longer hold xenophobic prejudices against people facing extreme violence. While people in power may be blind to stories like Liliana’s, we as students and young activists can listen and amplify her voice. Who will give voice to all of the immigrants? I believe Liliana Velasquez is a bright and empowering candidate.