My grandmother was born in Chihuahua, Chihuahua, Mexico. I grew up with her and spoke Spanish to her. She became a Lawful Permanent Resident through my grandfather (a USC) and eventually she naturalized. I wanted to help people like her.

Living in El Paso, Texas, you see Juarez, Mexico as a “sister city.”  Whenever Juarez suffers through these waves of horrible violence, it has a way of carrying over to El Paso.  People cross everyday to live in Juarez even though they live in El Paso, and they go to Juarez often for medical reasons, family, etc… 

When my grandmother decided to uproot her family from Juarez and bring them to El Paso, it changed the trajectory of my family for generations to come. All of her children got degrees, and her grandchildren were given the opportunity to become lawyers, anesthesiologist, dentists, nurse practioners, and real estate investors/business owners.  

A lot of my family members have joined the military as well: cousins and uncles. But for my grandmother deciding to come to the United States, I do not believe I would have become an attorney or a business owner.  Therefore, immigration is personal to me.  It changes to trajectory of families for generations to come, therefore the work becomes meaningful for those that take advantage of the opportunity and fight for a better future in the U.S.