Hi, my name is Anthony Aguilar. Some of you may know me, some of you may not nevertheless allow me to introduce myself. I am a first generation college student from Elmhurst, NY. I am also the oldest of two sisters. For the majority of my life, I grew up asking myself why was I given this life? Why was I born into poverty? Why is it I am not as privileged as my next door neighbor? All these questions have allowed me to become the person I am today however it also led me to view matters in a biased way, until now.
Having this mentality has both its pros and its cons. Pros in the sense that seeing the lack of privileges I had made me motivated to fight for them. However, like any human being once you have reached the top of the mountain there are two things that can occur. One you could continue to push yourself and climb or two you could choose to settle down. The problem with settling down isn’t that you voluntarily chose not to continue it is what follows that creates the true problem.
I chose to settle down once I got my first taste of an interview, especially in an elite investment bank by the name of Goldman Sachs. My mentality quickly changed from being a grateful kid born and raised in the projects towards feeling entitled. I felt as if I deserved to be here and the fact that I am here makes me assume I am prone to success. Having that feeling is dangerous because that confidence can quickly change to entitlement. Even so, it is that very mentality that has gotten me here. Nobody believed that a kid raised from poverty, the product of two immigrants, and a kid that struggled to even pass the fourth grade could grow up to be where he is today. The only person that I could trust is myself. That’s the problem right there because you overlook the people that have truly led you to where you are today. Taking this communications course has taught me just that, seeing that so many people have shaped the person I am today. My biggest motivators? My parents, immigrants from Mexico, people that so many people (half of America) fear for no apparent reason are the strongest people I have ever met.
I have had advantages in my life in addition towards being disadvantaged in other aspects. I have been disadvantaged in the sense that I didn’t come from a middle-class family, my parents weren’t European like other first generation students etc. I have also been privileged in my life but one, in particular, I would like to focus on is the privilege of being born here. Attached is a picture of them.
I have had advantages in my life in addition towards being disadvantaged in other aspects. I have been disadvantaged in the sense that I didn’t come from a middle-class family, my parents weren’t European like other first generation students etc. I have also been privileged in my life but one, in particular, I would like to focus on is the privilege of being born here.
I can never speak for kids that have for some time now been neglected by society, have been looked at as “job stealers” or “dirty” however I know two people that can, my parents. Both my mom and my dad came to the states when they were 10 and 11 respectively. They have faced tons of obstacles to get to where they are today, to get their eldest son in college so it goes without saying that in this life undocumented kids are constantly being abused of. I know a very close friend of mine, or should I say, brother, who I met through the UMLA scholars program and is also a Baruch Student as well as part of the CUNY Dreamers program. He spoke to me about his experiences growing up as an undocumented student, growing up every day with the fear that one false move can mean the end of his time here in the states. He was the one who referred me to this man I had the pleasure of interviewing, former National Latino Strategist for the Bernie Sander’s 2016 campaign Cesar Vargas, also an undocumented attorney. He and his family left to the states because his father passed away when he just three years old. It was the U.S. North America Free Trade Agreement that allowed him and his family and several other millions of people to emigrate to the states. Throughout the interview, I asked him how was your experience coming here? And he replied with and I quote “I remember running in the darkness and the lights on the border trying to chase them. I remember my mother grabbing my hand really tight” this is one of the many stories of kids coming to the states in the hope of getting a better life, a choice they had no say on but nonetheless don’t regret. He spoke to me about the DREAM action coalition and how to get involved.
http://drmactioncoalition.org/
I was never a guy that liked being handed flyers but this is one I would like to share with everybody, why? Because even though I never experienced the difficulties these amazing group of people has had to face I can talk to them about my experiences being a product of immigrants that came here at a young age. So how do you get involved?
For them, it’s simply “get involved”. They have a basis all across the country such as Texas, California, and NY etc. For them, it’s simply getting people involved. Talk to your neighbor, teach them what DREAMERS truly stand for. All political power is local so it starts with talking to our local communities. Mr. Vargas said, “Going to congress is the easy part but it’s first building your network and talking to your neighbor that requires true initiative”.
So what is their end game? For him regardless if you have a green card or not he wishes to open the doors for thousands of students to all kinds of professionals, such as if somebody wants to become a lawyer or a businessman. His stories are the most important thing, it’s their stories that hold the most power. He strongly believed in never turning your back on your community, he wouldn’t be where he is today had it not been for his community. As an attorney he wants to make sure he does that, he wants to inspire his Latino community, all communities in general. When everybody has quality health care we all benefit from that.
Change begins with one person; one person does not make the change it starts it is the time we start.