Page 23 - Sonoma County Gazette December 2017

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Denia Candela ~ A native of Acapulco, Mexico, Denia Candela grew up in Sonoma Valley, raised by a single mother. She became a young mother herself, but with support from her husband, her family and her friends, Denia finished high school and college while raising her son, Damiann. She majored in applied statistics, with a concentration in the actuarial field; as she explains, “I
“When DACA passed, there were suddenly a lot more doors open in my life.” Denia worked her way through college and then got a job as Enrollment and Outreach Manager at the North Bay Children’s Center at SSU.
liked math. Math is the one thing that’s the same all around the world.” As an undocumented immigrant, she thought that would be important.
Denia’s story was also featured in a PBS film entitled “Diary of a Dreamer”. Last year, when the film was released, a celebration for Denia was held at Sonoma State, where college administrators and professors spoke with pride of this always-upbeat but determined young woman who overcame so many obstacles.
Denia is now not only a full-time professional and mother, but a community leader and a member of the board of several local organizations. Denia is a constant presence in community events, frequently speaking out on behalf of immigrants, the poor and the disenfranchised. But all of this is at risk if she loses her status..
Cristian Fertino ~ “My story began
when I was only five years old.” explains Cristian Fertino. “As a child I recall my mom and dad warning us not to open the door unless we knew who it was. They were always concerned about ICE showing up one day, separating our family, and eventually deporting them and me.”
Cristian had immigrated as a toddler to the U.S. from his native Michoacan, Mexico. In many ways, he grew up like any American child, speaking English and attending American schools. “My childhood did not revolve around my unlawful status. Despite
local ICE raids and checkpoints, my parents never showed fear in front of us.”
It was not until he was in his mid-teens that Cristian began to experience the consequences of being “undocumented.” Unlike most of his high school friends, he could not apply for a driver’s license, financial aid for college, or a social security number. Then his own mother was deported to Mexico after being pulled over on the freeway. “I began to live in constant fear of ICE and deportation. I felt like a prisoner in the land of the free.”
After obtaining his bachelor’s degree from UC Riverside, Cristian hit another barrier: he could not apply for a job in his field because he was ineligible for a social security number. Instead, he worked as a gardener and helped his dad paint houses to make ends meet.
Then came DACA. “For the first time, I felt welcomed in the country I had called home for over 16 years. No amount of words could ever describe the emotions I felt the first time I held my work permit or social security card. It was my name and photo on those documents. It felt surreal. My dreams no longer had to be dreams because now I could make them a reality. I now possessed the tools needed to thrive and succeed.”
For the last 5 years, Cris has been working for immigrants, helping them navigate difficult immigration laws or fight their deportation. (His own mother can re-apply to return to the U.S. in 2019). Cristian intends to attend law school next fall. His story will be told in an upcoming My American Dreams video, shown on KRCB in the spring and shared with the PBS network thereafter.
Uncertain Future The PBS film about Diego ends with him saying that which sums of the attitude of most DACA recipients: “I’m just a young guy. Just trying to make a living, trying to grow up in a country that is my home, the
only home I’ve known.” Each of the hundreds of thousands of Americans with DACA has a similar story like Denia and Cristian, Diego and Gymmel. Will we as a nation uproot these young people from the life they’ve built here, and deport them to a country they don’t know? Surely we are better than that.
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