Thank you! I really do believe a lot of people are misinformed. They ask simple questions like "Well why didn't you try to get papers before your visa expired?" And the answer to that question is.... I did! And from there, I can walk them through the complicated processes and the bureaucratic mess that is our legal system.

Those types of explanations help them understand our frustration.

I'm a firm believer in the idea that opinions can change or, at the very least, polarizing perspectives can be somewhat neutralized if you can speak rationally and civilly.

A lot of naysayers believe undocumented people are uneducated, stupid, lazy, poor, non-English speakers. You and I both know this is completely untrue, but I can't just talk to you about it.... that's like preaching to the choir.

I answer those people's questions because no matter how you put it, I have their attention. They are listening to me. My story piqued their interest. And I know that I can challenge their preexisting prejudices. That's the only way to build a bigger support base... change people's minds, or at least help them understand why their vision is so narrow.